Is my rabbit deaf or just really chill?

[hiyenas]

I have a Holland lop who moves his ears sometimes but never reacts to sound otherwise, and his ears moving doesn’t seem to coincide with sound, he doesn’t react to my birds screaming, or the neighbors dog barking (he was playing in the yard and my grandpa said he seems deaf because he didn’t notice the dog barking) and we vacuum right next to his pen and even inside of it without him so much as flinching. I stood behind him once and clapped very loud and it took maybe 7 or 8 claps before I saw one of his ears move a little tiny bit. I’m planning on asking the vet next time we go in for a check-up but until then, anyone have any ideas or advice on how to tell?

 

[lilac]

Do you use a pellet/treat jar or bag? Does he react to the sound of a bag crinkling or treats in a jar? Most bunnies will pick up on that sound quickly!

 

[hiyenas]

Do you use a pellet/treat jar or bag? Does he react to the sound of a bag crinkling or treats in a jar? Most bunnies will pick up on that sound quickly!

I’m not sure if he does actually, I’ll see next time I fill his bowl, I know he gets excited and runs to it when he sees the bag but I’m not sure if he’d notice it without seeing it

 

[LizzyMayHarvey]

My old mini lop used to sit in front of the lawn mower and didn't seem bothered with some noises. But she would come when I called her although I dont know if she did that because she saw me or actually heard me. She was a very strange rabbit anyway and was a once in a lifetime sorta girl.

 

[hiyenas]

Do you use a pellet/treat jar or bag? Does he react to the sound of a bag crinkling or treats in a jar? Most bunnies will pick up on that sound quickly!

Ok I just shook his treat bags and rustled his food around and poured his pellets into his bowl without him seeing and he had absolutely no reaction to the sounds

 

[JBun]

Does your rabbit happen to be a blue eyed white rabbit?

 

[hiyenas]

Does your rabbit happen to be a blue eyed white rabbit?

no, hes a broken chestnut with brown eyes

 

[peanutdabunny]

@JBun

Does your rabbit happen to be a blue eyed white rabbit?

what do you ask about bews? I was just about to adopt a realllllllly chill bew holland, whats the problem with them?

 

[JBun]

It's not uncommon for white furred animals to be more prone to vision and hearing problems. Blue eyed white rabbits are susceptible as well. They can also be more prone to problems with seizures. Doesn't mean all BEW rabbits will have any of these problems, just that it can be more common in this type than other rabbits.

I have a blue eyed white holland. He can hear fine, at least as lops go(lops have more difficulty hearing than uppy eared rabbits), but his eyesight is definitely more sensitive. He has difficulty seeing if the lighting is too bright.

 

[Preitler]

Well, I can drop a pile of pans right beside my rabbits, they don't flinch.

But stepping on something crunchy, like a dry twig, when they don't see me comming really makes them listen up.

 

[SirLawrence]

Just to throw in my experience, I thought for a while Lawrence was deaf, but he just has selective hearing. He has to be pushed with the vacuum to move him when I'm vacuuming, but the slightest crinkle of the treat bag, and he comes running from another room.

I am kidding about pushing him with the vacuum, but he pretty much ignores it.

 

[JBun]

Just to throw in my experience, I thought for a while Lawrence was deaf, but he just has selective hearing. He has to be pushed with the vacuum to move him when I'm vacuuming, but the slightest crinkle of the treat bag, and he comes running from another room.

I am kidding about pushing him with the vacuum, but he pretty much ignores it.

Just like kids then! Convenient how they hear only what they want to hear

 

[James + Ted]

One time I pulled up YouTube on my TV and played “rabbit sounds” to see if Ted would react to them. I didn’t know that some of the sounds would be rabbits in distress. When those were playing, he ran and hid. Obviously I stopped the vid at that point.

So you might try that, to see if he reacts.