Normal molting or something else?

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Wyldrose

Wyldrose

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Fuzzball is almost 11 weeks old, I believe his parents are rex x lop. He has the rex type coat and I can't decided what direction to hold my ears. He was kept in a heated barn and is now inside my house.

I noticed this patch of fur on his head and it's getting bigger. He does scratch it but I don't think anymore then any other rabbit(maybe once a day that I notice). The skin is kind of flakey, you can see in the first picture.
007-50.jpg

This picture makes me think it's "just" a molt
008-54.jpg

I hope his ears stay like this lol!
010-37.jpg
 
That does not look normal to me. He may have fur mites, but the top of the head is rather an odd place for it.

I find that food grade Diatomaceaous Earth is very effective against external parasites. One light application has always cured my rabbits of mites.

Do not use pool grade DE. It is deadly. Food grade DE can be purchased at feed stores, and I know that Tractor Supply Company carries it.
 
I forgot about DE, love that stuff! The walmart here sells it in the pet section, of course the feed stores are probley cheeper and you get more.

Do you dust the rabbit with it or just his cage?
I'm sure I used DE for mouse mites or lice. I just lined the bottom of the cage with it.
 
I just put a bit in my hand and then "pet" the rabbit from head to tail. The mites are usually around the ears and nape of the neck, so that is where you want most of it.

If your cages are wood framed, sprinkle some in the joints of the wood. Mites like to hide in cracks.
 
I agree, this does not look like molt. I've never had a Rex molt on the head. With the DE, those ears might go up. I had a buck with summer ears, those things flopped over like a lop. After a few weeks of treatment they popped right up.

By the by, the fur on the back of his neck does not look Rex. It's looks wavy like Astrex. I sure would like to see what he looks like on the sides. The chocolate buns are so handsome.
 
Oh! I forgot to mention to check his ears for ear mites as well! :oops:

If there is any brown wax in his ears, put a little vegetable oil in them to smother the mites. Repeat twice at 7-10 day intervals to kill the eggs.
 
Good idea! I wonder if the blue ear powder I use on my dog and cats ears would work. It's gentian violet, boric acid and rubbing alcohal. It treats everything from ear infections to mites.
I did peak in them when I first noticed it and didn't see anything but best to keep an eye on it.


His wavyness is why I picked him, he was the only one with his coat in the litter, the rest parents included had normal coats.
Here's a picture of his side a few days ago
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I really don't need him but I saw the add for free bunnies and had to go get him. I'm going to breed him to one of my rexes this spring and see what happens with the baby coats.
 
Sometimes, they will hold their ears like that when there are mites in there. I would treat him for ear/fur mites. The easiest thing would be a few drops of Ivomec 1% (injectable ivermectin for cattle) on the back of his neck. It will kill the ear mites and fur mites. Or, if you prefer, you can do the oil and DE....
 
Devon's Mom Lauren":1vydublx said:
He looks like he has the Astrex gene. They do commonly lose their fur like that.http://www.rabbitgeek.com/astrex.html

http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/rare-astrex-rabbits-from-golden-spike-rabbitry
Click to expand...

Wow Picture #4 on the side show looks just like him(and the same baldness on the head), I had seen Helga's plush lops and had wanted to get one next time I am in Edmonton(she's just out side there and I'm 4 hours away). I have lost her email address so I'll have to find it again.

From what I remeber is Astrex is something some rex rabbits carry, but it is a trait that is culled out (Like fuzzy in holland lops). So bred to a rex they will probley only make rex coats and bred back to his daughter will make more astrex and normal rex coats right?

I looked in his ears and it's pink and clean in them. A drop of the injectable works? I have used iver-on the pour on kind for mice with mites. I just diluted it and sprayed it on them. I will stop off at the feed/farm store on my way to work and check out the different options. The drop on the neck would be the easiest and I could treat all the rabbits as a precaution. Mites are species specific right? Only effection one host, and wont infect my other animals.
 
Wyldrose":3aiqgxq8 said:
Devon's Mom Lauren":3aiqgxq8 said:
He looks like he has the Astrex gene. They do commonly lose their fur like that.http://www.rabbitgeek.com/astrex.html

http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/rare-astrex-rabbits-from-golden-spike-rabbitry
Click to expand...

Wow Picture #4 on the side show looks just like him(and the same baldness on the head), I had seen Helga's plush lops and had wanted to get one next time I am in Edmonton(she's just out side there and I'm 4 hours away). I have lost her email address so I'll have to find it again.

From what I remeber is Astrex is something some rex rabbits carry, but it is a trait that is culled out (Like fuzzy in holland lops). So bred to a rex they will probley only make rex coats and bred back to his daughter will make more astrex and normal rex coats right?

I looked in his ears and it's pink and clean in them. A drop of the injectable works? I have used iver-on the pour on kind for mice with mites. I just diluted it and sprayed it on them. I will stop off at the feed/farm store on my way to work and check out the different options. The drop on the neck would be the easiest and I could treat all the rabbits as a precaution. Mites are species specific right? Only effection one host, and wont infect my other animals.
Click to expand...

That is my understanding...we have looked at the rabbit ear mites and cat ear mites under a microscope and they are completely different looking critters...(both ugly as can be!) I use .018cc per lb of bunny, so a 10lb bunny gets .18cc, which I just round to .2cc or 2/10ths of a cc. That is usually 3-4 drops or so. Works really fast.
 
Here's Fuzzballs family picture. His Dad is a Harlie and not pictured.
fuzzballwithfamily.jpg

He's the one on the far left, you can see the wavyness of his coat. Thats why I had to get him :) I will be interesting to see what goes on with his coat as he matures.

With him being just about 2lbs he'll need like 0.04cc's so thats about 1 drop. I had to deworm a snake last year(bought her full of roundworms from a petshop) and she was only 18grams so it was a very tiny dose too.<br /><br />__________ Sun Feb 10, 2013 11:37 am __________<br /><br />Fuzzball is looking better! I went with the ivermectin and it's clearing up :)
006-47.jpg

His ears are still floppy. We'll see if they change.
Do you retreat in a few days/weeks? I really don't want to stab myself again. The reason I can't be a vet, I always end up stabbing myself with needles! Even had a Vet get me with a needle during a cat euthinasia. I told her she's not allowed to put me to sleep ;)
 

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