I’ve been brushing my rabbit (around 4 years old) as he’s started to shed, however found the hair was coming out more quickly by gently plucking than using the brush. This caused him no visible distress. I began to uncover a couple of small bald patches on his face and neck, some appear as though a new coat is about to grow with some pigmentation in the skin however others appear more pink. Near his bum lots of hair was coming out and it seems like a very very large bald patch, however on his back it seems as though a new coat is growing. I stopped plucking/deshedding him due to these bald patches and wondered what I should do.
He’s very recently (last week) been for a health check up and they said he’s been healthy and gained a small bit of weight (in a healthy way), however I’ve had previous experiences where a different vet has failed to identify mites on my late guinea pigs in a health check in which the following day a groomer pointed out they were infested. I feel hesitant to take him to the vets and spend so much money when it could be a simple fix with a lice treatment and he has just been so recently and declared ‘healthy’ by them and just having paid for a health check appointment.
I’ve researched and it seems as though rabbits are supposed to lose their full coats twice a year. I don’t think he’s every properly shed, and he was quite neglected by his previous owner, receiving no grooming at all for the first 3 years of his life and no veggies/ pellets with poor quality hay in a cage way too small for him. I wonder if the bald patches are a result of the prior malnourishment or mites due to the small red bumps near his bum on the large bald patches? He seems to be absolutely fine and other than this has normal behaviour, appetite and poos. I wonder if I should continue to deshed him, leave the bald patches to see if they grow or buy a lice treatment.
I’ve had him for about a year now, and brushed him when he shed last year however I don’t think his whole coat has ever fully come off. This year I noticed parts of his coat seem slightly crimped and very easily come out, and his long outer coat feels very dry and unhealthy compared to the new hair growing in. The old coat seems brown/greyish and like it all wants to come out whereas his new coat seems black, glossy and a lot softer. His skin now doesn’t appear to be flaky however i’ve noticed these red bumps in his bald spots.
I was wondering on any advice?
by ofwgfk
