Skin and hair condition

Question
Hi,#

I have a very large black rabbit with long hair.which is recently been getting danndruff flakes on his skin which is now resulting in his hair going white and fallening out and standing on end!!!he also has very runny poo at the moment please could you adviseif there is anything we ccan do to help him.  

Answer
Hi Natalie,

That could be a couple of different conditions...or it could be a single issue.  When I hear of skin issues, losing hair and having a gut problem....my first thought is intestinal parasites.  We have a rabbit that presented with those very same conditions several years ago.  This was a time when finding a good rabbit savvy vet was even tougher than it is today...so it was difficult.  We went to a new vet and she performed a "fecal float"  Basically we looked at the feces under a microscope.  We did find parasites, treated appropriately and the problem resolved.

I would also examine your feeding protocols closely.  Improper diet can also cause this.  Domestic rabbits' diet should be umlimited high quality grass hays...along with limited high quality pellets and greens.  We have seen some nutritional issues cause these conditions....especially the upset digestive system.  Look closely at what you are feeding this rabbit.

We have some flaky buns when the weather gets cold and the humidity drops...and it seems to affect the long haired breeds more than the other....and our Angoras seem really prone.  We use a cool mist humidifier to increase the humidity.

I would like to get a little more info from you.  Let me know precisely what you are feeding him and in what amounts.  And, not trying to be gross here, but does his poops smell more strongly than normal?  That is anothe sign of either an out of balance diet or intestinal parasite...or both.  I will be checking e-mail often thru the night looking for your response.

Randy