BUNNY MISSING GENITALS - HELP !!

[kkjmck123]

Hi all,



I have a mini lop kit, just over 6 weeks old, who is missing its genitals. It has one opening only which is its anus. There's nothing else there that I can find.It has a couple of small bumps under the surface but no other openings.



Has anyone ever seen this before? It's eating, drinking,pooping & weeing ('cos it's had wee stains around its genital area) and it's a normal, healthy sized rabbit. Unless you turned it over and had a close look at it, you wouldn't think it was different to the other kits in the litter.



Does anyone have any advice for me?


Thanks,



Laurel

 

[aurora369]

Are you spreading the genitals open far enough?

Can you take some pictures of what you are seeing? It would be easier for us to help you.

Take a look at some of the pictures in the 101 section on how to sex a rabbit, there are some good pictures in there.
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12064&forum_id=17

--Dawn

 

[kkjmck123]

Thanks for replying Dawn.



Yes, I've tried everything and I've never had a problem sexing rabbits before, but this one has me stumped. I have a friend who is a rabbit breeder (and a vet nurse) and she couldn't find anything either.



I'll try and take some photos but it's very hard to find anything at all.



Laurel

 

[aurora369]

Hmm this is definitly perplexing!

Hopefully someone can provide some good information. Pictures would definitely help.

--Dawn

 

[TinysMom]

What amazes me is the fact that you say the rabbit is pooping AND peeing....

I hope we can help you figure this out.

Peg

 

[kkjmck123]

It's definitely passing everything because I've seen it poo (when I was checking its 'bits') and it has had wee around its genital area. It's not wee from its cage or litter tray as I'm meticulous with cleaning out the cages.



Maybe it's too young to tell yet but I've sexed the three other kits in the litter without a problem. I feel a bit stupid,but honestly I cannot find anything where the genitals should be,except for a couple of tiny bumps under the skin's surface.



Thanks for your help. I hope I can figure this out.



Laurel

 

[Georgie]

It could be possible that the genitals are so small that he hasn't been able to urinate completely, hence the stains on his bum; he may have a bladder stone, but it's probably not because I've never heard of animals getting bladder stones that young. There could also be a problem with his kidneys that hasn't allowed him to urinate, and the genitals shrink or seal themselves up because...I've seenthat a lot in chinchillas, so someone please tell me ifI'm wrong!!

 

[kkjmck123]

Thanks Georgie. I'm hoping that in another week or so I might be able to see something, but at this point in time, it remains a mystery!!



Laurel

 

[pamnock]

Improper enzyme production during fetal formationcan cause congenital deformities of the genitals and rectal region. Before separating during fetal formation,the urinary tract, rectum, and anus are all part of the same structure. Defects including ambiguous genitalia can result from enzyme imbalances.

In the case of your rabbit, the urethra may open into the rectum.

I'd have someone else take a look and see if the genitals are just hidden by tissue or are actually completely missing.AsGeorgiementioned, there may be some swelling of tissue that is hiding the genitals.

Pam

 

[kkjmck123]

Thanks Pam. I appreciate your help.



I'm taking the kit to another breeder/rabbit judge today so he can have a look at it for me. Hopefully he can help me out.



I'll let you know how I go.



Cheers,



Laurel

 

[theevenstarlight]

What happened with the bun?

 

[kkjmck123]

Hi. Sorry, I forgot to post the up-date.



I took the kit to a very experienced rabbit breeder/rabbit judge and he said that the bunny had a deformity in the genital area but would be OK. He was able to find a tiny opening near the anus so at least I now know that the bunny has two openings(phew!). He said that the bunny was a buck as he could feel the testicles up under the surface but there was no sign of them dropping. The condition is apparently known asCRYPTORCHIDISM where one or more testicles may be absent from the scrotum.



Thanks everyone for your help. The kit has gone to a loving home where his new owners think he is just fabulous. He's doing well and will have a happy, normal life(despite having abnormal 'bits').



Cheers,



Laurel

 

[Flashy]

One of my guys has a crypt orchid. It basically means undescended testicles, but if the breeder could feel them, that's good as it means that they are not misplaced aroud his body, i.e. by his kidneys or anything. Most likely it means that the opening for them to drop down is not big enough to allow them to (I don't know how old the bun is now, but obviuously they can drop at different ages).

Good rabbit vets can actually apply pressure and get the testicles down, if it is the opening that is the problem. It might br worth finding out about, because undescended testicles are very prone to turning cancerous due to the higher temperatures inside the body.

It sounds like the breeder was very competent and able to put your mind at rest, which is excellent for both you and the bun

 

[kkjmck123]

Yes, I'm very relieved to know that the bunny will be OK.