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dry skin on rabbits back

BaileyBunn

BaileyBunn

Warren Scout
:wave: Hi, i have a mini lop shes 15 weeks old,
about a month ago i took her to the vets for injections and the vet saw she had mites in her ears, she perscribed Xeno 450 spot on which is ment to target mites fleas and internall worms and parasites, it seems to of worked as she isnt itching her ears as much as she was, though she has since developed some dry skin on her back, it is making her uncomfortable though because when i try to have a look at it it is obviousley causing her pain.
Her diets good and other than that healthy, any ideas what could be causing the dry skin??
Any help is much appreciated
Thanks :D
 
Well it could be Cheyletiella fur mites.... but considering she has been treated with Ivermectin already this seems unlikely? :? Did she have the 3 courses of treatment over 6 weeks?

What vaccinations did she have by the way? Did she have her VHD and was it Cylap?

ETA although a month ago....didn't see this bit! :oops: :?
 
Is the dry skin mostly on her back and in patches??Is her fur coming out??
She may not have had the right dose for her skin,(although she had it for her ears).
Get your vet to check for "Moving dandruff"....the little mites in question..cheyliatella mites...(sp)
My little fella Beebee had them.He had Xeno450 drops put on for 6 weeks..(every two weeks).
Good luck!!
 
she had just one dosage of the Xeno because the vet said if she stops scratching you wont need to reapply if she doesnt stop scratching do it again in 2 weeks, so im guessing i should of really given her another xeno dosage,
she had the VHD and 2 weeks before that the mixi im not sure if it was Cylap.
It is in patches on her back, its like scabs but from what i can see there just white, i tiny tuft of hairs come out but it hasnt left any baldness,
would you both suggest i do a 6 week course of the xeno??
Thanks for your help
 
It sounds like maybe she does need more doses.

It coud be mites, but equally it could be dermatitis which can present in a similar way (which may be caused by the Xeno?). So a trip to the vets is in order, I think.

Sometimes a rabbit can get dry skin around moulting time, but they wouldn't normally get the dry skin scabs, so that probably is not the case here.

You will also need to treat the area wherever your rabbit has lived for mites too, because otherwise the rabbit can get reinfected through the enviroment.
 
Your vet can use a microscope to look for mites.
He can diagnose what is wrong with your bunnys skin.
Its all cureable!
(If you can,go with him to the scope.Mites are really interesting to look at!!!)
 
I've heard somewhere that Xena spot on could cause some irritation to some rabbits. I've got some at home and was too scare to give to my bunnies after reading these articles. Sorry can't remember which forum i read it from.

Is the patches is where you applied the medicine? it may be something to bear in mind.
 
Xenex, which is completely different, is the one that is known to cause problems for rabbits.

With any medication there is a risk, but with Xeno 450 it seems to be a low level risk. Maybe search the forum for it and see if you can find any negative reports and also positive reports to maybe give you some confidence.
 
Furry said:
I've heard somewhere that Xena spot on could cause some irritation to some rabbits. I've got some at home and was too scare to give to my bunnies after reading these articles. Sorry can't remember which forum i read it from.

Is the patches is where you applied the medicine? it may be something to bear in mind.
Click to expand...

Xeno450 spot on is Ivermectin

Xenex is not, it is Permethrin I think. I would NOT use it on a rabbit.
 
There are lots of possible causes. She could have fur mites or mange which usually show up on the back of the neck. She could have ringworm, a fungal infection too. This would have to be treated with an anti-fungal which can only be obtained from a vet.
 
it was mites, i took her back to the vets and have given her 2 doses
(2 weeks in between each other) of Xeno 450 and shes fine and the dry skin is all clear and i hardley see her scratching at all now,
she hasnt had any reaction to the xeno, it is apprentley somthing that should be done every few months though to prevent build ups of mites as these could be spreading to her from hay beding,
Thanks for all the replies x
 
BaileyBunn said:
it was mites, i took her back to the vets and have given her 2 doses
(2 weeks in between each other) of Xeno 450 and shes fine and the dry skin is all clear and i hardley see her scratching at all now,
she hasnt had any reaction to the xeno, it is apprentley somthing that should be done every few months though to prevent build ups of mites as these could be spreading to her from hay beding,
Thanks for all the replies x
Click to expand...

Normally the course for Xeno 450 (Ivermectin) is 3 doses (2 weeks apart each dose) in order to break the life cycle of the cheyletiella mite.

I wouldn't be using it routinely every few months though :? It is an insecticide and therefore is best to use only when actually needed. Most rabbits are thought to carry fur mites all the time anyway, at a very low level, and it is usually only ill health or a sudden overkill of mite (from infestated hay for example) that overloads the immune system and allows mite populations to breed out of control. I would focus on keeping your bun in tip top condition and not use a hay supplier that you know to have a problem with mite infestation, rather than treat with insecticide on a regular basis. As said, if your bun is in good health, and not too many mites to cope with, they can carry a small population without ill effect. :wave:
 
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