victoriabunny Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 My boy bunny Albert seems stuck in a permanent moult and I'm wondering if he needs to go to the vet or not. He is a mini-lop, a gorgeous blue otter colour, but is always shedding fur - if I have a cuddle with him, I'm covered! It's particularly bad from his lower back and rump - you can see fur hanging off him in chunks and can pull it out in clumps very easily. This does cause the odd bald patch but new fur grows within a couple of days. He hasn't got any scurf or dandruff, doesn't scratch and seems perfectly happy. His coat is unusually thick and shaggy (much more so than his albino sister, who is looking lovely and sleek at the moment) so I'm wondering if he's just losing his winter coat and getting his summer one - but he's been like this for quite a few weeks now. What do you reckon, bunny lovers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelicano Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 My bunnies are moulting a lot at the moment, and it does come off in chunks, but bald patches aren't right, I don't think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 They're only small, and don't stay bald for long - literally the day after the fur starts to grow back. I don't know - everything I can find in the books says that if he had mites or a skin infection he'd be scratching and have dandruff, which he doesn't have - and surely an infection would be contagious and his sister would be in the same condition? She's as beautiful as ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelicano Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I don't think mites are always contagious (certainly not in guinea pigs or mice), as I've had individual mice and guinea pigs with mites, where their cage partners were clear. You'd probably see signs of irritation on the skin though, as you say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyaholic Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 My bunny Tallullah is a mini lop with a very thick coat and she moults all the time! but it is particularly bad at the mo as shes losing her winter coat and like you said it does tend to come out in clumps - but I haven't noticed any bald patches. I'd recommend giving him a good brush every so often if you can as my bunnies quite like it and it prevents them ingesting to much fur as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...