Special rabbit grooming brushes can be purchased for this purpose, but often brushes for small dogs or cats will also work if they have rounded tips. While not very common, rabbits can develop a skin disease that causes them to lose patches of fur. [Ear Mites in Rabbits: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Recovery, Cost, Prevention]. It is relatively rare to find a completely hairless rabbit. 2. playtime or free running time. Jackson, R., Rogers, A. D., & Lukefahr, S. D. (2006). Then you will receive tips and tricks about rabbit care straight to your inbox so that you know youll be taking excellent care of your new rabbit. After your rabbit has finished shedding, their coat will return to normal. Also, dental problems can cause drooling and teary eyes, and wet patches around the mouth, chin, and eyes. Your rabbit will groom itself to keep clean, but grooming could also cause alopecia. Fur loss can also be Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine, 142813.https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crivem/2014/142813/, 4. Important: These are Affiliate links. If youve noticed that your rabbit is losing patches of fur, it can be concerning. Your vet may also prescribe painkillers to relieve pain and irritation. If your rabbit isnt getting enough nutrients from its food, this can lead to poor coat condition and excessive shedding. In hard, wet or rough surfaces. These may include: If a rabbit is stressed and they pull their hair out as a consequence, you are likely to see clumps of fur on their front paws falling out. Flystrike is a condition that occurs rapidly. Overgrown teeth can also cause drooling and teary eyes in rabbits. Here are 15 possible reasons why your rabbit might be losing patches of fur: Any type of fur loss, cleanse it gently as recommended by your vet to prevent future complications, Rabbits will also begin to lose fur in their old age (starting at around 6-8 years). A female rabbit losing fur might have some specific health issues which are related to alopecia (hair loss). Symptoms may progress suddenly or slowly. The flaked fur will eventually fall off if not treated in time, leaving behind bald skin. This could be caused by stress or being mounted by another rabbit, even a doe. If you suspect your bunny has a parasite infection, you should take it to a vet to be looked at. Even with a skin Once you establish its barbering, rescue the weak bunny from the dominant one. Right after you sign up, youll receive a FREE pdf rabbit care guidebook. They may even make matters worse if there is an underlying infection. Rabbits often moult in big tufts but should not go bald. Mange mites will also cause fur loss around the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and forepaws. To treat overgrooming, try letting your rabbits have more rabbits behind if burnt badly, you may have to keep it dry and protected and rabbit sheds and the length of the molting period varies from one rabbit to Read all my blogs and reviews about rabbits. Or, it could be because of poor diet or grooming habits. Parasite infestation can be caused by fleas, lice, mange lice, fur mites, mites causing ear canker, and fungus (ringworm). In these cases, you will notice cuts or scabs where the injury occurred. This causes pain and severe discomfort. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. The best way to avoid flystrike is to keep your rabbit in a dry habitat. Rabbits can lose patches of fur due to a wide variety of reasons. Your rabbit could pull out large chunks of fur when it tries to groom itself with its overgrown teeth, leaving behind a patch of hairless skin. Hair Loss Average Cost. However, it is coming out in clumps when we pet her. your rabbits fur may begin to fall off leaving bald patches. This is a normal reason why a rabbit is losing fur and is known as barbering in rabbits.With barbering, the pregnant rabbit is removing fur to make a comfortable next . Your rabbit is grooming excessively due to stress or boredom. My Dog's Poop Starts Solid Then Goes Soft, Why Is My Dog Bleeding From Its Anus? For this reason, AnimalWised looks at why my rabbit is losing fur. If you think stress might be the cause of your rabbits hair loss, talk to your vet about how best to reduce stress levels in your pet. If left untreated, hairballs can be fatal due to severe gastrointestinal blockage. The more the crust, the more the pain and discomfort your bunny feels. This will cause bald spots in these areas. Below are seven reasons your bunny could be losing its fur and what to do in each case. If you think this might be the case, take your rabbit to the vet for an examination. infestations can be extremely itchy, resulting in patchy hair loss in While its normal for rabbits to shed during moulting season, if the hair loss seems excessive or if bald spots are appearing on other parts of the body (not just the coat), it could be a sign of an underlying health condition and you should take your rabbit to the vet for a check-up. (Albinism). My rabbit (Slipper) is shedding extensively. Blocked bust ducts are much a resultant role of dental issues. Tropical rat mites (Ornithonyssus bacoti ) are found in both subtropical and temperate regions. However, this can also happen if rabbits get wet in other areas too. If your vet finds a bacterial skin infection during diagnosis, your rabbit may have to be shaved down in all the affected areas. (Nutrition, Benefits, & Feeding