Bunny pulling out own hair? Going bald?

[flower power]

So,

I have a 1 year old neutered male Mini-Rex, who has a 4x4' C&C cage, but has free roam of house from 8am-2am (time I wake up until time husband goes to sleep). We have him on Oxbow pellets, but also likes to munch on millet (bird seed) during the day. He is a very healthy and active little guy, but has developed an odd behavior over the last few days. He is pulling out all his hair on his back. He has about a 3 inch spot where he has pulled out the hair off, down to bare skin. The skin doesnt look irriated, or red, and there are no visible insect bites or insects present (both our dog and rabbit are indoors, and we live in Portland, OR, its cold, not many bugs around). Im getting worried because every morning I let him out, he seems to have another inch of baldness on his beautiful back.

Has anyone else experienced this? If it persists, I am going to take him to the vet next week.

Ill take a picture later tonight. Like I said, no redness or irritation, just a lack of fur.....

Thanks!

 

[Pipp]

Is he molting anywhere else? My mini-rex will sometimes molt with big patches of hair coming out at once, so does another mini-rex here, Bo B Bunny.

I think I havea pic or video of Dill's bald(ish) spots, let me look..

And welcome to RO! :welcome1

sas

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Welcome to the forum flowerpower! Glad you joined us!:wave:

Hmm, you're probably right that it can't be actual insects given the time of year and where you live (Oh, could you put your location in your profile? It will help in the future for further assisting you, thanks!).

Could be an allergy. Could be caused by diet or certain surroundings. Has anything changed in his surroundings lately? Anything new given to him, any new treats?

Oh, if it were me, I wouldn't be giving him the bird seed, not good on the bun's digestive system at all, sorry. There are plenty of other things you can safely give as treats. Small pieces of fruit, such as apple, strawberry, peach, even Craisens. Not too much though and just a few times a week, they are high in sugar.

Sometimes, stress could be a factor as well. A picture would be good too.

 

[Pipp]

Hopefully this video works and you can see the furless patches -- although I think he still had an undergrowth of fuzz, not so much bare skin, so... :?

And mites and ringworm can happen any time of the year, and fleas are particularly bad in late fall when it's cold outside and they hitch a ride to warmer territory -- like the house. :grumpy:

I found a flea on my cat right around the time of the above molt, I always wondered if it was connected. I never found flea droppings on the bunnies, but I suspect they may have jumped on and off. I don't think they like rabbits as much as cats.



sas :?

 

[flower power]

I give him seeds because he has a bit (well... thats the understatement of the century) of a chewing behavior problem. Without the seeds, he eats our carpets and floor boards. We also have a few pine cones and some straw. He has been eating the seed for months without a problem. It is a high quality reptile grade seed (proso millet) that is safe for animals and it is incredibly small, so it acts as roughage and actually aids digestion. It is some of the bedding that I use for my reptiles to actually prevent impaction. Without the seeds, it would be hard to let him free roam, as he would destroy the house and possibly eat something dangerous.

Here is a link to the millet I use
http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/bedding/white-proso-millet.htm

Nothing has changed recently. He has been going through a lot of coat changes lately, due to the seasons. I thought about stress as well, but he has nothing to stress about. He has a 2500 square foot home to free roam. Lots of toys, hides, play things. He has about a ton of cat toys that he likes to re-arrange. He has been really happy. He likes to sit with me next to the couch and get pets. Nothing has changed emotionally or behaviorally.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Certainly could be a moult if his coat has been changing recently. I was just concerned as you said he was pulling it out himself, with a moult it comes out naturally and when you brush or pet them, you'll see tons of it coming off. If nothing has changed, that could be it. When you brush him, are you seeing lots of hair coming off? Is there hair that looks loose and it partially hanging out?

 

[flower power]

Pipp,

Your message must have been posted as I was posting so I didn't see it until afterward. The video didnt work, it said it was a private video and that I need a password to access it. Now that you mention it, it isnt bare skin, its more of a peachy fuzz underneath.

He has been shedding a lot recently, going between summer and winter coats. But, my husband and I have also been trying to figure it out, and he likes to sit next to the floor heater with his rear facing the vent, so maybe it dried out his skin a little.

I bribbed him out with some lettuce mix (endive, escarole, dandelion greens), so I was able to get a few pictures. But, being white, its hard to see. The brown spots are spots, that he has always had, not irriation or scabs, etc.

Let me know what you think. I assume there is a new person forum area. I will post some more pictures and more indepth info on him and his behaviors.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I just mentioned the other day that Bo was almost "normal" again...... tonight this big patch of hair is molting out - new tiny hair under it but sheesh! he's really been blowing his coat.

If you could get a photo, we'd maybe be able to help. Is he "naked" where the fur is gone? or is there new hair? are you sure he's pulling it or is it loose? and falling out?


I need to finish reading a thread before I post!!! :foreheadsmack:

Looks to me like he's molting!

Also, has your weather changed at all recently? Bo thinks he should molt all the time here - Indiana weather is goofy!

Also, if he's never lost that hair before - and he's a year old - this could be a huge junior molt!! They usually blow their coat around 6 to 9 mos old from what I know. His could be late.

Helpful hint: Dampen your hands and run them over him. It will help collect the loosened fur. If you can eliminate any of that fur it's great cause they can get blockages from it. I also use a gently cat brush and a zoom groom sometimes....

