Help! is he ill?

Question
I havea natherland dwarf rabbit of 1 yr and 5 months, I noticed a big loss of hair on the underneath of his neck well not a hair loss it had scabs and was very rough i was about 6cm long frm his neck and about 5-6 cm wide ( just underneath his neck) he has a clean house and his coat is well kept, I am very worried as the hair loss is quite big and scabby the scabs are red but not that big but some anre a little open I have never experienced this with him before his attitude  hasn't changed he is still as cheeky as ever ! it really upsets me and I am taking him to the vets on Monday the 11th of december at about 4 or 5ish but I would like to hear from you first thanks alot  

Answer
Hi Lauren,

I can't really tell you positively what it is because I can't see him and I'm not a vet.  But I can tell you what it could be.

It could be parasites.  He could have mange or another fungus problem.  He could have fleas.  He could have mites.  He could have a skin infection or some other skin problem.  If he has a collar (I hope he does not, collars can strangle rabbits) he could be chafing against it.  

You say some of the scabs are 'open'.  Not sure what you mean by this, but he may have a botfly problem.  This would be very serious (you can't fix this) and a vet has to surgically remove them if that is the case.  

The only other thing I can think of is that he could be self-immolating himself.  If he feels neglected or getting less attention (maybe your schedule changed and he's getting less time with you) or something, sometimes they do this self-destructive behavior.

Very glad to hear that you already have the vet visit scheduled.  Hopefully he/she is a good rabbit vet, as this will help to quickly determine the cause and prescribe the right treatment for the particular illness.

Write back and let me know how it goes.  Hope it goes well for you both, I'll be praying for your guy.

Lee