A tiny white and grey Mini-lop rabbit

Miniature Lop Rabbit Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The Miniature Lop, also known as the Holland Lop, is one of the smaller lop-eared breeds of rabbit. This breed shouldn’t be confused with the Mini Lop from America, which is the UKs equivalent of the Dwarf Lop. If you’re looking for a bunny to join your family, this breed guide gives you all the information you need to know about this small, affectionate breed.

Miniature Lop Rabbit Facts

Everypaw's breed type icon
Type
Lop-eared
Everypaw's breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
7 - 12 years
Everypaw's breed size icon
Size
Small
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Weight
1.6 kg
Everypaw's breed temperament icon
Temperament
Affectionate, intelligent, inquisitive
Everypaw's breed exercise icon
Exercise
2 hours 2x a day
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Grooming
Medium maintenance

Is a Miniature Lop Right for Me?

The Miniature Lop is an affectionate and intelligent breed. If you want to spend time having cuddles on the sofa but would also like to be able to train your bunny to come to call or play fetch, then this breed will be the perfect addition to your family.

A grey Miniature Lop rabbit in a garden

Life with a Miniature Lop

This breed loves to be with people, including children so make great companions for all the family. They love a cuddle but will also want to spend time playing with their favourite toys. Even small rabbits like the Miniature Lop still need lots of tlc, including grooming and playtime, so make sure you have the time to give them.

Caring for Your Miniature Lop

No matter what breed your bunny is, they will need a diet high in fibre. This means lots of high-quality fresh hay and grass. They also love fresh veg like carrots, sweetcorn, celery and broccoli. These can be given to your rabbit every day. You should be careful not to feed them lots of kale, spring greens and dandelions as they contain a lot of calcium.

Rabbits don’t really need to be fed a dry rabbit mix from the pet shop if they’re fed hay, grass and greens. If you do want to give your rabbit a dry mix or pellets, make sure you don’t over feed them as this can lead to all sorts of weight and health conditions.

Miniature Lops have a medium length dense furry coat which can grow up to 4 cm long. They also have fluffy legs and feet. Even though rabbits are great at grooming themselves, grooming your bunny once or twice a week will help prevent any knots or uncomfortable tangles.

It will also help prevent them from ingesting too much fur which can cause dangerous hairballs. Grooming also helps you to build that special bond with your rabbit. And it provides the opportunity to give them a quick check over for signs of any health issues.

If you start grooming your bunny when they’re little, they’ll quickly get used to it and will love all the attention. If you’re unsure about how you should groom your rabbit, ask your vet, they’ll be happy to show you what to do.

Like all rabbits, it’s possible to train a Miniature Lop to do various things. They’re an intelligent breed, so litter training won’t take long. Using positive reinforcement like clicker training, you could train your rabbit to do other things, like come to call or play fetch. They’ll soon work out that learning is fun when they get nice rewards.

Even though this breed is only small, they still need plenty of exercise to keep them active, fit and healthy. Wild rabbits can roam over 3 miles every day, this gives you an idea of how much exercise rabbit really need.

Exercise is important for your rabbit’s muscles and to keep their weight in check. It also stops them from getting bored which can lead to behavioural problems. Give your bunny lots of toys to play with, chew toys and places to run, play and hide in, to keep them busy!

If your rabbit lives in the house, they’ll get some exercise roaming around. But having a run around outside for a couple of hours twice a day, or even longer, is ideal. Always keep an eye on them when they’re outside; their size makes them easy prey for unwelcome garden predators.
 

An orange Miniature Lop rabbit in their garden run

Miniature Lop Insurance

We know you want to keep your Miniature Lop happy and healthy. Unfortunately, they can suffer from health problems. So to help keep your bunny in thumping form, Everypaw’s Rabbit Insurance can be there to help you when you need it most.

There are 3 levels of vet cover to choose from, and every policy gives you access to our 24/7 vet helpline, Petcall. So you have the peace of mind, that for every hop your bunny takes, the Petcall vet team can be on hand to help.

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Common Miniature Lop Health Problems by Vetstream

Unfortunately, because of their head shape and size, lop-eared rabbits are prone to a lot of dental and ear problems. Everypaw has joined up with veterinary experts Vetstream to give you an idea of what to look out for.

Brachycephalic means a short skull. This condition affects short nosed rabbits like the Miniature Lop, which can lead to dental and respiratory problems.

Brachycephalic rabbits generally have a longer top jaw than bottom jaw leading to malocclusion. This means their teeth don’t line up properly. It can be life-threatening. Rabbit’s teeth grow continuously, so if they don’t wear them down, your bunny won’t be able to eat or drink properly. Rabbits with this condition usually need to have regular vet visits for dental treatment.

Respiratory problems are also a problem for brachycephalic breeds. Rabbits only breathe through their nose. If you notice your rabbit breathing through their mouth, this is a sign that they’re struggling to breathe. Contact your vet immediately if you notice your bunny can’t breathe properly. 

Otitis is a common problem that can affect the ear canal and other structures in the ear. The ear becomes inflamed and sore and can be very painful. Check your rabbit’s ears regularly to spot any early signs of infection.

If your rabbit starts scratching the base of their ear, seems in pain or generally under the weather, they may have an ear infection. In severe cases, you might even notice a swelling at the base of the ear, or your rabbit might just hold their head to one side (head tilt). These are all signs that your bunny needs to see the vet immediately. 

Canker is another ear problem and is caused by the ear mite Psoroptes cuniculi. These common rabbit mites irritate the lining of the ear. If you notice any scabs or crusting inside your rabbit’s ear you should get your bunny checked out by your vet. Other signs of ear canker include headshaking, ear flapping and scratching. It can be easily treated with medication if it’s spotted early.

Quick Miniature Lop Q&A

Miniature Lops usually live around 7 to 12 years, or even longer if they’re fit and don’t have any health problems.

This breed is one of the smallest rabbit breeds. They tend not to measure much more than around 15 cm when fully grown.

All rabbit breeds are pregnant for the same time. Their gestation period is typically around 31-33 days… which isn’t very long at all!

Most small breeds mature quicker than larger breeds. The Miniature is usually fully grown around 7 months old.

That’s All You Need to Know About Miniature Lops

This small lop-eared breed is very intelligent and affectionate. Playing and having cuddles will be their top priorities! They might be small, but they still need plenty of care to keep them happy and healthy. They can be prone to dental and ear problems, so these will need to be checked regularly to prevent any potential problems. Despite this, if you’ve got the time and love to give them, you’ll get lots of love back!

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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