Bald Bunny at our Shelter: Help!?

[MiaP]

Three bunnies arrived at the Philadelphia PAWS shelter today. Two are a healthy weight, but have something weird going on with their fur--it looks like they've nibbled each other's fur off, or lost lots of tufts of hair and it's growing in again, or I don't know what.

The third bunny is an emaciated skeleton. Every bone shows, and almost all his fur is gone, except on his paws. I was wondering if he was thin because overgrown teeth made it hard for him to eat, but he ate eagerly today once I fed him hay and produce. I'm wondering if they had been caged together and the other two just didn't let him eat? They were all brought in by one owner.

Or, maybe he has mites, ringworm, or some other condition...

Anyway, I thought I'd post pics incase it is obvious to experienced folks what the trouble is. The shelter doesn't have a vet and I am not sure I can get a rabbit vet to look at him there. I am thinking of bringing him home to foster tomorrow.

 

[PixieStixxxx]

The first rabbit looks like it get be allergies...

 

[Flashy]

Do you know what living conditions they came from? i.e. small? all together? what diet? etc?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I think it looks like it could be mites.

I'm going to post this in the RO today thread and see if we can get some more experienced people to look at him.

The others look a bit scruffy to me - the white one looks like he's been shaved and is an angora.

 

[MiaP]

They were all owned by one person, but we don't know if they were caged together or in the same room, or anything else. She surrendered them saying she couldn't afford to keep them any more, so maybe she was having trouble feeding them, or realized they needed medical care she couldn't provide.

No idea about diet, indoor/outdoor, etc.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

My heart is breaking for that first one. That poor baby.

 

[Flashy]

I just losta post :X

I was wondering about diet because that can cause bad fur.

Maybe also close confines might have caused them to groom/pluck the others out of boredom.

the first one looks very sore. I think mites might look more dandruffy, but what about fleas? or another skin condition? You might find whatever it is is catching and it might be worth treating the others, unless it has been done by another rabbit.

This was nothing like the original post,lol, but I can't remember what I said in it.

 

[BlueGiants]

I don't think the first one has fur mites. Look how clean his ears are. That advanced a case of mites would be affecting inside his ears as well. I'd expect to see crusting and debris in the ear canal. And I don't see any scabbing on the skin (like in mange).

My first inclination is poor nutrition. (I do think they look like they've been fighting, or plucking each other.) I'd get them on some Probiotics and a healthy diet. And I'd treat for immediately for coccidiosis and parasites. Poor things! At least she had to courtesy to leave them where they could get help.

 

[MiaP]

Thanks, all.

I am glad to hear that mites might have other visible signs--I didn't see anything like what kittens get with ear mites, or flea bites, or anything. I wondered about ringworm, but ringworm is usually worst in places like between the toes, and the feet on this guy are about all the fur he has left. I also figured if he was chewing it off of himself, it would be gone from places he could easily reach (like paws) and intact on places he couldn't (like his head) which is not the case.

I am desperately trying to figure out where I can put him if I bring him home. There are only so many rooms in my house where I can house critters that shouldn't be mingling with other critters, and I already have a foster cat and three foster dogs:shock: in addition to my own pets.

Also, he was in a cage with the little lop when I arrived at the shelter, but I have no idea whether they are a bonded pair. I stuck them in side by side cages in case the lop was eating off all of his hair and because we don't know the sexes yet, so what if I bring him here but not the lop, and they are bonded? So many things to stress about.....

 

[gentle giants]

I think that it could be poor nutrition. I know when I got Charity, she was losing her fur from being constantly pregnant and not fed properly. This pic shows some of it.
You can also see how thin she is, and from what you said about the third rabbit being so emaciated also makes thsi more likely.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Oh good! I hope you can get them all better!

I wonder if Bo's weird molting had something to do with what he was eating? too many pellets maybe? he's on Oxbow and Oxbow timothy hay......

 

[MiaP]

Thanks to all who responded. I went to the shelter last night and got another look at these three. They were very clean, inside the ears and all, so my guess about their hair loss is that they just nibbled each other miserably.

The giant white rabbit went to a foster home last night, and has been given the name Paul Bunyan, which I think is so great! He must have weighed 20 pounds or more.

The little gray lop I actually thought was on the verge of passing away. S/he hadn't eaten since arriving on Monday morning, and had that flat, waiting-to-die, look about her eyes. So, I brought her home to foster. The big bald red bunny I left there, as he was eating very well and the shelter is his best shot at seeing a vet right now.

The gray lop is eating today, but still seems flat. I did see her grooming just a bit, so hopefully she still has some will to live.

I'll follow up with these guys on the PAWS thread in the rescue section as things progress. Keep your fingers crossed for them!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

The big red bunny is such a cutie! I wish I had a place for him!

Have you given the lop some toys or anything? cuddled her and gave her ear and cheek rubs? sometimes it's all they want.

 

[MiaP]

She has a couple of toys, and a big box of shredded paper, but so far she is mostly sitting in her box or near the hay pile. I am just glad to see her moving--she was so still and lifeless at the shelter :-(

 

[gentle giants]

Mabye if you just sat down with her and talked real soft and petted her, if she is not afraid to be touched. It sounds to me like she just thinks no one cares, and is giving up.

 

[Maureen Las]

Before you bring the buns into your home and expose them to your other rabbits it really would be best to have them seen by a vet. If it isn't mites or ringworm it still could be sarcoptic mange. A diagnosis of malnutrition should probably be given only after eliminating the other, possibly more serious possibilities.

 

[MiaP]

I agree that it would be best to have them seen by a vet, but that isn't always an option for our shelter bunnies as the shelter has no vet. I have emailed the UPenn exotics vet who provides our spay/neuter surgeries, but haven't had a reply yet. I can't pay for it myself; the amount I have spent on vet bills this year already exceeds my annual income from my part-time job!

The shelter does have the ability to do mange scrapes; they do them on dogs all the time. I will ask them to scrape the bald bunny.

My foster from this group is physically quarantined from the rest of the pets, on another floor and with strict instructions to the household about cross-contaminating.

The bunnies are not itchy or exhibiting any unusual scratching. My experience with mange and ringworm is that animals are quite itchy. Is that not true for rabbits?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

You named her Silver? she's absolutely precious - she looks so sweet and I agree that she might be feeling at a loss so to speak. Extra love is what I would try for now. I'm glad she's eating - Grooming is a huge step too!

I know they understand in some form when I hold them and talk to them about how pretty they are and how much they mean to me. I call the boys my boys and Clover my girl.... "You're my pretty girl, aren't you?" and I know even when she's nervous - it calms her and she loves being petted gently and soft talk to her. She loves for me to talk to her in whispers by her cage even!

Keep us posted - Those bunners are definitely in my heart now....

 

[MiaP]

Oops, I better update my profile! Silver is my first foster bunny, who I will no doubt be adopting soon. S/he is white with black spots.

This little gray lop is called Hope, because we are hoping she will live.

If she recovers, maybe we'll give her another more glamorous name....

Plus I have another foster, Timothy Twinkles, a dwarf lionhead. A potential adopter is coming to meet him on Friday

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I like Hope. If she does do ok and makes it - she'll represent hope for others too! It's a good name.

Please give her a kiss and nose rub for me.