Loosing hair

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Love your rabbit
Advertise with us
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Angelate

Angelate

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2014
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Hello everyone,

I have a question: how do rabbits develop candida on the skin?

My baby started losing hair. First just thought he pulled his hair by grooming to hard, or alopecia.

Yesterday we found out it’s candida.
We received an ointment called Triderm, it contains: betametazon dipropionat0,643 mg, clotrimazol 10 mg and gentamicin sulfate 1 mg.

We’ll try this for a week, and will see what’s next.

My baby is almost 2 years old, neutered, hi has a companion, but they don't get along so they just see and smell each other.

Don't think is mites because he is indoor, 3rd floor.
No insects around.

Did anyone encountered this problem?

Thank you.

View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1465024821.888329.jpg
 
How was it diagnosed? Candida is extraordinarily rare in rabbits, it causes nasty crusts around (often inside) the rabbit's mouth, sometimes eyes, anus and on their paws as well. It's the sign of a weakened organism. It's mostly a guinea pigs illness and often associated with GI stasis because it makes it hard for the animal to eat.
It's very contagious (like everything fungus) so the vet should have told you to bleach everything and treat the other rabbit as well.
The treatment is a topical cream and a drinkable med. I've never encountered that particular problem, but from the veterinary thesis I've read they get really good results with 10mg/kilo of ketoconazole. The whole treatment lasts for about 2 weeks.

For the transmission, it's by spore -they are no were and everywhere and declare themselves when the body they found has weak defences. The mites are innocent, I think ^^.
 
The vet diagnosed it. Took some hair and put it on a jar.
He eats very good. Feet ok.
 
Like Aki said, Candida is everywhere. It's most commonly found in mouths (of people and rabbits!) as well as the vagina and nasal passages. Most times it doesn't infect us or our pets because we have a great immune system that doesn't allow it to do so. So an infection in your bunny (again, like Aki said) means he is probably immunocompromised. This could either be due to an underlying illness, or an environmental stress. What's his diet like? Caging? Any changes or stress lately that you can think of?
 
Cucumber, green pepper, mint, basil, strawberry leaves, carrot leaves, hay and rabbit food, vitamins. He has a pen with wood floor. 5 hours free running. No stress. We brought him a bunny companion 8 months ago, but the bonding has not yet succeeded.
 
Last edited:
He has a lot of cecotropes. Wheb we brought him home, the previous owner, fed him moldy food.
 
The vet made a culture? Normally, the vet takes a sample and it takes several days for the "mushroom" to develop so it can be identified.

How do you know your rabbit has a lot of cecotrophes? If you find them, it's not normal and probably means his diet is too rich. Why is he taking vitamins? If he doesn't have a specific issue, he doesn't need them. Cucumber should be given sparingly - it's OK when it's really hot for hydratation but not a staple food (and beware the pips, which are toxic!). The rest sounds fine, you might want to increase the leafy vegetables (all kind of lettuce except for iceberg, spinach, chicory,chard, dandelions, radish / parsnip / raspberry leaves... are all fine if introduced one at a time).

Rabbit can be stressed by the strangest things and it's not always noticable. Some rabbits are also more skittish than other - I have two and Tybalt is a really laid back rabbit while Aki is stressed by EVERYTHING.
You talk about another rabbit, is it a male too?

Anyway, candida in rabbits can be treated and as long as it doesn't cause pain or prevent the rabbit from eating, it's nothing life-threatening. It's a pain to eliminate, like all the members of the fungus family, but it could be worse :rollseyes
Nevertheless, I would be tempted to do a blood analysis to check the general health of your rabbit and eliminate a potential underlying condition because, like I said, rabbits developping candida is really unusual and he clearly doesn't have the best background (the candida might have been around since you got him, as spores are almost indestructible except with bleach , and waited for a weakened state to "blossom" into a problem so to speak).
 
