Fur Loss

[Jbunny]

When we adopted my rabbit, he had bald patches, but the skin was okay. It has been a month now but he still has bald patches on his chest, legs, and neck. The skin underneath looks perfectly fine and he is otherwise healthy. I am not sure if he is pulling his fur out or he is losing his fur but I am concerned. Any ideas to why he is losing his fur?

[Jbunny]

He is a 4 year old unneutered male, and has just finished molting. Don’t know if that has to do with anything though.

[Wick & Fable]

Combining this with the oval poop situation you’ve mentioned before, I think I vet visit is in order right away, with a rabbit-experienced veterinarian. While bald patches is not unheard of in molting rabbits, for it to be so widespread (as it seems you’re describing) and for new fur not to be growing back makes me suspect stress-pulling or some sort of skin ailment (i.e. mites, fungal infection). Is the fur which borders the bald patches crusty or flaky at the roots?

Can you describe his daily routine? He could be expressing frustration for his current care (no assumptions on you being a bad owner; I just don’t have a background on his circumstances) or it could be something else.

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.

[Jbunny]

The skin is fine.

I let him out at 9 refresh his hay and water and do other stuff around the house. Whenever I need to go out I put him back in but usually he stays out for pretty much the whole day. I clean his litter box on Wednesdays and Sundays.

His poop is not oval anymore but it is smaller than when he first came. His urine was orange this morning but I am not sure whether it is just the pigments or if it is blood. The whole puddle was orange but the rest of his urine afterwards is fine. Just checking if this was a problem or not.

[Jbunny]

Is it normal if the hair behind his ears are kind of layered? By that I mean maybe a line of hair and then a thin line of skin etc. etc. Because I ‘m noticing this and I’m not sure if it is just how the fur grows or if it is a problem.

[Wick & Fable]

It may appear like stripes if he’s curling his neck, if that makes sense. If it’s truly a line of fur, then a strip of bare skin, than no, that’s not normal.

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]

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