pulling out hair//dandruff questions

[thbunns]

Hey =] I'm new & looking forward to getting to know you guys!
My dutch, Hidey, has been pulling hair off of his inner right arm. I'mnot sure why he's doing this..but he used to, stopped for about a yearand the hair grew in, and then started up again recently. Anyhow, heloves to go outside every so often and I'm afraid that he could get aninfection if the skin opens up or if he gets a bug bite there (what doyou guys to do prevent bug bites?). Right now the skin is pink/red butit doesn't appear as if it has opened, there are no sores (but if hekeeps biting..it will be open very soon). Is there any type ofanti-infection ointment I could put on the skin that wouldn't make himsick say he licks it or something?
He also has A LOT of dandruff on his upper/lower back and hind-end. Webrush him daily, but that doesn't really help. Now he has a small patchof skin missing because we brushed off some crust-like dandruff on hismid back. He has a lot of loose fur on his hind end, when you run yourhands through his hair, some of it comes right out. Anything I could doto help him? I don't think he's itchy or in pain because of this, he'snot scratching himself like crazy, you know?. He's a house pet as well,so there isn't anything outside that's causing it.
Any help?
Thanks
Geri

 

[Shuu]

Have you entertained the idea of mites? It may not all be dandruff. Might try getting him to a vet to test.

 

[kfonz]

BunBun had the same problem, and i thought itwas dandruff, but yeah, it turned out to be fur mites. Thevet will give some meds that work really well. Good luck!

And welcome to the forum!

-k

 

[JimD]

Hi Geri and welcome to the forum.

What you're describing sounds like it could be mites.

Here's a link that will give you some further info.

Mites:http://www.mybunny.org/info/mites.pdf

IMO....I would take the bunnie to the vet.

~Jim

 

[thbunns]

Thanks a bunch guys! Especially for the link, JimD.
I made an appointment for Monday to get him tested.
God, I'm so worried about him. I wish I would have gotten it checkedout sooner. This is very curable, right? What measures can I take toprevent my other rabbit from getting mites? They aren't housed togetherbut I was going to start bonding them soon..:?

 

[Carolyn]

Yes, mites are curable, but if they can causewry neck and other problems. You definitely want it taken care ofsooner rather than later. Dandruff is usually a sign that they've gotmites.

Some people treat mites with Ivermectin. It's a horse worming pastethat can be purchased at a feed store. Some rabbits can have a reactionto it. Many breeders, and myself, have used Ivermectin withoutincident, but you do have to be aware of the risk. The idea is to takea pea sized dollop and put it on the rabbit's mouth or forepaws so thathe/she will lick it off. Repeat in two weeks to deal with any mite eggsthat hatch after treatment.

If you don't want to go that route, your vet will have alternatives. You have to do what you feel comfortable with.

Mites require a warm-blooded host to live on. Would treat both rabbitsfor mites because they multiply fast and any stray mites that try todine on another host.

-Carolyn

 

[thbunns]

Thanks for the advice! I was reading up on mitesand I think that is what I'm going to ask the vet about. I'm going totreat the other bun as well.
Thanks for all of your help!

 

[JimD]

thbunns wrote:

Thanks a bunch guys! Especially for the link, JimD.
I made an appointment for Monday to get him tested.
God, I'm so worried about him. I wish I would have gotten it checkedout sooner. This is very curable, right? What measures can I take toprevent my other rabbit from getting mites? They aren't housed togetherbut I was going to start bonding them soon..:?

You're most welcome Geri! That's actually the link from the Cheatsheet for Rabbit Care under this forums Top Picks.

Your vet may suggesttreating both bunnies for mites as aprecaution. The other thing you'll need to do is to keep theircages/hutches as clean as possible during and after treatment.

~Jim

 

[rabbitgirl]

thbunns wrote:

Thanks a bunch guys! Especially for the link, JimD.
I made an appointment for Monday to get him tested.
God, I'm so worried about him. I wish I would have gotten it checkedout sooner. This is very curable, right? What measures can I take toprevent my other rabbit from getting mites? They aren't housed togetherbut I was going to start bonding them soon..:?

