Bald Spot.

Question
I have a rabbit with a personality all his own. I'm not sure what breed he is. I bought him at a pet store in north carolina 2 years ago as a pet for "my son". I left the naming up to my son. He named him stinky because if his cage is not cleaned out every day it gets stinky. Stinky is very loveable and loves to be rubbed and petted. He is very particular about his food and if he doesn't get his carrot every night he will "gently" remind you that he needs it. He recently molted and I took great care in making sure he was brushed daily to reduce his ingestion of fur. it's been about a month now and I just noticed he has a pink bald spot on his chest that looks like there is fur starting to grow back. I'm not sure how long it's been that way. he lays flat and stretches out when he is petted. He is Eating great and drinking lots of water. And he is in great spirits. I have noticed an increase in his BM's and in the amount of urine since the molt. The only thing that I've been doing different is I started adding Bi-Odor to his water following the directions for dosage and I put Arm & Hammer litter deoderizer to his litter pan (which he has no contact with). Is it something I'm doing or is he just over grooming in that spot?

Answer
Dear Sharon,

The best way to control odor is to make sure the litterbox filling is absorbing things properly. We use pelleted sawdust litter, and there is NO odor!  It's incredible!  And it lasts a very long time.  You can get expensive versions at pet stores such as Feline Pine, but we use wood stove pellets (available at Home Depot in northern states) or horse wood pellet bedding.  You will not believe how well it works!

Also, if bun is not spayed/neutered, the smell will be stronger. Please see:

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

The bald spot might just be from shedding, or it could be s sign of a problem:

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

Keep an eye on it, and if the fur doesn't grow back, it could be a ringworm fungus.  But if it's on his chest or chin, it's more likely a sign that he may have molar spurs making him drool a bit, and this will land on the spot under his chin and burn the skin, making the fur fall out.  Please read:

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

and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can do a complete oral exam on your bunny to make sure his molars are not causing the problem.

Hope that helps!

Dana