URGENT: Rabbit's Health at Risk
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MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
The skin appears healthy, and new fur is growing, so it looks like it has been there a while, and you just missed seeing it.
If it is not from an old injury or another rabbit chewing on it, it could be fur mites, although typically the hair loss starts near the neck. If you have food grade Diatomaceous Earth, you can powder the area with it. If not, someone mentioned that Listerine mouthwash will kill them too.
If it is not from an old injury or another rabbit chewing on it, it could be fur mites, although typically the hair loss starts near the neck. If you have food grade Diatomaceous Earth, you can powder the area with it. If not, someone mentioned that Listerine mouthwash will kill them too.
I'm sorry, Logan, but I can't tell what it is I am seeing. Can you please describe it for us so that we can try to help you. All I can see is something white... looks like the underfur is exposed. I'd like to help if I can.
bigbrologan
Well-known member
This just saddens me. I HATE missing stuff like this. Makes me feel like I'm a crappy owner. Thank you for the help, Mama.<br /><br />__________ Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:24 pm __________<br /><br />Maggie, it basically *looks* like a patch of fur was shaved off. Like Mama said, new fur does appear to be growing. There are no sores or scabs on the skin, so I think the skin is healthy.
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
bigbrologan":1knje355 said:
Don't beat yourself up, Logan. We all miss things sometimes, and if your rabbits are happy to see you and eager to eat when you tend to them, it is easy to overlook little issues like this.
Jana15
Well-known member
I was typeing this huge big relpy and then the internet went out and lost it all! Arg! But here is the summary
The same thing, or somthing very similiar came up on one of rabbits a few weeks ago. It was like a bald spot and flaky skin of some sorts. It looked very similiar to your picture, with a few tufts of hair. I as well missed this on my bun, I think it came suddenly.
It was right between his shoulder blades. I dusted him well with food grade DE in case it was mites. I also dosed the spot with betadine(watered down slighty) and a cotton ball everyday for a week, in case it was a fungal somthing. He was in a dark moist basement when it appeared.
He also had a few bald spots around his ears(Not ear mites). He is doing well now, the fur has about grown back in on the spot, although his pretty white fur is now dyed orange from the betadine! :roll:
The same thing, or somthing very similiar came up on one of rabbits a few weeks ago. It was like a bald spot and flaky skin of some sorts. It looked very similiar to your picture, with a few tufts of hair. I as well missed this on my bun, I think it came suddenly.
It was right between his shoulder blades. I dusted him well with food grade DE in case it was mites. I also dosed the spot with betadine(watered down slighty) and a cotton ball everyday for a week, in case it was a fungal somthing. He was in a dark moist basement when it appeared.
He also had a few bald spots around his ears(Not ear mites). He is doing well now, the fur has about grown back in on the spot, although his pretty white fur is now dyed orange from the betadine! :roll:
bigbrologan
Well-known member
I don't think we have any DE, I'll have to ask my mom if we can run out and get some tonight. Or could it wait till tomorrow?
skysthelimit
Well-known member
It's possible it's wet dewlap, moist dermatitis. Or the same fungus that causes it. I had a doe that had it, and I didn't really see it till I posted a pict of her in the cage and MSD pointed it out. I didn't really understand that it is a fungus that can spread like that, especially when one is spraying rabbits in the heat of summer. I transferred the fungus from her to my herd sire, and he gave it to two does he bred. I did not even realize what was happening till I started losing kits, and turned the doe over to see her teats missing fur. The patch of missing fur behind the ears was the dead giveaway for him, because that is the place I rub all of my rabbits when they greet me. The first pass I cleaned the rabbits, but did not treat the metal nozzle on the water bottle. The second pass I did everything, and now I have a bottle of sanitizer I use between every cage visit.
The problem is not that I don't see my rabbits, I visit three times a day or more for at least 1/2 hr per visit. The problem is I don't lift 8lb Rexes out of the cage everyday, hollands I usually do. With all that fur, something like this could go unnoticed for a few days. I just feed, reach in and rub, then move on. I am working out a rotational schedule so every rabbit gets pulled out of the cage at least once every ten days. And to be honest, these are not my home bred, and most don't like being handled, and I have the scars to prove it.
I just poured vinegar on it and it cleared up in 2-3 days with one treatment.
