black spots on Boos face

Question

boos face   I recently noticed some lumps on my rabbit's(Boo) face. They were like tiny tufts of hair not quite ready to come out but were scabbed up at the base with black nastiness. I managed to get most of the tufts to come out a few days ago but now there are a few scabby hairless patches. I saw a vet a coupke weeks ago who said probably nothing. Any thoughts?

Answer
Hello,

Unfortunately without putting my hands on the rabbit or taking a skin sample it is rather hard to tell. Is the rabbit indoor or outdoor? Is he on flea control? What food is he on? It could be nothing more than sebaceous oil, it could be parasites, it could be a skin allergy.

To be safe, I would treat for parasites which wont hurt him even if he is clean. You can use feline advantage for fleas- do NOT use frontline it is toxic to rabbits. Kitten advantage is the recommended dose for any rabbit under 12 lbs.

You should also treat for mites, but dont do both on the same day. I would do flea control first, and then wait a week and do mite treatment so he isnt overwhelmed with chemicals. Mite treatment is ivermectin, .01cc per lbs of body weight, given orally. Do not use horse paste, use the actual liquid ivomec available at feed stores. One dose orally, then repeat the dose in a week to kill any hatching eggs.

If the problem persists after doing these treatments, I would return to the office for a skin scraping.

Make sure he has lots of hay available and keep an eye on his stool and behavior to make sure he is taking the treatments ok.

Keep me posted!