Rabbit hair

Question
My daughters rabbit it losing a lot of hair now-which I guess is molting according to what I read on the internet but some of the skin has little red dots on it like an irritation of some sort--any ideas?
thanks

Answer
Hi Deb

It is molting season you are correct about that however if there are complete bald patches with red spots I would be highly concerned that the bunny either has flea's or fur mites.  The little red dots sound like flea bites but it is impossible for me to tell without seeing them.  Generally if a rabbit has flea's you can see them.  If they have mites you can't see them.

The best thing to do is to take her to the vet for an examination.  They can look at the skin with magnified glasses and check for mite infestations.  If there is mites or fleas they will most likely give the rabbit some Revolution (selemectin)  They will give it a few drops on the back of the neck.

Some people give the Revolution themselves but the problem is that without knowing for sure if there is a problem it should never be given.  Basically if you give it prophylactically the rabbit can build up a resistance.  I can't really tell you what to do but I can STRONGLY suggest that you take the rabbit to the vet.  If you need help finding a vet you can try this site
http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

Whatever you do don't use any over the counter flea medication or that spray that you see in pet stores that has a rabbit picture on the bottle.  It says it is safe for rabbits but it has caused toxic reactions and can cause bunnies to have neurological problems and die.  

This web site was written by Ms. Dana Krempels.  She has pictures and explains fur loss in more detail.

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

I hope that your bunny is ok and if you need anything else please let me know.

Sincerely,

Pam