Mysterious Fur loss ((Baffled Vets)) Update..

Hi,

Following on from my earlier post regarding one of my bunnies - Chinny, who initially lost about a square inch of fur from under her chin and who baffled me because I could not find any traces of it. To re-cap, she was acting completely normally, eating ok etc, except for this missing fur. A couple of days later and the fur loss had spread more and was getting bigger, I still could not find any missing fur anywhere though.

I took her to the vets at the start of this week incase it was something like mites (even though she's not been scratching or anything) but thought it was best I get it checked. The vet did a good thorough examination and upon feeling the area also, wondered at first if it might be some sort of infection, but said that usually infections in rabbits present as abscesses. Her other thoughts were possibly Ringworm, although she said it doesn't look typical of this either. She also said it did not look like moist dermatitis and was not typical of mites either, she checked fur in other places too but there's nothing like the white dandruff that you often associate with mites. She did say the skin was a bit scaly in places and had sort of like a chemical burn resemblence. She doesn't think she has pulled the fur off herself as would of been really hard to reach the area right under her chin which was bare skin too.

So, she said it was a very strange case and couldn't give us a definite diagnosis. What she did say was to treat it with a topical cream (Surolan) and to take a culture for fungal infection (ringworm) even though not presenting like Ringworm and to also give antibiotics (Baytril) for a week too incase of infection. She did apply some of the Surolan whilst we were there but she thought Chinny was a bit sensitive to this and didn't seem to like it being rubbed in too much.

I have not found any of the fur since the fur loss first began and still find it very baffling as to what has caused this, but may have some news about the possible Ringworm results soon. Have posted a picture we took of Chinny a few days ago, but was a little worse than this as some of the fur has grown back a little here. Good news is that fur seems to be growing back a little better now and skin looks better also since we've been using the Surolan and started the Baytril. Any other input about what this is though if it looks familar to anybody would be appreciated also.





Thanks! Sue & Chinny.

Hi, is Chinny spayed at all?

that looks sore, poor bunny

Hi, is Chinny spayed at all?

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I was thinking along these lines too. Willow has been spayed for years but this spring she plucked so much fur from her chest it was bald, she didn't make a nest with it though, the fur also appeared to vanish into thin air but I saw her doing it so I am 100% certain that was the cause. However in that pic the skin does look sore, Willow's was pink and healthy, but I guess it could be possible she's done it to such an extream its irritated the skin?

Hi, thanks for replies,

Yes, Chinny is Spayed but I do see her occasionally pluck a little fur off as if she might be making a nest but it's never come to anything extreme like this.

Guess it might be possible I've just not seen her do it as suggested above, but yes, the skin did get quite sore, the vet said suggestive of chemical burn resemblence. She did ask us if Chinny had used anything different but nothing I can think of apart from a different meadow hay, but my other bunnies had this also and were fine.

It is looking better today and not much redness there now so guess something is helping !

the vet said suggestive of chemical burn resemblence

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Blimy if the vet thought that it must of been sore. Is that a more recent pic then after its healed a bit? Could anyone have got in your garden and did it deliberately or is she a house bun could of got at something she shouldn't?

Yes, think that picture was taken after it was healing a little bit, it was a bit worse than that when the vet first examined her. Can remember her saying it felt a bit scaly also and there was a bit more redness to her at that time.

She's a house-bun, shares a room with another rabbit, but she's a really well behaved bunny, never causes any trouble really and can't think what she could of got hold of to have caused this.

I have seen her do quite a bit of grooming since we've started using the ointment, I did wonder if she would lick the ointment off too but the vet didn't think that would be a problem. She does seem to be fussing with the fur at the front a lot more now though.

(Meant to add that although she shares a room with another rabbit, they are not in direct contact with one another - only contact through pen bars)

As she's a house bun have you used any new chemicals in the house at all - even if in a different room. Maybe she's the rabbit equivalent of hyperallergeric like humans etc.

Hi,

No, haven't used anything new, I'm not keen on chemicals myself anyway as I have allergies myself, so tend to use cleaning products that are more natural if I can. It puzzles me that it's just in the one area aswell although it did appear to be spreading until we had the treatments from the vets to try.

If there's no clear diagonosis from the test results, then it'll probably concern me a bit that it still could be possible that she's done this herself and I just haven't seen her do it. I've not had any buns pull out their fur like this, so am just wondering if any other reason for doing this.

Thanks for your thoughts....

I'm sorry if you've said, and I've missed it, but could she be self mutilating?

Has she had any Metacam at all? Sometimes bunnies in pain, but in a place they can't reach (such as teeth or jaw) can cause them to pull out their fur in such a place.

Is she vaccinated? When was her last VHD vaccine?

Looks like bacterial dermatitis to me

Thanks for the above info and picture, it does look similar, there were a few small areas of redness on Chinny also, but the vet didn't think it resembled a dermatitis, she had asked us if we'd seen her drooling but we've not seen anything, she also had her teeth checked a few weeks ago though as she did have a runny eye, but that cleared up within a couple of days, she was on fucithalmic for that for a few days.

She hasn't had any metacam no, but she has been behaving quite normally otherwise and has been eating fine, drinking fine and pooping fine. It was just the fur loss and why it has happened. I have heard of buns self mutilating because of pain also, but don't think that this is the case.

She's not had a VHD vaccine yet, so won't be related to that, thanks.

Hi Sue&smokes, i know this post was few years ago, but i just wanted to ask how is your rabbit now? My rabbit is currently suffering very similar problems. She has not been spayed, house rabbit, missing fur but no trace, seen her biting herself.. but shes eating fine etc, and seems happy...took her to vets and they said the same thing (baffled) and gave us the same medication, the sudocream seems to work well, but for some reason it keeps coming back in similar places. Strange, she had a runny eye aswell before this happened, a very similar case. I wanted to ask as its worrying me, and if there is any advice you could give? Im starting to think it might be the room shes in, as the problems have only occurred since i moved here. (Moving out again shortly, so il see if that helps too). Thanks.