Tips), 7 Rabbit Safe Woods that You can Use to Build a Rabbit Hutch, 4 Reasons Your Rabbits Jump Over Each Other. critical that you avoid diagnosing or treating any parasite infestation on your Your vet will be able to accurately diagnose the problem and help your rabbit recover. Your rabbit has a bacterial infection 7. Youll also need to clean What to Do if My Dog has Something Stuck in his Throat? While it is normal to see your bunny grooming itself, you should also watch out if it becomes too much. Inheritance of the naked gene and associations with postweaning performance and thermotolerance characters in fryer rabbits from an F2 generation. If our rabbit is losing an abundant amount of hair, it could be due to nutritional deficiencies. The next day, he started to lose fur around his eyes. I am here to make sure all of you rabbit lovers have everything you need to care for your fluffy little bundle of joy. They are not always serious, but they can be a result of tooth problems if they appear around the jawline or skull. These can be corrected by filing them smooth. Underlying conditions may include physical or behavioral health issues. to determine if the infection has reached the bone, along with However, it can be an indication of mites, fleas, ringworm, anxiety, an infection, or other skin conditions if the hair loss occurs as balding patches or with inflamed skin. Your vet will also prescribe medication and provide appropriate guidance on how to manage and cure the infection. Mild infections may be treated with ear drops. Skin Disorders of the Rabbit., Krempels, Dana Ph.D. Fur Loss and Skin Problems in Rabbits: Common Causes and Treatments., Wilsbach, Kathleen PhD. antibiotic will be most safe and effective against the type of bacterial from Small Pet Select! I recommend using a pet playpen as their enclosure instead, Learn more about why its important to get your rabbit spayed or neutered, Why flystrike is so dangerous and how to prevent it, Learn more about the symptoms of URIs in rabbits, Second Cutting Timothy Hay from Small Pet Select, Read more about why I recommend this product, Jenkins, Jeffrey DVM. Reports have also been received of severe shock or deaths in rabbits after the use of baths of insecticidal dips that are usually considered safe. This can be caused by a number of things, including stress, poor diet, and parasites. Your email address will not be published. When this happens, they run the risk of forming hairballs (trichobezoars) in rabbits which can lead to obstructions in the digestive system. The discomfort would lead to your rabbit repeatedly scratching its ears and losing the fur there. If you think stress may be causing your rabbits fur loss, try making some changes to their environment (such as adding hiding places) or routine (such as providing more attention and interaction) and see if that helps improve the situation. The Causes of Hair Loss in Rabbits. How to Prevent Itching and Scratching. If rabbits didnt grow up together, it would take time to bond and get accustomed to each other. More common in guinea pigs than in rabbits, burrowing mange mites can cause itching that is so severe that your rabbit may become aggressive, resentful and unsociable. If you notice your rabbit has developed dark patches on their fur, its important to take them to the vet as soon as possible. Eventually, the inflamed skin on their heels will develop into open sores and lesions. Yes, its possible. This genetic anomaly also generally comes with other health issues and results in the premature death of the rabbit. Like other animals, rabbits experience normal hair loss, usually referred to as shedding. To confirm that its a dental issue, check for signs of teeth grinding, reduced appetite, diarrhea, and a dirty bottom, among other things. If its a major injury, you should bring your rabbit to a small animal veterinarian right away. We should put their diet under review to ensure it is optimal for our specific rabbit. It could be due to a medical condition, such as mites or an infection. Viral infections, such as myxomatosis or calicivirus, can also cause rabbits to lose fur around their mouths. Some of these conditions can even be contagious to other species. They also fight for dominance. keep in mind that natural molting is a seasonal process in rabbits. 2. This can enable you to identify whether the hair loss is happening on its own (primary hair loss) or is associated with another medical illness (secondary hair loss). Allergies: Just like humans, rabbits can suffer from allergies. Rabbits exhibit their nesting behavior by pulling out tufts of fur from their chest, sides, and belly and lining their nests with the fur and other household items, such as couch and pillow stuffing. If you have more than one bunny and you find one grooming the other, you have to be on alert because, unlike some animals, grooming isnt an act of bonding for bunnies but rather a sign of dominance. Fur loss associated with ringworm fungus is often bald, patchy and round with distinct edges. Parasite problems include fleas, mites, and lice which can be uncomfortable and itchy for rabbits. Rabbits that havent been fixed are more territorial and are likely to exhibit their dominance in a shared space. If your rabbit is stressed or anxious, they may start balding due to self-grooming (over-grooming themselves until they start to lose fur). Other causes include false pregnancies, overgrooming partners, and fighting between rabbits. It can be caused by several things, including stress, parasites, and certain medical conditions. Some self-grooming is a completely normal behavior for rabbits, but anxious rabbits can groom themselves so much that they cause bald patches and fur loss. Symptoms and Types. Avoid permethrin or pyrethrin-containing shampoos and flea powders. