Hair Loss Around Front Toes

[Briz]

Doing the monthly nail trim/rabbit RX and notice one of my Holland Lop doe's front toes are missing hair! No hair loss from anywhere else on the body, not on the back feet, and no ear mites. Her appetite is unchanged. Couldn't find anything specific about what it could be with only some front toes losing hair. I'm thinking it is some sort of burrowing mites or fleas. Her cage is closest to the ground of all my occupied cages and cleaned weekly. She's also my only bunny fearful of people while inside her cage, although she isn't nearly so once outside.

I'm hoping someone can help me recognize what this might be. I have a rabbit-savvy vet about 30 minutes away but would prefer to treat myself if its something that can be dealt with at home. Ivermectin is on hand. Thanks for your input!

One front foot.

The other front foot.

Otherwise healthy bunny?

Height and living conditions of her cage.

 

[Nyctra]

I think she might've just been pulling her fur? :? I had a young doe having a false pregnancy who pulled mostly from her toes and it looked just like that.

 

[Briz]

Ah, that could very well be it! She had been put with a buck a few weeks ago but no actual magic had happened. I'll keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't get worse.

 

[grumpy]

She may be a 'nibbler'...I've got one or two in the rabbitry that will do that
every once in a while.

grumpy.

 

[Miss M]

Perhaps another possibility might be some sort of fungal issue? I don't see any scaly or inflamed skin, though.

Nu-Stock would treat that, though. About $13 for a pretty big tube at a feed store.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'm with Miss M on this one.

I don't see anything going on with the skin or around the nailbed, but I would treat it with Nu-Stock anyway. Nu-Stock is simply a sulfur and pine oil based ointment, so isn't going to create any drug resistant "super-bugs"... but it will kill fungus if there is any.

 

[Briz]

Thanks for the additional suggestion, I will do that for her because the area around her toenail bed does look a little flaky.

 

[Miss M]

Okay, that does sound like it might be fungal, then.

Nu-Stock is nice stuff. Mix well. I actually squeezed mine into a glass Zatarain's dried bell pepper jar. I stir it with a plastic knife. But you can just shake and knead the tube. It's messy, but it's good stuff.

Even used it for a ringworm on my leg once. Worked a whole lot faster than the meds made for people. Probably because most people are not going to want to smell like sulphur or pine oil, and wouldn't want oil spots on their clothes, etc. I didn't care at that point. I just wanted it gone.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Mix well. I actually squeezed mine into a glass Zatarain's dried bell pepper jar. I stir it with a plastic knife. But you can just shake and knead the tube. It's messy, but it's good stuff.

Yes, it separates over time, so I put mine in a small pyrex bowl with a lid. I have even needed to add a bit of mineral oil to it on occasion.

Even used it for a ringworm on my leg once. Worked a whole lot faster than the meds made for people. Probably because most people are not going to want to smell like sulphur or pine oil, and wouldn't want oil spots on their clothes, etc. I didn't care at that point.

I used it on my feet when I got athlete's foot from Hubs. It cleared it up really fast- but boy! Don't wash the laundry that came in contact with it with anything else- it smells even worse after going through a drying cycle! :x

I will do that for her because the area around her toenail bed does look a little flaky.

Ah, okay. Sounds like that may be the problem. In the more advanced stages you will see swelling and redness there, so kudos to you for catching it so early!