fur loss

I am beggining to worry quite a bit about elvis. He has started to lose a lot of his fur recently and I have no idea why. Also he has started to dig in the corner of his run and has already escaped once.he has tubes and a wooden chew and all sorts to play with so I don't understand the digging and the fur thing is really worrying any help?

emilou87 said:

I am beggining to worry quite a bit about elvis. He has started to lose a lot of his fur recently and I have no idea why. Also he has started to dig in the corner of his run and has already escaped once.he has tubes and a wooden chew and all sorts to play with so I don't understand the digging and the fur thing is really worrying any help?

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Buns can moult heavily up to 4 x a year with the seasonal changes in temperature, and can have smaller moults in between these larger moults. House rabbits can moult continuously sometimes due to constant temps.
Moulting occurs without leaving bald spots - there is usually new fur growth underneath where the fur comes out and visible moult lines running in circles down the back and flanks. Brushing daily helps to prevent bun ingesting too much fur which can potentially cause the guts to slow down or if the guts are already slow for another reason lead to blockage.

However, moulting leaving 'bald spots' is NOT normal and the commonest causes are fur mites - Cheyletiella mites, other parasites, and urine/wet scald. Fur mites tend to appear like 'dandruff' flakes but 'walking' and are often associated with dry/yellow and scaly skin underneath around the base of the neck and down the back, and around the base of the tail.
Normal moulting also produces dandruff however but should not leave bald areas of skin. A vet can do a skin scrape but will often just treat for mites if in doubt using a special insecticide for small animals - Ivermectin is the preferred drug and this can be given by injection, spot-on drops or in spray form. I'd personally recommend injection or spot-on as Xeno 450 and it needs to be done once every 2 weeks for 6 weeks to break the lifecycle.
I'd take your bun to a vet if you're at all concerned.

Digging is a completely normal bunny behaviour and is nothing to be concerned about. Most rabbits dig, it is instinctive to dig burrows to live in, to reach tree and plant roots to feed from, to make a scrape to lie or latrine in and to dig bolt holes to escape from predators in. Are there predators visiting your garden that could be making your bunny anxious and feel vulnerable? Does your bun have enough space to play? Runs should be ideally a minimum of 6ft x 4ft but extra time outside in a safe garden supervised to really stretch those legs at full speed is even better. You can't stop a bun digging, but if escape is a risk you may need to use wire on the base of the run or position paving slabs or a wire skirt around the edge of the run to stop bun digging out or a predator digging in. Has bunny a box or house in his run to hide in to feel secure? How about a cardboard box to dig in or a large plant tray filled with soil or a few tubs of soil/sand to dig and play in, in his run? Is your bun neutered? Perhaps he would appreciate some bunny company in NEUTERED female form?