Fur

Question
My fuzzy lop is losing his fur in big patches. One of the patches the fur isn't growing back and it has been at least two weeks. the skin is starting to flake a little an I am wondering if it could be his diet or something like that.

Answer
Hi Lexi,

Fuzzy lops are difficult to say the least.  When they molt it can be anything from loosing a few hairs to becoming completely bald.  Generally when they grow into their coat they will have huge bald patches behind their ears.  Some of them have a tendency to get flaky skin because of the oils in their long hair.  The big issue is that unless you are completely familiar with the rabbits molting patterns that it could be anything from diet to fur mites.  I would recommend taking the bunny to a rabbit savvy vet for an exam.  At the very least it will give you peace of mind and if it is something like mites or diet it should be fairly easy to correct.

I would recommend that you read the following article about fur loss:

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


Unfortunately without seeing the bunny I cant really give you an opinion.  However as an owner of over 50 fuzzies I can certainly understand your concern.  When I first started raising them about 5 years ago the first time I saw flakes and baldness I immediately to the vet. Over time I learned how to tell the difference between a normal molt and dietary or mite issues.

Good luck and I do hope you get to the bottom of it.

Pam