finding scabs in lionhead’s mane?

[bumpybunny]

I keep finding what looks like scabs in pumpkin’s mane. I believe this is the 3rd one I’ve found within the past 3 or 4 weeks. She doesnt seem to be itching a whole lot more, is this normal? At first she was due for a nail trimming and I thought that maybe since her nails were a little long that she had scratched herself but now her nails are trimmed and I just found another one. A few days ago i caught a flea in her mane, but ever since then I’ve vacuumed and I’ve been brushing her everyday with a flea comb to check for any more fleas, but I havent found anything, not even flea dirt. I have also felt around at her neck where the scabs have been loose, and I never feel any others. Could she just be scratching herself too hard?

I have a picture but I’m not sure how to post it. The scabs are very small. Earlier this year she kept shaking her ears and scratching them constantly, but I had the vet do a skin scraping and check inside her ears and they found nothing. Do rabbits get itchy when they shed? She’s shedding from her mane a little.

[LBJ10]

Yes, bunnies can get a little itchy when they are molting. Sometimes there will be a few flakes here and there, but there shouldn’t be any scabs. If you found a flea, then it wouldn’t hurt to treat for them just in case. Revolution 0r Advantage would do the trick. Never use anything containing fipronil (e.g. Frontline).

As for the scabs, they aren’t normal. Sure, a bunny could potentially scratch themselves. But scabs on the back of the neck are characteristic of mites. I know your vet did a skin scraping, but sometimes they are missed. Treatment for mites is the same as fleas. However, some mite species are resistant to Advantage.

[bumpybunny]

Do you know if I would be able to get revolution or advantage without getting it from a vet? The only vet near me that I trust with my rabbit is over an hour away and pretty expensive. If not I’ll still take her of course, I just try not to stress her out too much with car rides.

[DanaNM]

Is she interacting with any other rabbits? Sometimes they get scabs from other rabbits nipping or trying to mount them.

. . . 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.  

[bumpybunny]

No, she’s the only rabbit I have. I have other pets but they aren’t allowed to see or interact with her.

I’m starting to wonder if her back nails are too long and she’s doing this when she grooms herself. I trim her nails every 2-3 weeks, but I’m never able to get her back nails to be all the way down to the quick. Her back nails are all black and everytime I try trimming them all the way back she rips her paw out of my hand (I’m not touching the quick when I do this)

I may make an appointment to have her nails trimmed at the vet near me, and then if I’m still finding scabs after that I’ll make an appointment right away for her to be seen at her regular vet. (Her vet is over an hour away or I would have them done there.)

[LBJ10]

That sounds like a good plan. See if the claws are the problem. If the scabs don’t go away, then treat for fleas or mites. Revolution is only available from vets in the US.

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