Belgian hares

Question
hi, a friend of mine has 2 belgian hares, a male and female. he's been trying to breed them for some time and nothing is happening although she's showed all signs of being in young. the other day her back end went and she was dragging it along. he took her to the vets and had her put down without asking for any treatment. i was sad to hear this and was wondering what might have happened, could it be anything to do with having babies stuck maybe?
thanks

Answer
Dear Natalie,

Many things can cause hind limb paresis in rabbits, and you can read about them here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/paresis.html

I'm really surprised that he didn't ask for any treatment, because many of these things are treatable.  I agree that this is very sad, but since I don't know the whole story, I'll try to refrain from passing judgement.

I hope he'll give the male to someone who will be willing to spend money on treatment, should he become sick.  And if he's planning on trying to breed them again, he should be aware that Belgian Hares are among the most difficult rabbits to breed, as they are highly intelligent, sensitive, and delicate.  They need a HUGE amount of space, fantastic care, and all the best supplies if they are to be successful at reproducing.

That said, please share this with him:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

I hope it will affect the way he treats his rabbits.

Thank you for your kindness and concern about the bunnies.

Take care,

Dana