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Gosh, I can't shut up in this thread LOL! In this pic, down at the bottom, I see a molt line on him..... he's molting. See the little hairs sticking out like a little thin skirt? those hairs shouldn't be uneven..... mini-rex hair is all the same length so those are hairs about to fall out

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Gosh, I can't shut up in this thread LOL! In this pic, down at the bottom, I see a molt line on him..... he's molting. See the little hairs sticking out like a little thin skirt? those hairs shouldn't be uneven..... mini-rex hair is all the same length so those are hairs about to fall out

All I can say, is that when Ang shedded, it was never a moult, so I have no experience with a mini rex moult:?. She just didn't moult like you all are talkin about.She shedded, and that's about it. Strange. See how all buns are different with a moult? I think one time she had a bit of an indention on her head, but that was it with her.:?

 

[Pipp]

flower power wrote:

I give him seeds because he has a bit (well... thats the understatement of the century) of a chewing behavior problem. Without the seeds, he eats our carpets and floor boards.

How do you give him the millet? The biggest problem is that I think it's a high carb food, not a good choice for rabbits, especially mini-rexes prone to tubbiness.

Is he getting unlimited hay?Ihave to buy mine by the bale from horse farms and feed stores, those little pet store bags would barely last one bunny two days in this house. I'm always throwing a handful of fresh stuff down to distract somebody from something. And hay is thebest dietaryitem there is for rabbits. I try and keep at least three differentkinds on hand. (Right now it'sTimothy 1st cut, Timothy 2ndcut, and bluegrass, but just as often it's meadow or orchard grass and/oroat hay, mixing it up really keeps them busy).

The other great invention/discovery was organic apple and pear tree branches.I found an organic gardener whodropped a small truck loadoff for me last year, and they've only now managed to chew through them all. (I washed them off and stuck them in the oven to dry them out and voila! Edibles!)

I feel your pain re: the 'chew' issue. I have my walls blocked off with strategically placed NIC panels, boards, etc. (I'm also considering a role of mesh and a staple gun).

I made the mistake of also supplying old towels, which were loved by the mini-rex and the dwarf... the only problem being they never did differentiate betweenthe old towels andmy good shirts. :grumpy:

I did discover that Pipp, my little dwarf, actually preferred a smaller territory. She was getting exhausted patrolling the whole house, when I restricted her to my bedroom, she became a lot less stressed. Dill, my mini-rex,is a lot more adventurous, mind you. (He's an awesome little bunny). :hearts

Re: the hair loss, pretty sure it's justone of those weird rex molts. (This is a very odd year for bunny molts in general).

I tweaked myvideo, can you see it now?

He isa CUTEbunny! :inlove: (Even if I didn'thave a mini-rex fetish).


sas

 

[Bo B Bunny]

LOL @ the fetish!

It has been a weird year for molting! Tony has hardly molted and the other two look like they've been given lawn-mower haircuts like Dill!

I love that video! Mr. Excuse-me-I-am-working!!!! is so cute!!

 

[flower power]

The video worked, and it was great! Flower does the same thing, except its usually a nice soft blanket, and I am usually under it, and then he will snarl at me for taking my own blanket back. Funny Bunnies!

I havent seen him pull it out, but my husband saw him the other night reaching around to clean his back at the bald spot.

And yes, he hasnt had any major shedding at all. Back in November, his coat started changing a lot, even though our house is usually right around 75*. He started shedding a bunch, but no thinning, and then got a coarse coat with thick wiry longer hairs. He didnt feel like much of a Rex anymore. He felt more like a brillo pad. Since about two weeks ago he has been losing those coarse furs and starting to feel a little soft, but his coat was very very uneven. I have a Zoom Groom and Ill see if I can use it on him without getting my arm taken off. He usually does pretty well with petting. In fact, he thinks he is all tough, but I know what he wants when he comes and sits next to me on the couch and then flattens his ears down!

Hmm... Lets see if I missed anything. Yes, he has a large supply of fresh timothy hay. I, too, buy it by the bale, and boy do I need it with 2 guinea pigs and a bunny. The problem with putting it around the house that both my husband and myself discovered we have a huge hay allergy. I have my bunny and guinea pigs in my office with a hepa fan running and a dual exhaust window sill fan to blow out the hay dust. Without it, I start getting SEVERE asthma and sneeze non-stop. When I change their boxes, I also have to use a face mask to block the dust. I accidentally forgot when I was in a rush all day and had to call into work because I couldnt talk, and had to drink about half a bottle of Benadryl to get my throat from closing. But I like the branch idea. We have a lot of orchards around our house, and once spring hits, I will probably be able to find some branches, and I think that would be a good alternative. I think my bunny has a pretty high metabolism, and he was actually too thin despite ample food before I started giving him seed. I could actually see bumps on his fur where his ribs were. He had plenty of food and water, and fresh veggies, but he was so excited about our new house, he never went back to his home to eat. So, we started to give him some more fruit and carrot to try and get his weight back up. But he is extremely active. He does "crazy bunny" for hours around the house. I can hear him thumping all over the house and running into things. I give him an unlimited supply of pellets, but I would venture he only eats about 1/4 cup max a day.

Any other ideas for things he can chew?

So far I have:

Pine Cones
An old trashcan box/his living room hide-out (you can see it in the picture with the dog that I put in the intro section... the box is placed to block his favorite carpet eating spot and floor board spot... I wish we werent renting!!!)
A piece of wood
Toilet paper rolls

I will definitely keep an eye out for the branches once spring rolls around.