hurting herself???

Question
QUESTION: Hi i have a 1 1/2 yr old dwarf rabbit.. she has been pulling the hair from her neck area.. shes NOT pregnant.. I know thers the possibility of it being a "phantom" pregnancy. but i checked her today and it looked like she is now biting through her own skin!!.. it looked gross.. is this normal? if no what can this be? Ive checked for mites.. but i see nothing... nothing in her ears on her belly nowhere..  im getting worried just because it looks gross..  please help me...


ANSWER: Dear Stephanie,

Is this area just under her chin?  If so, I would suspect that she has molar spurs making her drool caustic saliva onto her chin and chest.  This will burn the skin and cause her to tear it out, making the problem worse.

You'll need to get her to a good, experienced bunny vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for a complete oral exam, including the molars, which may need to be filed smooth.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

Dwarf breeds, with their short faces, are especially prone to molar spurs and the resulting drooling and skin burning.  

It's also possible that she's doing this partly as a result of a false pregnancy.  It's a good idea when you bring her to the vet for her molar check to have a general wellness exam done and to schedule a time to have her spayed.  The longer she keeps her uterus, the longer she suffers the very high risk of uterine cancer, which is very common in unspayed/unbred female rabbits.  Please read:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

Hope this helps!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: HI thanks for your info.. Yes it is just under her chin..
is there anything I can do for her in the mean time till I can get her to a vet? they don't have an opening for me till Friday afternoon!!

Answer
Dear Stephanie,

To keep her comfortable until the vet can see her, gently wash the area with a warm, moist washcloth (plain water only) until the saliva is off, and then carefully blow the area dry with a blow dryer on low/medium so you don't burn the skin any further.

A bit of triple-antibiotic ointment (no topical anesthetic!) will help soothe the skin.  Calendula ointment/cream is also good.

I hope this helps!

Dana