The vet made the "mushroom". Yes, I have 2 neutered males.
I'm afraid to give him salads and stuff. Don't want him to get gassy from them.
I give him vitamins just to make sure that he is ok and because it contains inulin, for the gut flora. I give Vitakraft, Vita-bon, 1/2 tablet.
I see and clean cecotropes daily, or almost daily. I tryed just hay and water, same amount of cecotropes. I gave him 2 weeks Benebac, and it seems to be less, and less. Like 4-6 daily, or none, instead of 12.
He had Emeria long period of time, we treat it a lot. Now, I think is 6 months without any trace of it, or other parasites.
About the blood test, isn’t it to invasive? You have to aesthesis a rabbit? I think vets are afraid of doing that, because I know that is very hard to take blood. Or I’m misinformed ( I was afraid to google it ;)).
 
A good rabbit vet can definitely get blood without anesthesia. Usually (in my experience), they will use a vein in the ear, and the rabbit literally hardly notices. (Obviously, individuals are different, but they seem to hate having their teeth checked with the speculum even more).

How long did you try just hay and water? Sometimes it takes 2 months for things to get back in order. It could also be immunosupression due to the Emeria (he's just finally showing symptoms now). Stressors can even be as minor as temperatures which are too high/too low. Since he's indoors, I wouldn't assume that's a problem, but I'd look at getting a thermometer near his cage too, just in case.
 
I think around here vets are not that experienced with rabbits as house pets.
My vet has another 3 rabbits in her care. That's it. And they don't have many health issues. She's really good in trying to find solutions and researching. Maybe she knows to draw blood, but I'm afraid about him panicking and something wrong to happen.
The temperature around Feisty's pe is 22-23 degrees Celcius. I try alot to manage the heat every year.
What can be done about immunosupression?
 
In my own personal experience, getting blood from a rabbit is 100% easier than getting it from a cat. But I've experience doing both, so it's something I'm comfortable doing.

Really, the only thing you can do about immunosupression is make sure everything is the best it can be for him (which it sounds pretty good from what you are saying). Basically, just try to keep him happy and comfortable. I might try introducing a small amount dark, leafy greens (kale, cilantro, bokchoy, etc.) and potentially slowly reducing the vitamins. They might be the cause of too many cecotropes. But I'm not sure.
 
RavenousDragon said:
In my own personal experience, getting blood from a rabbit is 100% easier than getting it from a cat. But I've experience doing both, so it's something I'm comfortable doing.

Really, the only thing you can do about immunosupression is make sure everything is the best it can be for him (which it sounds pretty good from what you are saying). Basically, just try to keep him happy and comfortable. I might try introducing a small amount dark, leafy greens (kale, cilantro, bokchoy, etc.) and potentially slowly reducing the vitamins. They might be the cause of too many cecotropes. But I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

When you say: "just try to keep him happy and comfortable", should I think that he has no longer to live? My heart is breaking here.
 
No! Not at all! Happy and comfortable along the lines of a good diet (which it sounds like you already have), a good cage/living area (again-sounds like you already have), and as little stress as possible. That will help boost his immune system and get him back on his feet, assuming there are no underlying problems.
 
underlying problems like what? This days he is extremely relaxed. He lies a lot, flop on back, then relax. He didn't do this since a long time. Maybe he finally accepts Fury, or simply ignore him. From jealousy stays more to be petted. Yes I stress him a little with the treatment. He tumps, run hiding. After few hours we are friends again.
He drinks more water. Eats better.
I don't understand what's happening with the fur and with him being more lovebel.
I saw that after last tear when I was hospitalized for 5 days, he missed me a lot. Started not to eat food, some hay and leaves.
Now, if we go few days, especially when we came back he doesn't eat. Then all normal. If weekend cames he starts again, afraid that we go again. After 2-3 weeks of this game, he thinks we are not going anymore, and eats normally.

This is how he sits for long peoriods of time. Like that +/- head on the floor
 
Last edited:
Underlying problems could include liver or kidney issues, which could be seen with some bloodwork.

It sounds like his life is quite happy and I wouldn't be too worried about stress. At this point, I would say just get through the treatments on his candida, and then see how he does from there.
 
Candida would be a very rare cause for a skin condition in rabbits. The most common cause for fur loss on the back behind the neck, would be fur mites. Along with the fur loss, was there dandruffy skin before you started applying the ointment? And did the vet ever check for mites or try treating for them first, and if so what was the treatment? Indoor rabbits can still get mites. They can be brought in on the rabbits hay and/or bedding.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/furmite/fur_mite.htm

Aside from your rabbits skin condition, he looks perfectly happy and content to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top