Just wanted to add to what others have said: if you're worried aboutIvermectin or other topical treatments, try kitten or cat flea powder.It always works for me. I had a rabbit die from Revolution (similar toFrontline, etc.), so I am very cautious. Vets who don't knowabout rabbits will often prescribe it without knowing the potentialharm. Also, thin-skinned rabbits can be burned by a cat-strengthdose--it's not just body weight determining the dose, it's howsensitive the skin is.

I believe they say that rabbits with blue coloration in their ancestryare at more of a risk for reactions to Ivermectin, so you may want tobe careful with treating a Dutch with it, as he might carry that gene.

After all that scary stuff, the good news is that mites are, by andlarge, not a big deal. I have excellent luck with thepowder. One application and then a second one week later. You shouldsee the flaking clear up and the hair slowly growing back.

Good luck, and welcome!

Rose

 

[naturestee]

Welcome to the forum!

You can use regular Neosporin (triple antibiotic ointment), but don't use Neosporin Plus.

Everyone's given some great advice about the mites. If youand your vet want to use Ivermectin, ask about leaving your rabbitsthere for monitoring. That way if they have a reaction thevet will be able to treat it. I think I remember from aprevious thread that it is the Dutch color gene, not the blue, thatmight be linked with a sensitivity to Ivermectin.

The loose fur on his butt is probably from molting. You cando a search here and find a lot of info. Brush him at leastonce a day to help get the hair off and to prevent him from swallowingit and maybe getting a blockage from a hairball. If you'renot feeding him hay you might want to start as it will help prevenhairball problems.

 

[Carolyn]

I do so understand the warnings about Ivermectineveryone gives. Buck Jones's blue dutch rabbit, Ernestine, had a verybad effect from it. It's a good thing the tube had expired because itlost its strength. He nearly lost her.

Best to check with a rabbit savvy vet before giving any medication.

If you do decide to go the cat flea powder route, spread the powder outsparingly. I put it on my hands first and then rub it onto the rabbit.Too much isn't good for the rabbit.



-Carolyn

 

[Kricket]

If it IS dandruff, you can feed your bun asupplement called "Missing Link." Seriously, it worksGREAT! If you are interested in details, PM me and I'll letyou know more. I originally used it first for my dog andworks wondefully. Got the vegetarian mixture from my vet andwithin 2 weeks, my buns dandruff was gone. Their coats arebeautiful and super shiny!

 

[thbunns]

Carolyn and rabbitgirl-- what about with his oneinner arm being bare? will the powder hurt him? Any certain brand youguys used that I should look for?
I am a little wary about going to the vet to get a treatment. The lasttime we did this, we received a series of injections to our one rabbitwhich lead to his paralyzation and then death. We changed vets to amore rabbit-savvy one, who actually told us that what the other vetgave out other rabbit is what killed him.
I guess we'll go to that vet, ask about the Ivermectin..do you guysthink the topical or oral treament is better? I don't think I'd becomfotable with him receiving an injection.. I want the one with theleast risks, of course. I'll mention the sensativity thingand ask him about the kitty flea powder.

 

[rabbitgirl]

Try the flea powder on his inner arm area. If itdoesn't make hair grow back, you've got a "puller", and I don't knowhow to stop them from doing it!My Holland buck pulls fromhis flanks, and I don't know why either. I think he's just obsessive.However, on the bright side, he's fine otherwise so I figure it's aharmless little neurosis. His skin isn't red or anything, just baldish.

The powder shouldn't hurt, at least it hasn't hurt mine and he's onlyabout 3 1/2 lbs. and very sensitive. My brand is Hartz 2 in 1 flea andtick powder for cats. I've used it for about 10 yrs. or so on severalbreeds, when there's a flea ormite outbreak.

If he was mine (I don't trust the local vets either after what happenedto mine), I'd try the powder for a couple weeks and keep an eye onthings. The loss of the dandruff is your first clue, about 1-2 wks.,then the hair will start growing in.

Good luck, whatever you choose! Mites aren't too scary, even thoughthey look bad. Don't worry. I'd rather tackle mites than fleas any day.Muuuuch easier!!You're lucky you found a better vet! Ithink I did too, but the jury's still out on that one. WE'll see.

