Balding near base of neck/between shoulders?

[babybun]

Hi All,

Was grooming Winston today and noticed that his bald spot is getting bigger. The bald spot was there when I first got him, and when I took him to the vet, she said that it wasn't mites. But it's definitely gotten bigger since I've last had a good look at it, and I'm wondering if anybody else has had a balding rabbit with no sign of skin disease? Should I take him back to the vet?

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

That's often the area where you will notice a molt starting. As long as the skin doesn't seem warm to the touch, red, itchy, irritated or flaky/dry, it's probably nothing to worry about. Molts sometimes take awhile to work their way through, especially if the rabbit is on a low protein diet.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Hi All,

Was grooming Winston today and noticed that his bald spot is getting bigger. The bald spot was there when I first got him, and when I took him to the vet, she said that it wasn't mites. But it's definitely gotten bigger since I've last had a good look at it, and I'm wondering if anybody else has had a balding rabbit with no sign of skin disease? Should I take him back to the vet?

--things to watch and inspect for,,-inspect the ears,back of head/face,and down spine for any signs of what looks like ground pepper--this would be evidence of flea,s--watch for excessive chewing,or scratching of said area or bum..--molting is usually starting around tail or spine so time will tell,watch skin area as mentioned,--with rabbits all things are a possibility..-sincerely james waller :sunshine::hearts::bunny19

 

[babybun]

Thanks for the replies! Winston has already gone through his molting stage, his coat is a nice dark blue now! As for signs of itching, flakiness, and fleas, it doesn't seem like anything is wrong. He doesn't scratch or itch the spot a lot, but it is weird that he has a bald spot there.

OakRidgeRabbits, you said it might be because of a low protein diet! What are some ways I can get him more protein?

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

OakRidgeRabbits, you said it might be because of a low protein diet! What are some ways I can get him more protein?

Rabbits molt regardless of the diet they're on. However, being on a low protein diet seems to prolong molts and keep rabbits in a looser body condition. A little trick for pushing rabbits through molts before a show is to up the protein in their feed just a little. So it could help pets too.

A 15-16% alfalfa-based pellet is generally a good pellet for the maintenance of adult rabbits. 16-18% is used for show/production rabbits, usually.

As long as your rabbit is within that range, it should be okay. If not, you could bump up protein a little by supplementing with alfalfa hay or a sprinkle of calf manna over the pellets.