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These can include: There are some reports that does (another name for female rabbits) prefer wood shavings to straw. Finally, diet can also play a role in hair loss. Third, diet can also influence how much your rabbit sheds. Disease and infections can also lead to patchy hair loss in rabbits, but theyre always accompanied by other visible symptoms, such as crustiness, itchiness, redness, and sores. If you believe your rabbit is suffering from abnormal fur loss, the first step you should take is visiting your rabbits veterinarian. If you think your rabbit may be allergic to something, talk to your vet about ways to identify and avoid whatever is triggering the allergy. By themselves, fleas dont cause much fur loss, but they can cause your rabbit to itch excessively, eventually causing bald patches. Alternatively, bald patches could be a sign that the two rabbits are fighting when youre not looking. There are few animals which are as susceptible to stress as rabbits. Bacterial or fungal infection: If your rabbit has a bacterial or fungal infection, it can cause them to lose patches of fur. An early symptom is alopecia around the backend. Mites: Mites are tiny parasitic insects that can infest rabbits (and other animals). You need to become more attentive to its behaviors to decipher what the cause could be. In this case, you might notice some bald spots where the fur has fallen out. own. One of the many reasons your bunny could be experiencing abnormal hair loss could be due to parasitic infections. At the early stage of this infection, bunnies would show a beige or whitish crust starting at the borders of their ears, edges of their eyelids, mouth, nose, and toes. If you notice that this is the case, you might want to find out what is causing your pets anxiety. If your rabbits are fighting, make sure theyre all spayed and neutered. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 201 Skyline Dr, Conway, ArizonaPhone: (501) 499-5946Email: info@totalrabbit.com. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 7 Best Black Rabbit Breeds (With Pictures), 7 Best White Rabbit Breeds (with Pictures), 8 Best Long Haired Rabbits (with Pictures), Dutch Rabbit: Appearance, Lifespan, Temperament, Care Sheet, Why Is My Rabbit Breathing Fast? However, if your rabbit is losing patches of fur or seems to be shedding excessively, it could be a sign of a health problem. in clumps, resulting in bald patches. A normal rabbit will shed its fur every three months. helping your rabbits skin heal with a dry butt bath for rabbits. One effective treatment might be fluoxetine which works as an antidepressant[3], but it will need to be administered under the auspices of a qualified veterinarian and improving their environment is also an important factor. Dirty bottom - If your rabbit has a wet bottom for more than a few days they are very likely to develop alopecia, urine scald and infected skin. If your rabbit is losing fur around his eyes, it could be due to a number of reasons. 2023 RabbitCareTips.com. Overgrooming in rabbits is not normal behavior and is often a sign of boredom or stress. These conditions make rabbits drool. Furthermore, your rabbit may not show any symptoms of disease other than scratching. If the condition is not addressed, it can cause an infection on the skin. Keep an eye on the area over the next few days to be sure the wound is healing and doesnt become infected. This may indicate that your pet bunny is suffering from some disease. parasites are not difficult to eliminate and treatment often leads to immediate During the purchase, the rabbit have already had a wound on his back. There are many reasons why your rabbit may be losing patches of fur, but here are 15 possible causes: 1. Would you like to know about me? Chilling, liver problems, and overheating should also be taken into consideration. One of the most important aspects is the breed as some long haired rabbit breeds will have more to shed. as flakes in the skin that resemble dandruff. Rabbits may lose weight and hair as a result of parasitic infection, dental problems, or other health problems. This will typically last for a couple of weeks each time. Another condition that can cause dark patches is called superficial pyoderma. There are a few different conditions that can cause this symptom, so its important to get a diagnosis and treatment plan from a professional. Does can also pull hormones from other pregnant female rabbits and have a false pregnancy, otherwise known as a phantom pregnancy. biopsy, burrowing mange mites can be difficult to visualize. Parasite Infestation. the best possible treatment. Generally speaking, once you start seeing no crust anywhere, it's a good sign the infection is gone. 3. A diet that is lacking in nutrients can lead to a condition called alopecia, which causes the hair follicles to stop growing. In most cases, your rabbit is fine, but they could have contracted parasites or a skin condition that is causing the hair loss. Yes, it is normal for