Skin and teeth problems! Help!!!!

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Cosima

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My three month old nz, J has big problems. First he has over grown top teeth
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and second he has crusty feet (and ears) that he does not want to walk on. Help would be HIGHLY appreciated.
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Oh no! I’m sorry I don’t have much advice other than your rabbit‘s teeth are misaligned and overgrowing, possibly through injury but more likely due to genetics…they can be trimmed but I wouldn’t know how to go about doing it. Making sure they have enough wood or fibrous plants to eat/chew is important as their teeth never stop growing. I wouldn’t breed from the rabbit either as the trait can be passed on to offspring.
 
Okay thanks. And actually I now know what the skin issue is and I have it to, scabies or borrowing mites and they are NOT fun.
Ahh well that sucks…on the bright side, you’ve solved the mystery. Hope you get both yourself and the rabbit sorted soon!
 
For mites use ivermectin in the rabbits ears (a pea size) I can't remember if it's every two weeks or once a month. I know in angora that when using ivermetivin on rabbits with the Vienna gene there is an increased likely hood of neurological and side effects. It was advised to not use ivermectin on vienna gene rabbit to me.. I am going to see if I can find the information for the length of the dose.

For you if you do not have medication for the scabies then sulfur baths and sulfur cream for all the spots. You need all clean laundry and to disinfect the entire living area. Because even when you kill the mites their eggs are still lying around and will hatch and reinfect you.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/scabies/treatment.html
https://healthwyze.org/reports/421-natural-and-holistic-treatments-to-remedy-scabies
https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/parasitic-skin-infections/scabies
 
So, if he is 3 months old, he is not old enough to have that much tooth over growth from just needing to chew some wood. That is indeed malocclusion, so his teeth are misalinged. If he were a pet I would trim.

But I think if you are breeding for production, he is going to need to be culled, and a better buck located, as that is a genetic flaw. Option 1: you cull/harvest now, without treating for scabies. Option 2: you treat, wait the reccomended amount of time following medication, and then cull/harvest. Option 3: you treat, breed him to your does once, wait the reccomended time after treatment, and then cull, with the plan to save a buck from that cross--inspect all kit teeth very carefully.

Option 3 is not ideal, becasue I assume you have 3 sibling NZ rabbits already, so the odds of getting rid of the genes for malocclusion are low, and you will have to cull every rabbit that has bad teeth for generations. However, I remember how hard it was for you to find this rabbit. If options are limited, this might be your only path.
 
Eco2pia has given you excellent advice, and it will help you make your best decision.

A rabbit with two health problems would mean certain culling in my herd. I wouldn't want him passing on the scabies to other rabbits -- as could easily happen if one were to breed him -- and I wouldn't want his genes in my herd.

Learn to spot signs of malocclusion in young rabbits' teeth -- and always examine a rabbit you are thinking of buying for any signs of ill health.

It's tough call, I know. But for the rabbit's sake -- as well as the overall
well-being of your rabbitry -- sometimes it is necessary.
 
burrowing mites need a different treatment plan than regular mites. I'd advise you to seek the advice of a vet.

With the teeth... if keeping as a pet keep them trimmed. Many people use a dremel (youtube has videos). You will need to keep on top of them as the consequence is slow starvation.
 
If you do not have access to a vet maybe look in the merk manual how to treat.
 

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