The problem is not that I don't see my rabbits, I visit three times a day or more for at least 1/2 hr per visit. The problem is I don't lift 8lb Rexes out of the cage everyday, hollands I usually do. With all that fur, something like this could go unnoticed for a few days. I just feed, reach in and rub, then move on. I am working out a rotational schedule so every rabbit gets pulled out of the cage at least once every ten days. And to be honest, these are not my home bred, and most don't like being handled, and I have the scars to prove it.
I just poured vinegar on it and it cleared up in 2-3 days with one treatment.
tm_bunnyloft
Well-known member
I have nothing to add of any help. I just wanted to say I hope you get it figured out and your bunnies are ok.
You are at the right place for help. The people on this forum just helped me save my entire herd of rabbits so I am sure they will be able to help you as well.
You are at the right place for help. The people on this forum just helped me save my entire herd of rabbits so I am sure they will be able to help you as well.
bigbrologan
Well-known member
I just applied some vinegar per skysthelimit's post. I didn't have any of the other suggested items, so figured that would work. Hopefully it will get better in a few days.<br /><br />__________ Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:52 pm __________<br /><br />Thank you all so much
skysthelimit
Well-known member
I was reading someone elses post a while ago, and that's what that person did. Sure saved me a lot of trouble. I love RT.
Don't worry, based on what I see he'll be okay till tomorrow.
See the sort of ring or circle shapes in it? That is a very common growth pattern of fungus. Fur mites usually leave a much more ragged edge.
I have no issues whatever with using chemicals on my rabbits, so I use some things that are much more harsh in nature than many people here. For fur mites I have used Sevin (a garden insecticide powder) sprinkled on like flea powder, for ear mites I have used bird mite spray that you can get at Walmart- I soak a cotton ball and then swipe it down the inside of the ears. I have also used Advantage flea drops dosed at the cat rate- it works excellent, but is very expensive. If you head up to Marysville, I know you can get Advantage at Jones and Co Pets, and at Co-op Supply feed store.
None of my rabbits has ever had a bad reaction to these things; also, I don't eat them so that's not an issue for me.
I've not had fungus in my rabbits, but my dog has had fungus several times. Don't know where she keeps picking it up. Always in summer, too. For her I use clotrimazole cream from Walmart, for athlete's foot. Takes four or five days, clears it right up, and then it's gone... until next summer. Just smear it over the affected area and a little over the edges into the healthy area, one or two times a day until the skin is cleared up.
Hope this helps!
And don't be down on yourself, seriously everyone gets things like this once in a while. One day they're fine, the next day you go out there and everyone is scratching their ears, or whatever. That's just part of keeping animals- :farmer2: :dogkiss:
skysthelimit
Well-known member
I am thinking of torching the cages in the late fall or early spring. Wonder if that might help.
Got a story about my niece getting a rare case of ringworm that is transmitted from animals from my rabbits a few weeks ago. That's for a another thread. So I gotta get some Vanodine or something to clean them.
I was very concerned that they would ingest the clotrimazole, and since the rabbits here are for consumption, no meds except a little Ivomec or tetracycline.
Got a story about my niece getting a rare case of ringworm that is transmitted from animals from my rabbits a few weeks ago. That's for a another thread. So I gotta get some Vanodine or something to clean them.
I was very concerned that they would ingest the clotrimazole, and since the rabbits here are for consumption, no meds except a little Ivomec or tetracycline.
My rabbits do that when they molt every summer. I didn't know it wasn't normal. The new hair always looks like the hair was shaved off. But it tends to be silkier and fresher looking with no damage or irritation to the skin.
I thought all rabbits did that. My rabbits usually have some variation of that somewhere on them all summer. Maybe it's the extreme heat here. They are usually all over it around Sept or so.
I thought all rabbits did that. My rabbits usually have some variation of that somewhere on them all summer. Maybe it's the extreme heat here. They are usually all over it around Sept or so.
luvabunny
Well-known member
Is the rabbit a doe and has she been bred lately? It almost looks like an overzealous buck bite.
I agree with the above. It doesn't look bad or infected and new fur appears to be growing. I wouldn't be too concerned.
I agree with the above. It doesn't look bad or infected and new fur appears to be growing. I wouldn't be too concerned.
bigbrologan
Well-known member
Oh no, she hasn't ever been bred. I haven't had the best of luck with litters and am afraid to try again.
Clotrimazole is pretty safe stuff, they use it for yeast infections in pregnant women and to treat mouth thrush in babies. My dog licks it off when I put it on for her summer fungus, and doesn't appear to be negatively affected by it. Remember they tested all this stuff on our bunnies before they gave it to us.
That said though, I wonder if an anti-licking collar would work on a rabbit?