Rose

 

[thbunns]

so do you think it's just better if I try outthe flea powder and see what happens in the next week instead ofheading to the vet and talking about Ivermectin?
now, do I just follow the directions on the box, use it once a week?should I use a bit less than it says on the box in case he is sensativeto it? so I put it on his whole body?
Say that this is just a dandruff problem and not mites, it'll still beokay to use the powder on him? AND do you think I should treat my otherrabbit who probably doesn't have it as he isn't showing symptoms andthey aren't housed together (several rooms apart, in fact) just in case?
Sorry for all the questions, hehe. You guys are a life-saver, seriously. :inlove:

 

[rabbitgirl]

thbunns wrote:

so do you think it's just better if I try out the fleapowder and see what happens in the next week instead of heading to thevet and talking about Ivermectin?
now, do I just follow the directions on the box, use it once a week?should I use a bit less than it says on the box in case he is sensativeto it? so I put it on his whole body?
Say that this is just a dandruff problem and not mites, it'll still beokay to use the powder on him? AND do you think I should treat my otherrabbit who probably doesn't have it as he isn't showing symptoms andthey aren't housed together (several rooms apart, in fact) just in case?
Sorry for all the questions, hehe. You guys are a life-saver, seriously. :inlove:

No problem. I've just been through a bout of this. It's like head licein kids--annoying but not too threatening.It wouldn't hurtto ask the vet Monday, just go armed with caution when evaluating whathe prescribes!

If it's not mites (although I'd bet it is!dandruff is rare inrabbits)powder shouldn't hurt him. Although--by way ofdisclaimer--that's ONLY my personal experience, so it's by no meansinfallible. Using powder is my test whether its mites or not,personally. I'd just keep an eye on theother one, although itprobably wouldn't hurt to dust him. But if you're not seeing signs,don't worry about it. My buck's sis, next door, didn't even get themfrom him.

Once a week should be good. But a little more time than that won't hurt if you want to be safe.

Rose

P.S. pretty much the only true dandruff I've seen on rabbits is either:during fall molt, and right under the Holland lops' ears. I'd bet yourloose fur is coming from fall molt, but mites are probably aggravatingit from the sounds of the crusty stuff.

 

[JimD]

Carolyn wrote:

I doso understand the warnings about Ivermectin everyone gives. BuckJones's blue dutch rabbit, Ernestine, had a very bad effect from it.It's a good thing the tube had expired because it lost its strength. Henearly lost her.

Best to check with a rabbit savvy vet before giving any medication.




-Carolyn

I remember how scared we all were when that happened, and how relieved we were that she recovered so well.

Here's the link tothat..http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=5851&forum_id=1

IMO ...I would consult with the vet prior to giving any meds, especially when a clear diagnosis has yet to be made.

Jim

 

[thbunns]

Hey guys, just got home from the vet.
He had a skin scraping to see about the mites-- the vet didn't findany. He also scraped a little from the right arm, where he was pullingthe fur off, and didn't find anything there either. As a precaution hewas given an invermectin injection, and we have to go back in 10days to get another.
We got animax cream to put on the arm(2-3 times a day, only afew drops), the one nail was inflamed and this will prevent infection.I'm buying him a grass 'hut' for him to chew on, hopefully he'll chewon that instead of his arm.
We also got a antiseborrheic/keratoplastic shampoo to removes thedandruff/seborrhea/crustiness. The shampoo is calledSebolux (to be used tonight, and again in 4-5 days).
Has anyone used these products before or can tell me about theirexperience with the ivermectan injections (not the paste)?
Anyone who ventured into the 'bonding male rabbits' post, would knowabout the splayed leg. The vet told me that it was afracture, but a very old one. He said that it has been healed alreadyand he shouldn't be in any pain because Hidey is still using the armand functioning fine with it.
Thanks for all the help and advice :kiss:

 

[BlueGiants]

Hi Geri!

I wouldn't worry too much about the Ivermec injection,justkeep an eye on him for a couple of days and if any change in behavioror condition changes, let the vet know right away. I haveused the injectable Ivermec on our entire herd of Dutch, Flemish Giantsand Mini Rex for years with no problems. Any drug or medicinecan cause adverse effects, but generally they do moregoodthan harm. Hidey's skinshould show some improvementover the next 7-10 days. I have also used the Animax cream,works wonders!Should clear up any inflamationquickly. You don't need much, just rub some in, don't "gob"it on... ( But I know nothing about the shampoo he gave you.)

Good Luck and give Hidey a big hug from me! :hug: