Losing fur around nose – spreading from rabbits

[Karla]

So here is a quick history. 3 bunnies, all rescues. 

I got Pippi 2 years ago, and she sneezed a lot and often had a running eye. The vet said it was just an allergy, and since it went away during winter, it sounded plausible. Next spring same thing happened. This Autumn I noticed Karl’s third eyelids were very visible, I read online that that often happens with old rabbits, so I didn’t think more about it. All rabbits have had eyes running, which comes and goes.

So, now, Pippi last month started losing fur around her nose, and it got worse. She also had a very irritated eye. I took her once again to the vet (no rabbit-savvy vets here, so they just guess), who said it could be syphilis. But now the third rabbit My is losing fur around the nose as well. And syphilis does not spread like that, it’s not contageious. So it’s not syphilis. 

I just found this on a guinea pig forum, which looks exactly what we are dealing with here: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/104177-Losing-hair-around-nose-looks-irritated-PICTURES-ATTACHED-!

The sneezing and the running eyes may not be linked at all to the fur loss, I am only mentioning it just in case, someone recognises the symptoms.

They have been checked for fur mites. 

I have no rabbit savvy vets around here, so I am totally dependent on finding the cure myself. If it is ringworm, like suggested in the guinea pig forum, then I must admit that it will be impossible to treat it, since neither Pippi nor My are tame.  

[Roberta]

Hmmm, have you treated them for mites ?

[Karla]

No, ’cause vet checked and said there were no mites. But I have given one of them Stronghold, which I can see can also be used for ear mites. I could give the others as well?

[Roberta]

Found this and it appears the bunny had chicken mites. They can be devilishy hard to spot. Herpes is a possibility but your vet would have to diagnose.

[Roberta]

http://pets.stackexchange.com/questions/7554/rabbit-is-losing-hair-on-the-nose-and-skin-is-getting-crusty
Sorry forgot to add the link

[Karla]

I can see that I should use ivermectin in case of fur mites. The vet did check both Karl and Pippi and found no mites (did find some parasites of some kind on Karl around his eyes, which he gave me Stronghol for), but maybe the test isn’t bullet proof.

I can order some ivermectin and try it out.

[Roberta]

I haven’t heard of Stronghold, I always use Revolution. Frontline and some others are deadly to rabbits so you need to check the active ingredients.
Advantage Cat or Revolution are the only products I will use on the buns.

[Karla]

When I read about herpes, I don’t think the symptoms matches. Thankfully.

[Karla]

Stronghold is the European name for Revolution. Sorry, should have mentioned that

[Bam]

If this is a fungal infection (ringworm), and it does look a lot like it, I don’t quite understand why you shouldn’t be able to treat them. My first bunny was not tame when I had to treat him for a bad reaction to a vaccine (sores in ears and eye), but I gave him no choice. He soon became used to being handled.

The medication of choice seems to be griseofulvin. http://www.thebunnyhut101.com/2013/05/ringworm-in-rabbits.html

This one has awful pics but the same treatment info as the above, medirabbit is a good source for bunny-owners to bookmark: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Fungal/Fungal_en.htm

If the one you’ve given stronghold has improved at all, I think you could try Stronghold on all of them. If this is a parasite, Stronghold (selamectin) is the best thing. Also clean out their area, wash everything fabric etc.

The sneezing may have been a separate issue that paved the way for the fungal infection, or even a mite-infestation. Dips in the bunny’s immune-defense can give other pathogens the opportunity they need to thrive and multiply.

[Karla]

Karl, has been given Stronghold, but he didn’t have any fur loss before that, so it is difficult to say if it has made a difference. My was fine yesterday, but has fur loss today. But I can give Stronghold to My and Pippi today and see if it gets better within the next 1½ week. And then otherwise, give them something specifically for fur mites (ivermectin).

I will mark this thread as solved then, and re-open it, if Stronghold and ivermectin doesn’t help. I will give credit to the vet though ’cause he tried for more than an hour to diagnose them, but just had to give up.

[Author]

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