Mr Bunny: The Hare Loss Saga Continues

[FluffyBunny]

A bit of background, for those who don’t know…

In November of 2009, my rabbit, Mr. Bunny, started getting large, rashy bald spots on his head. He had various tests and was diagnosed with fur mites. He got 3 doses of Ivermectin and the problem seemed to clear up; the bald spots grew new fur and his skin went back to normal. However, several weeks later he got a few new bald spots. He got 3 more doses of Ivermectin (the most recent one given yesterday), this time with a much stronger dose.

Over the last few days, he’s been getting even more bald spots. They aren’t rashy so far, but he has more now than he ever had at a time before. There’s a smallish one between his ears, another small one at the base of his right ear, a couple of fairly large (dime size?) ones on his side (the first ones to be somewhere besides his head) and now a really big one all along his right cheek.

The vet says that if he’s still getting bald spots in a week or two, he’ll take a skin biopsy and refer us to a specialist.

Has anyone dealt with fur mites that keep coming back and coming back like these? What did you do about it? He’s had this problem for so long, it’s getting irritating.

[LizzieKnittyBun]

They’re sure it isn’t ring worm or some other fungus? Those are *notoriously* persistent.

Poor Mr. Bunny, I hope it gets better.

[Karla]

Poor Mr. Bunny. Haven’t had any of these problems myself, but I found this:

http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.com/furmites.php

http://www.hrss.net/aar/health/health_furmites.html

So if you haven’t done it yet, then give the house a really good desinfective cleaning.

[Sarita]

I haven’t had anything like this. I sure hope the biopsy tells you something. Poor Mr. Bunny.

[bunnytowne]

Gosh what a trial.   My friend who had  many many rabbits had bought some hay from a barn.   As she usually does.  Well the rabbits got fur mites.  They all got their ivermectim  treatments and it went away.   Then it came back agian.  This time she guessed it was in the hay and she threw it out getting another bale.   The rabbits got their treatments and it never came back.

The hay was the only thing she could figure cause they had not been around any new rabbits during that time.

Also birds carry mites. Wild birds that is some of them do.

Last year Fouad and I ended up with the mites.  I had to take our pillows sheets couch  pillows all the clothes we wore and wash them in hot hot water.   I did that the first time we got the treatment and again the 2nd time we took our treatment.   All worked out and they never came back and the buns didn’t get them either. 

Fouad had handled a wild bird. It was a baby and he sheltered it for the nite and turned it loose in the morning.  Could have came from there for no one at the masjid had been itching and scratching.

I hope you can get to the bottom of this.  Washing all your rabbits things in hot hot water may be difficult to do.  Washing in the washer yes but the cage and stuff I guess you could get a tea kettle of boiling water going and pour it over all the rabbits things including his toys.  Do this each time he gets a treatment.

I wish you well in getting to the bottom of the situation.  If it isnt’ mites hopefully you can get it taken care of soon.

[BinkyBunny]

I found Karla’s links helpful. I know with mites you do have to thoroughly clean the cage and bedding etc, to keep re-infestation from happening. I wonder if that is what has been happening.

[FluffyBunny]

Yes, we have cleaned the room twice now. We cleaned the room once when he was first diagnosed and again yesterday (which includes mopping the floors, giving the rabby in question a towelbath, quarantining his boxes for a while and cleaning every nook and cranny of his cage).

[FluffyBunny]

Mr. Bunny has two new bald spots now. He has one on his left side by his back leg and another in the same place on the right. The spot on his cheek is getting bigger too; it now goes from near his nose to the back of his head, and it’s getting the rashy red spots his other bad bald spots have had in the past. He has 5 bald spots now. This is the first time he’s lost more hair so soon after a Ivermectin dose. D:

[BinkyBunny]

It could be an allergic reaction, but really…I’m stumped! Hopefully the biopsy will offer some clues so you can finally get this baffling thing solved!

[FluffyBunny]

Ooops did I say simethicone? LOL I meant Ivermectin. xD

Yeah, I’m hoping that too. If it isn’t mites, I don’t know what it could be. He’s already been shown not to have fungus.

[Deleted User]

BT made a very good point. Many times mites come from litter material (hay or shavings), so it is possible that a treated animal is re-infestated by the original source.

[FluffyBunny]

Do you think wood stove pellets could carry mites?

[Deleted User]

I doubt that. My vet says they are found sometimes in  hay or shavings. I just think that because the WSP have been kiln-dried it would kill any mites.

[Author]

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