uh oh. bald spots!

[Vinnie D.]

GAH!  Nel’s been chewing her fur out around her shoulders.  I just noticed a bald spot just above each front leg, and saw her dilligently gnawing at her fur.

 

Thankfully the skin its self doesn’t look irritated, I don’t see any wounds, or flea bites.  I just noticed today.  I did spray her with flea treatment yesterday, and she’s never been fond of it. 

I think she’s overreacting ot it and trying to get it off, but she could be biting at fleas.  So I’m not sure if I should stop flea spraing her or flea spray her more.  At least she’s not biting the skin though.  it’s all smooth and normal colored.  It’s almost like she’s shaving it with her teeth. 

Not exactly what I should do.  Is there anything I could use to discourage her from gnawing on her fur?  Maybe vinigar?  Suggestions needed.  She doesn’t look unhappy but it can’t be healthy either.

[BinkyBunny]

URGENT!! I just emailed you to warn you about flea treatments. but I also am posting here – What are you using? Most are very dangerous for bunnies. The only one that my vet recommends is advantage, but you have to know the weight of your bunny and you can’t use the dosage that is on the box – you would need to call a vet to get the proper dosage for your first time use.

Do not put vinegar on her either as the acidic nature will be irritating. Anything that will go on her fur she will lick off, and that’s why flea treatments that you spray on or any other thing that you put on could be toxic.

I recommend you take her to a vet. Some bunnies do this for behavioral reason, like boredom, but you should seek out a vet to make sure, and also to get an EFFECTIVE AND SAFE flea treatment.

Keep us updated!

[jellyrose]

Maybe it’s fur mites? My boy bunny lost patches of fur on his shoulders- the vet gave him a shot to treat the mites and he’s fine now. I agree with binky, flea sprays are a really bad idea as the bunny can lick it off or breathe in the spray. I use advantage (the kitten one my vet gave me) and I use that every 3 months to keep the fleas away!

[Vinnie D.]

I’d treated her earlier this summer with no side effects but she reacted this way after being treated more recently. I’ve toweled her off now and she seems to be leaving the spot alone. Still I’ve discarded all the remaining treatment, and am going back to a rabbit specific brand.

She’s eating and playing normally, but she did give me a bit of scare.

Don’t worry I didn’t use front line. I’d thankfully already learned about the dangers of that brand. I guess I can’t rule out behavioral. She could be acting up because I’ve started switching her food to a lower calorie adult diet. She normally ate wild harvest brand pellets, and alfalfa hay. She’s since been switched to timothy hay (with a tiny pinch of alfalfa as a treat) and small world pellets which have a much smaller fat content. I wonder if she’s pouting about her food not tasting quite as good. She also gets fresh greens to keep her happy and healthy including mustard greens, romaine lettuce, and sometimes spinach. I’m actually still gradually switching her food by mixing the new old brands together, so that it’s not a drastic change. She’s noticing the difference though.

Today is an improvement at least. I wonder if she’s acting out of boredom or loneliness. I play with her for several hours a day, and she gets plenty of out of the cage time (usually about 6 hours), and has lots of toys. But maybe she wants a friend. I don’t know if I have the space or funds for a second bunny right now though.

I’ll watch her closely for the next few days and see if she stops with the discontinuation of the flea treatment.

[Vinnie D.]

Update:
Nel still appears to be in good health and happy. The flea treatment doesn’t seem to have caused any harm. The fur is starting to grow back, and she hasn’t chewed on it that I’ve seen. I’ve seen her lick there but not chew. I still have no clue as to why she did it in the first place. The flea treatment or the fleas themselves, but in either case both are gone now (until that flea ridden cat that keeps pulling off his flea collar brings more in).

At this point Nel doesn’t seem to even notice a problem and is wondering what I’m so worried about. She seems to know when I worry and gets extra affectionate around those times.

[Gravehearted]

I think it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to our bunnies! I am glad to hear she seems to be doing better, but if you ever have concerns it’s always best to consult your vet.

I am sure she’s not thrilled about transitioning her pellets , but I don’t think it’s in any way related to her bald spot or irritation. It sounds like you’ve done a great job with the slow transition in her diet, so she’ll adjust well.

[Vinnie D.]

Well the fur is growing back a bit now, but it’s still kind of thin. the spot hasn’t gotten any bigger so I know she’s stopped messing with it at least. Nel doesn’t seem to even notice a problem, so it seems she’s fine. In fact she’s sitting next to me right now.

Thanks for the concerns from everyone. BTW she’s also getting used to her new food (with a little help from kaytee healthy toppings papaya)

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