baby rabbit ears

Question
hi there, I have a 13 days old baby rabbit. Is it normal if one of the ear open and the other remain the same as it was born. it's not a pure breed rabbit, mix of lion head and mini rex.

U can refer to this link for the baby rabbit's pictures
http://photobucket.com/babyrabbit13daysold

thank you

Answer
Dear Dya,

The pictures are very dark, and it is nearly impossible for me to see what you mean.  Is the ear canal actually closed?  If so, this could create problems in the future for the baby if air can't get to the ear.  Not only will hearing be impaired, but that ear will be prone to infections.

If the ear canal is actually closed, then I would wait to see how it develops.  If you can bend the ear so that it opens, it might be worthwhile to see if placing a soft cotton ball in the ear opening so that the canal stays open will help it develop more normally.  Take the cotton ball out for an hour or so each day, to check the progress.

If this is a congenital deformity, a good veterinarian can perform what's called a marsupialization:   an incision can be made from the base of the ear opening and down an inch or so to create an artificial opening that will allow the bunny to hear and also to allow him to clean the ear properly and keep it healthy.

But I hope it develops normally in a while.  He's very young, and it's hard to know what will happen so soon.

Good luck,

Dana