Rabbit Hair Loss

[3bunnies]

My 5 year old female mini rex suddenly began losing patches of fur about 2 weeks ago.  Vet thinks it might be ringworm but is also doubtful. We are waiting for the results of a culture taken a week ago.

The bare patches are very symmetrical – identical spots behind ears, on top of eye, front of ear. Also she no longer has fur on nose.

I’ve put some neosporin on, used some of the sulfur dip prescribed by the vet and a topical fungal cream. One of the problems is that her mate grooms her constantly. He has no symptoms and I understand he can be a silent carrier of ringworm.

She otherwise acts normal and is eating quite well.

Has anyone experienced this before? Will her fur grow back?

[Jessica]

Is your vet checking for mange?

[3bunnies]

She felt certain it wasn’t mange or mites because there is absolutely no itching. If the ringworm culture is negative she suggests a skin biopsy which will require sedation.

I feel badly when bunny wants patting and to give kisses. Certainly I pat her where I can but I’m not too keen on putting my face near her lesions until we know for sure what the cause is.

[Mikey]

It could also be over grooming. My nethie grooms above my mini rexs eyes all the time and sometimes they fall asleep like that, with my nethie still grooming while being asleep. Its left small bald patches once in a great while

[3bunnies]

That was one of my thoughts as her lesions are in all the spots her mate constantly grooms. There would be spots with fur one minute and then gone the next. I didn’t know if over grooming would leave such raw and sore looking patches. Some had crust on them which is why the vet was leaning towards ring worm.

I guess I’ll have to continue to wait patiently for the culture results.

[3bunnies]

Well the vet called today to say the ringworm culture was negative. Good news but it’s still a very strange case of bunny dermatitis. Her next suggestion is to do a skin scrape and chest x-ray. She says the research she’s done says there is a certain type of chest tumor that can cause dermatitis. She also suggests a skin biopsy which will require sedation.

I will need to decide how next to proceed.

[jerseygirl]

Posted By 3bunnies on 12/16/2016 3:09 PM

Well the vet called today to say the ringworm culture was negative. Good news but it’s still a very strange case of bunny dermatitis. Her next suggestion is to do a skin scrape and chest x-ray. She says the research she’s done says there is a certain type of chest tumor that can cause dermatitis. She also suggests a skin biopsy which will require sedation.

I will need to decide how next to proceed.

The type if tumour the vet referred to is probably a thymoma, which can be associated with exfoliative dermatitis. 

 I hope the chest x-rays are all clear!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hope you find out what’s going on soon and that it’s nothing serious.

[Author]

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