Hair loss with scratches and scabs can anyone help.

[silverfox]

I noticed on one of my rabbits lighter patches of fur, she has had colour change in the past and this is what I thought it was. However she has now lost all the fur on the tops of her feet and her back is full of scratches and bald patches. She is with another rabbit and I think they may have been fighting as the other rabbit seems perfect she is bigger however than Jessica. At the moment I have just separated them and Jessica is having a run around the garden.

Her feet looked like she has been biting them (just the tops) not underneath, yet her back is scratched where she cannot reach. Would this be mites or fleas or has her friend been a bit over the top with her. I am not sure as I have never seen this before. They have been together for nearly a year and this is the first time anything like this has happened.

Should I separate them.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Sarcoptic Mange ?

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

 

[LionheadLuver]

Could be a flea allergy. One flea can cause intense itching, and can cause hair loss and baldness. The other rabbit may not have the allergy and so appears unaffected. I'd take them both to the vet.

 

[silverfox]

Sarcoptic Mange?

I am not sure about this as I read it before, she actually doesn't look that bad apart from her feet. She seems her normal self and her back does look more like she has been scratched. She was all fine last week but then we started having problems with the water bottles, they had learnt to get them off the cages so when I gave them new water they would climb all over one another to get to the water which resulted in me buying extra water bottles for there hutch and using pliers to fasten the bottles on on so the couldn't get them off. I am wondering whether she was badly scratched while they were both trying to get to the water. The only one not sure about still is her feet.

 

[lilbun]

Hair loss

I wouldn't separate them unless you have seen any sign of fighting as this will be very distressing for them if they are bonded. I would advise you to treat them both with Xeno 450 available from your vet. This will eliminate any parasites that may be present. Don't use flea treatments designed for cats and dogs as these can be fatal to rabbits. It's not unusual for only one rabbit in a pair to show symptoms of parasites because it depends whether the rabbit is allergic to the bites and whether it is stressed or run down in any way. The most troublesome parasite in rabbits is chyletiella mites

 

[silverfox]

Just had advice from someone who has rabbits for years at a donkey sanctuary. They told me that the bigger rabbits is trying to mate all the time with Jessica and she is stressed out pulling the fur on her feet out. While the other rabbit is damaging her back, just cleaned out their hutch and within minutes of putting them back I caught my other rabbit out, pulling fur out her back and trying to mount her. They are still in the same hutch but now I have to separate them with one on the top and the other on the bottom. She now seems really calm compared to running away all the time.

 

[silverfox]

Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[silverfox]

Just wanted to let you know that Jessica and Sherlock have been separated now since weekend. Her wounds have already started to heal, she has stopped biting her feet and fur looks healthier. Sherlock is sulking a bit but Jessica seems to have calmed down an awful lot. I have also noticed they have stopped eating the hutch and food is lasting longer as they are no longer fighting over who is going to get more.