Blue skin

FORUM

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 9sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 9 months ago by Wick & Fable.

Viewing 9 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 01/05/2011 at 11:24 AM
  FluffyBunny
  Participant
  1263 posts
  About 1 to 1 1/2 weeks ago, I noticed a fairly large (maybe a little bigger than a US quarter) bald spot on Ms. Rabbit’s back. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there were some very minor bite marks on the bald spot. There were some small tufts of fur from both bunnies around the room, so I figured the bunnies had had a minor fight. I cleaned the bald spot on Ms. Rabbit’s back and applied some Neosporin.
  
  A few days ago, I checked on the bald spot again. The cuts had healed, but no fur had started to grow back and the skin looked a little strange. Ms. Rabbit’s normal skin color is a pale pinkish off-white. On the bald spot, the skin was a pale blue. I decided to wait a few more days to see if that was just her fur growing back (which can look a little strange sometimes, since she has chocolate-tipped fur).
  
  I checked on the bald spot again today. The skin is a slightly deeper shade of blue, and there’s still no new fur. In addition, the whole area is covered in flaky dry skin. The fur around the bald spot seems more stringy and oily than normal. It doesn’t seem to be bothering her – she’s still eating, pooping, and behaving normally, as far as I can tell. Touching the bald spot doesn’t seem to bother her, but scratching it does. The bald spot doesn’t seem swollen, and it’s not any warmer or colder than the rest of her skin.
  
  What’s going on, exactly? Should I be concerned about this?
- 01/05/2011 at 11:34 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  It may be a bruise.
- 01/05/2011 at 11:41 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Injuries on rabbits can be a mess, which is why they tend to get ulcers so easily after an injury. I would say in Ms. Rabbit’s case it just needs more time to completely heal back to be her normal skin.
- 01/05/2011 at 4:50 PM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  Sounds like a bruise to me as well. Some bunnies, when they’ve had fur shaved for a vet procedure for example, take a very long time to grow it back in a bald spot. (Right, MM?) It seems to come back at the next general shedding time. I would watch it for changes, like swelling, but otherwise just wait and see if the fur grows there eventually.
- 01/05/2011 at 9:59 PM
  Michelle&Lolli
  Participant
  2347 posts
  Just wanted to comment that I would have never guessed it was a bruise. LOL I’m a bit slow on things but it has never occurred to me that animals would bruise too. It’s good to know cause God knows if Lolli got a bruise, I’d be freaking out. And definitely taking her to the vet in that case. lol
- 01/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Totally never would have guessed a bruise! But that sounds exactly right-they bruise just like us but with fur we don’t see. I have a friend who has a white dog, who was a clumsy pup. It was crazy to see a black eye develop after goofing around with other dogs while we were camping-just never occured to me that they bruise…which is silly
  
  Keep a close eye like Petzy said they can get abscesses easily
- 01/06/2011 at 1:25 PM
  FluffyBunny
  Participant
  1263 posts
  I was thinking it was a bruise, but I didn’t realize that bruises could be so blue (it’s about the color of a blueberry today). She’s had bruises around bite wounds before, but they were more like human bruises – purple/green and sensitive to the touch.
  
  The bald spot seemed a little warm today, but that might have just been from how much she was running around. Also, it’s a deeper shade of blue today – not purple, just a deeper blue color.
  
  Thanks for your help!
- 01/06/2011 at 1:56 PM
  Otti
  Participant
  535 posts
  Well bruises change colors in humans too while they heal, so maybe that’s what’s happening? I’d think the darkening would be a normal result of blood coagulation and drying.
- 05/15/2021 at 2:56 PM
  Rebecca
  Participant
  17 posts
  I found the same type of thing on my holland lop this morning but on her ear. She has been scratching at her ears and we are in the middle of treating her for ear mits (even though her vet said her ears looked perfectly clean and normal. Just treating her to be on the safe side). I panicked a little because I never would have guessed bunnies could get bruises like that. Feel better after reading this post.
  
  I guess it just might be from her scratching.
  Going to keep an eye on it and will contact vet on Monday if things change.
- 05/15/2021 at 2:57 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5834 posts
  Hi Rebecca, and welcome to Binkybunny! I’m glad this topic got you feeling better and you are on alert for potential changes. Since this is an old thread (i.e. 2011), I will lock it, as you will likely not get responses from the original posters. I do encourage you to create your own topic about your specific situation, if you’d like!
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
Author

Messages