Skin problem/bald patch

Hi, my bunny Septimus has a growing bald patch in the neck area, above his shoulders . It all started about 4 weeks ago when I pulled a small (1.5mm) piece of insect (not a tick) out of his skin. There weren't any head parts, it was more like a piece of shell. The skin was red and inflamed then but the bald patch has grown from about 0.5 cm to 2-3 cm now. He is still lively and eating ok, though might be a bit more tense than usual. No pus or anything so I don't know if it's an infection or what it is. I've tried antibacterial powder but it's not helped and I think it was stinging him a lot. Any advice would be really appreciated, I've had lots of helpful suggestions on here before!

Hi Lynsey,
The bald patch you describe and the specificity of the site around the neck could indicate a mite (Cheyletiella) problem. It's thought most buns carry these mites quite inocuously but that a weakened immune system from another illness or stress, or a bun's inability to groom properly can cause the populations to get out of control. Funnily enough we've just come back from vet today with a suspected case on our female lop, although we're not certain and the vet felt it was worth treating for mites regardless of a skin scrape. The best treatment is Ivermectin and we were given this in spot-on form as Xeno 450. Not in our case, but in most the common areas affected are around the nape of the neck and down the spine, signs of dandruff and fur loss and usually red/inflamed skin in the bare patches with possibly some crusting, it depends.
A course of ivermectin in whatever form should sort it out hopefully
I'm interested you pulled an insect out of your bun's back? Perhaps it was a tick? or biting fly? and perhaps it's not mites and your bun has reacted to the bite? Either way you'd best pop your bun along to the vet for a check up. Good luck

p.s. i'd avoid any antibacterial powders if he seems a little sensitve and as a general rule i'd be cautious using any mite/flea powders without checking with your vet, some of these insecticides can be quite toxic to bunnies.
I've just re-read you describe the insect you pulled out like a shell? Do you mean hard like a crustacean? Some ticks can look a bit like that sometimes - you get all types of hard shell ticks, not all are the common soft brown bodied type. Anyway, get bun to the vet asap and i'm sure it'll get better soon.

Thanks for your thoughts, it's always helpful to hear what someone else thinks, to point you in the right direction. I'll get him looked at by the vet and hopefully get it sorted out. Thanks again!

Is your bunny moulting? My long haired bunny sometimes gets bald patches when she moults, on the back of her neck? It grows back eventually though.

Thanks for your suggestions but I don't think it is due to moulting. I think it is something to do with this piece of insect shell I pulled out of his skin. Hopefully the vet will be able to throw some light on it!

Eww! :shock:

Did you take a picture? What on earth was it?