Polish rabbit (Hermelin): who is this white dwarf really for?

Veterinary note — This page helps you judge whether the breed suits your household; it is not a diagnosis. A runny, cloudy or swollen eye, incisors that do not meet properly or a rabbit that ignores its hay needs a vet experienced with rabbits.

The Polish — Hermelin in much of Europe, Hermine in the French standard — suits a household willing to live with a rabbit on the floor rather than in their arms, to keep an eye on its teeth and to live with a white coat that shows every stain; it is a poor fit for a young child who wants a small rabbit to carry. It is an all-white dwarf breed with red or blue eyes, whose ideal weight in the French standard is 1 to 1.35 kg.

This page covers what is specific to the Polish. The general framework of sizes is in the main domestic rabbit breeds.

Polish, Hermelin, Netherland Dwarf: what the standard says

In France the breed was called “Polonais” until the 2015 standard, which adopted its current name, Hermine; the French federation gives it an English origin. The standard describes a short, compact body, a round head, large prominent eyes and a short, dense, fine coat, with two eye varieties: red and blue.

The Netherland Dwarf descends from this breed and shares its ideal weight: a close relative of identical size, in colour. What belongs to the dwarf frame — the dwarf gene, “false dwarfs”, the incisor check — is therefore covered once and for all in Netherland Dwarf rabbit. This page focuses on the right household and on what is specific to the Polish.

Who does the Polish suit?

Rules to set with children are covered in are rabbits good pets for children, the constraints of a small home in which rabbit suits apartment living, and the gaps to block for such a small rabbit in how to rabbit-proof a room.

What to accept before adopting a Polish

1. Close dental monitoring. VCA describes dwarf breeds as over-represented in dental disease, and the Merck manual states that inherited malocclusion can generally be detected between 3 and 8 weeks of age. Look at the incisors before adopting, then watch every day how the rabbit eats its hay — see rabbit dental malocclusion.
2. Handling at floor level. Care, weighing and claw trimming happen sitting on the floor; repeated lifting is what most rabbits tolerate least (my rabbit doesn’t like being picked up).
3. A white coat that shows everything. A yellow urine stain on the feet or a soiled rear is visible immediately. It is a signal to interpret — litter, weight, digestion — not a reason to bathe the rabbit; the table of causes to look into is in Hotot rabbit, another all-white breed.

Red eyes or blue eyes: what difference does it make?

The Polish’s red eyes are those of an albino rabbit: the iris contains no pigment, and the blood in its vessels gives it its colour. It is neither an illness nor inflammation. Blue eyes are the other variety allowed by the standard, also on an all-white rabbit.

On eyesight, precision matters: we have not found a solid veterinary source establishing that a red-eyed Polish sees less well or suffers more from light. Both claims circulate; neither is, on its own, a reason to rule out the breed. As with any rabbit, however, provide a shaded area and avoid placing the enclosure in full sun — see where to put a rabbit enclosure.

What should raise concern is the same whatever the eye colour: discharge, fur matted at the corner of the eye, a cloudy, swollen or half-closed eye, or a rabbit that starts bumping into things in a familiar space. On a red eye, look for inflammation on the eyelids and the pink membrane around the eye rather than at the colour of the iris. See conjunctivitis in rabbits and my rabbit has watery eyes.

If you are torn between the Polish and another breed

• Netherland Dwarf: same size, coloured coat; urine stains show less, but everything else is identical — Netherland Dwarf rabbit.
• Hotot: white as well, but with dark eyes ringed in black, and the Blanc de Hotot weighs 4 kg or more — Hotot rabbit.
• Lionhead or dwarf lop: small too, with extra coat or ear constraints on top — lionhead rabbit, dwarf lop rabbit.

Where to go next

A concrete next step: before deciding, check the incisors with the seller, then agree who in the household will do the weekly weigh-in and the quick look at the eyes and rear. If nobody volunteers, a larger, less fragile rabbit, or a better moment, would suit you better.

Our other guides are gathered in the rabbit breeds section and on the rabbit species page.

Sources

• French rabbit breeders’ federation (FFC) — Hermine standard
• VCA Hospitals — Dental disease in rabbits
• Merck Veterinary Manual — Noninfectious diseases of rabbits (inherited malocclusion)
• RSPCA — Rabbit health and welfare