Balding Bunny

[rosey442]

Hi, I'm new here and I have a question: I have a 12 week old lionhead doe that I've had for 4 weeks now. I've noticed that the hair around her head and cheeks has gotten longer, her "mane" growing in. However, she is deveolping a noticeable "balding" strip of hair down the center of her back. There is hair there, but not the same fluffy hair as on the rest of her body.

Is this how they "shed" the baby fluff and then grow in the adult fur?

Otherwise, she is quite sweet and playful and quite healthy.

Thanks in advance for any and all answers. :happybunny:

 

[Imbrium]

it does sound like molting, which can look pretty weird at times. my lionhead started shedding her baby coat mane first, and now she's got subtle lines down the sides of her back where some of the fur has molted and some hasn't

btw, make sure to groom her daily during a molt so that as little hair as possible ends up getting ingested when she grooms herself. I've found that a furminator works wonders on lionhead fur.

 

[rosey442]

Oh, well the strip on her back is widening. She's an orange lionhead and the fur in the patch is darker and smoother compared to her overall fluff and the mane is coming in lighter.

I just assumed it was referred to as shedding since it's fur and not feathers which I assumed were the only things (birds) that moulted.

How long does the moulting process take? Does anyone know?

Thanks! :bunnydance:

 

[SweetPeasMom]

Do you think it could be mites?

 

[missyscove]

The word molting is used in lots of different species from insects to crabs to birds to yes, rabbits. What you're describing sounds like a molt to me too. Sometimes they get pretty awkward looking.