INTRODUCTION

The gene for dwarfism is linked to certain malformations in rabbits, although not all dwarf rabbits possess the gene for dwarfism, not all of them suffer from all these malformations and in some breeds it is a daily occurrence. 

FADER’ is undoubtedly the most desperate and even cruel of these malformations, as it attacks at the beginning or end of lactation, when the rabbits are close to weaning.

WHAT IS ‘FADER’?

A fader is, in a nutshell, a goat that is not destined to survive. Eaten rabbits are not ‘peanuts’, but tend to have a little bit more of the dwarf gene, which affects the gut and the pituitary gland in the brain. The pituitary produces growth hormones, so the gazapo grows a little slower than its siblings at first. Because the puppy does not receive enough signals from its endocrine system that it needs to grow and develop, the gut never matures enough to be able to handle solid food.

Most of the time, the ‘FADER’ is the prettiest puppy in the litter.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE ‘FADER’?

FADER’ rabbits are completely normal until they reach the third week of life, they may be a little smaller than their siblings but this is not alarming at all (they may even be the same size), they are generally calmer and may have a slightly bristly coat although this is not usual. 

From the third week onwards the rabbits start to eat solid food (previously they have nibbled the hay available in the cage) and, at a certain point, their growth seems to stagnate, they start to lose weight (or do not gain weight as they should for their age) and no matter how much food is available or whether we give them formula milk or pureed feed to help them, nothing seems to work. 

One of the most curious symptoms is that his ano-genital area has a sweet smell, similar to that of melted sugar due to the malfunctioning of the intestine.

CAN A FADER RABBIT'S LIFE BE SAVED?

No. Although this sounds harsh, a fader is doomed to die, it can die suddenly or live for several days or weeks while we force-feed it and ‘try to save’ it. A ‘FADER’ beagle is genetically a weak animal, an animal that doesn't care how much it eats because it will starve to death as it cannot absorb the nutrients from solid food. 

Many of us are fond of them but we have to be realistic, and even being realistic, a good breeder will fight for that condemned toad until the end, giving it all the supplementary food needed to try to save it in some way.

When we detect a ‘FADER’ beagle it is best to opt for a cull to avoid unnecessary suffering.

CONCLUSION

All breeders (ethical or not) have had ‘FADERS’ at some time in their lives, the important thing is to know how to detect them in time and, if a particular pair of rabbits produces many ‘FADERS’ in their litters, we should try not to cross them any more or remove them from the breeding, as this only shows that, for some reason, they are carriers of weak genetics.