I just noticed that my Gretel has a black spot of fur on the bridge of her nose. I haven't ever noticed it before and I'm sure it wasn't there before. I checked it to make sure it wasn't dirt or something else. It's just fur. Is that normal in a bunny, for their fur to slightly change colors? Just figured I'd ask in case it was any cause for concern.

I know that when i bought my rabbit she was brown. Then she slowly started to change with a very defined line into a gray color. Since then within the past year her line has come back and she has become a little darker.

I believe its normal with their shedding cycles.

What color is she normally? Do you have a picture? Like CocoVermont said, some color variation is normal with shedding cycles especially as they grow older.

I can't get a good picture of it. She is normally brown and white. I don't really think it is anything of concern, I was just checking to see if it's normal. She is shedding too. There is a brown spot on the opposite side of the black spot so I think it is just changing color because shes shedding.

She actually let me take a picture of it.

 

 

 

 

What a cutie! I know my chocolate bun actually turned almost black while he was shedding. It was a real pain telling him a part from his black Tan brother and sister! LOL.

She is adorable. She clearly disapproves of this picture being taken, haha!

Haha, definitely disapproving!

That's just her new fur coming through.
If you look close at her brown fur you might notice it had a dark tip?
As the fur in that spot grows you'll likely see it looking more like the rest.

She's pretty! It's been a while since I've seen a lop with Dutch markings.

I'd say it's nothing to worry about .

She's adorable!

She has dutch markings?! I'm sorry, I'm not good with breeds at all.

Definitely Dutch markings. One of the reasons I'm in love with her! She's a total beauty.

Posted By jwoo on 11/14/2012 08:11 PM
She has dutch markings?! I'm sorry, I'm not good with breeds at all.

If you google Dutch bunnies, you'll see the coloring is similar she's very pretty!

Rather than dutch, I would guess that she's vienna marked. Does she have blue eyes? It looks like it from the picture, in which case it's almost definitely vienna. They look similar to dutch markings, but are caused by different genes (the genes that create blue eyed white buns - the vienna marked buns only have one copy of the gene while the blue eyed whites have two). I just love viennas. She's very cute and very disapproving ;-)

I wouldn't worry about the spot. It might be a result of shedding.

Ditto that ^. I think it's the Vienna gene. Dutch markings can show up in non-Dutch breeds. Sometimes labelled Dutch marked (DM), Vienna marked (VM) or " sport" I think. The gene might give just blue eyes, or just a white foot or spot on the nose. Other times it will give the Dutch looking pattern like Gretel has.

Gretel looks like a mini lop.

She and Sophie both have blue eyes. That's really interesting to know! When I got them, I was told they were mini lops, and I didn't really question it. The only thing is they both have a different facial structure. Not sure if that means she are possibly different breeds and not sisters like I was told or if its different for every bunny rather than breed.

Oh wow! They'd make a striking pair, both having blue eyes.

Sounds like they are both vienna marked then. To have the gene, one parent must have had it or been a blue eyed white (in that case the parent would've had two copies of the gene instead of one). They must make quite a pair! I think it's such a beautiful coloring. The differences in their facial features could just be normal variation within the breed. Bunnies who aren't "show quality" can look a bit different from their breed standard.

It's unrelated to the dutch marking genes, so they don't need to have any dutch mixed in to show that coloring. Blue eyed white genes are now found in netherland dwarves and the lop breeds (probably others I don't know about too) so if you were told they are purebred, they probably are, or a mix of holland and mini lops.

They originally came from a pet store before I adopted them, so I'll never know for sure if they are purebred, not that it's a big deal, as they are both beautiful buns and I love them to death!