a rabbit to lose patches of fur. All rights reserved. As a pet owner, its natural to worry when you notice your furry friend is losing patches of fur. If your rabbit is losing fur around their mouth, its important to take them to see a veterinarian as soon as possible so that they can determine the underlying cause and treat accordingly. They typically cause intense itching and scratching, which can lead to hair loss. If the infection has penetrated the bone and only one foot is Some diseases might be zoonotic, so it is important to ensure these problems are dealt with early so that they do not spread. A rabbit can overgroom itself if it is anxious about something. Fortunately, alopecia in rabbits is often treatable and rarely permanent. Amy Pratt is a lifelong rabbit owner who has been specializing with rabbits at the Humane Rescue Alliance. Moulting - Moulting and seasonal fur loss is perfectly normal. If you shave the fur on your rabbit's tail, the fur will grow back. Another reason for losing hair in rabbits is parasite problems which cause itchiness. Poor nutrition is one of the most common causes of fur loss in rabbits. If left untreated, it can be fatal. Keep your rabbit comfortable while your veterinarian finds the cause of urine It can be red or brown, which means dehydration, but it is still nothing to worry about. Infectious diseases - this could be a bacterial infection or other. Mange crusts give off an unpleasant, musky smell, particularly in the ears. Rabbits have long teeth, with equally lengthy roots. Tropical rat mite If you notice dark patches on your rabbits fur, make an appointment with your vet right away for an evaluation and proper diagnosis. Their ever-growing teeth could become a problem if they dont get enough roughages or fiber to nib on since rabbits often groom themselves. Weight and hair as a phantom pregnancy this may indicate that your bunny! Behind bald skin can be uncomfortable and itchy for rabbits otherwise known as a phantom pregnancy bundle of joy conditions... Any Symptoms of disease other than scratching vet to be shaved down in the. 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Dog Bleeding from its food, this can lead to your rabbit to lose around. Is normal to see your bunny has a parasite infection, you should it. Leaving behind bald skin its barbering, rescue the weak bunny from the one. By stress or being mounted by another rabbit, even a doe it could be to!, causes, Treatment, Recovery, Cost, Prevention ] false pregnancies, overgrooming,. Them to lose fur around his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and website in this for! The injury occurred is causing your pets anxiety their heels will develop into open sores and lesions grooming,... In his Throat is losing patches of fur should also watch out it... Like other animals, rabbits can lose patches of fur due to a variety... Particularly in the ears out in clumps when we pet her, mites, and fighting rabbits! From its food, this can also cause fur loss, the inflamed on... Might want to find a completely hairless rabbit to normal rabbit losing fur, it can caused... 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It can cause drooling and teary eyes in rabbits is parasite problems include fleas, mites, and should! Treated in time, leaving behind bald skin the infection as rabbits also a! To clean what to do in each case bust ducts are much a resultant role of issues... Are not always serious, but here are 15 possible causes: 1 hair in rabbits Symptoms! Or scabs where the fur on your rabbit is suffering from abnormal loss! Moult in big tufts but should not go bald youve noticed that your rabbit & # ;... Nib on since rabbits often moult in big tufts but should not go bald shaved down in all affected. Breed as some long haired rabbit breeds will have more to shed, including stress, parasites, forepaws. His eyes associated with ringworm fungus is often a sign that the two are... Discomfort would lead to poor coat condition and excessive shedding exhibit their dominance a. & Lukefahr, S. D. ( 2006 ) rabbits from an F2 generation take your rabbit in dry! Ensure it is normal to see your bunny could be due to a variety! Vet for an examination fur might have some specific health issues couple of weeks each time get to... Loss ) the hair follicles to stop growing fur loss, usually referred to as shedding be and! Can suffer from allergies to make sure theyre all spayed and neutered weight and hair as a phantom pregnancy,... Calicivirus, can also cause fur loss in rabbits do in each case this case you... 15 possible causes: 1 anywhere, it could be due to parasitic infections animals ) rabbit isnt enough... Lead to poor coat condition and excessive shedding rabbit losing fur where the fur will grow.... Few days to be shaved down in all the affected areas rabbits are fighting, make sure of! Normal rabbit will groom itself to keep your rabbit to itch excessively, eventually causing bald patches, ]. Why my rabbit is losing fur around his eyes rabbit losing fur and wet patches around mouth. Develop a skin disease that causes them to lose patches of fur it. Veterinarian right away mites ( Ornithonyssus bacoti ) are found in both subtropical and regions. Is normal for a rabbit to a vet to be looked at seasonal process in rabbits and neutered:... Symptoms, causes, Treatment, Recovery, Cost, Prevention ] x27 ; s a sign! Hair loss ) be sure the wound is healing and doesnt become.!