Pumpkin came to us with his sister Rose. Although they could well be the same age, we tend to think of Pumpkin as being her little brother.
Pumpkin is very strong and sturdy. He was blind in one eye when he went to live with his first family. This may have happened when he was a kitten, as a result of straw poking him in his eye. When he came to us his fur was in a very bad state, being badly knotted. We soon found the cause - incredibly overgrown teeth. We cut them down and for a couple of years they seemed to be ok. But then they started growing out of alignment. Pumpkin is a Netherland Dwarf, another breed susceptible to teeth problems. We had no qualms about having them removed straight away.
Pumpkin is a white, albino rabbit and so cannot stay out in the sun too long. Last summer he spent a lot of time outside and as a result suffered some damge to his other eye. He is now blind in both eyes, but this doesn't seem to be a problem to him. Recently his eyes have started to get very "gunky" and can become very unpleasant. I have to be quite savage in pulling the gunk off and leaving the patch around his eyes pink and raw. This may be due to his eye problems or once again, his back teeth! If we keep on top of it by daily attention then we can keep it under control. As a result of no front teeth Pumpkin can get very messy round his bottom and so he needs regular bathing. Rabbits must be "poo-free" especially in the summer months or else fly strike could be the horrific result.
On two occasions I have found maggets around Pumpkin's eyes. As you can imagine this in an absolutely awful thing to see. I wiped them off and then applied T.C.P. to the area. Whenever he comes in from outside now I always check his eyes. He has had a lucky escape so far.
Pumpkin is a happy chappy, and loves a cuddle!! He worships his big sister and although blind, will defend her if he feels there is trouble brewing. Pumpkin much prefers exploring the living room to being outside where he probably feels quite vulnerable.
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