Bunny Ear Skinned Open. What What Do I Do?
Kathleen Wilsbach, PhD The skin of rabbits is a window to their general land of wellness. Skin ailments range from irritating to life-threatening. Some are contagious to other species, including humans. Proper handling is immensely rewarding, as it returns our rabbits to their normal state of inquisitive cheerfulness.
Alopecia
Fur loss in rabbits with no other lesions can take many unlike causes, including fur-plucking, barbering, hormonal problems, and previous localized inflammation. Fur-plucking in the neck or dewlap, belly, and leg areas occurs in pregnant females who are close to delivery, to line their nest. Fifty-fifty pseudopregnant females sometimes pluck in that area. Fur-plucking may likewise be seen in cases of nutritional deficiency such every bit when they lack sufficient cobweb in the nutrition. Rabbits who cannot reach the site of an irritation because of arthritis, obesity, or intervening skin folds sometimes chew at their dewlap instead. Simple baldness may result, only oftentimes the skin also appears irritated.
The fur at the nape of the neck is normally thin. Coat density in this area may change with the seasons or with hormonal fluctuations in unspayed females. If the bald spot is limited to the surface area hidden when the rabbit tucks her head back toward her shoulders. If the hair is sparse beyond this spot, information technology is a good idea to have your veterinarian practice an examination.
Barbering, or chewing on the hair, is sometimes seen when rabbits are housed together or with guinea pigs. Rabbits may chew on their own hair or on each other'southward hair. The stress of crowding is likely to intensify the trouble. Barbered areas show patchy pilus loss with broken hairs nowadays (they have been nipped off) without complete baldness.
Occasionally pilus loss tin be seen at the site of a previous bite wound or other injury.and is related to the healing process. Hair should regrow within a few months in these cases unless there was extensive scarring and deep damage to the peel.
Mites in Ears, Fur, or Pare
During normal shedding, the undercoat may come out in clumps, only no flaking should be seen. Patchy fur loss with mild to severe flaking along the rabbit'south back is the hallmark of Cheyletiella parasitovorax, the about common rabbit pare mite. Hairs at the border of the baldheaded spot come out easily in clumps, usually with some coarse flakes of skin fastened. Fur mites may or may not cause itching. Your veterinary may examine a scotch-record preparation or pare scraping under the microscope for the presence of mites, but mites are sometimes difficult to detect. Luckily, mites are usually eradicated with relative ease. Archetype treatment is with injectable or oral ivermectin, given in treatments 2 weeks apart. More recently, Revolution (selamectin) has been used effectively. A kitten dose of Revolution is applied between the shoulder blades and is repeated in one case a month for at least three doses. Revolution is usually dosed at 6mg/kg. If you accept the 60mg/ml solution (ie the kitten solution), use 0.1cc per kg of body weight (1kg = 2.2lb). If you have the 120mg/ml solution, use 0.05cc per kg of torso weight. You'll need a tuberculin syryinge (no needle!) from your vet to measure out such a small quantity of liquid. Apply to the back of the neck or other area where the bunny can't readily groom it off. It is essential to thoroughly clean your rabbit'south muzzle and practice areas after each treatment to control reinfestation, since fur and dander in the environment may comprise mite eggs.
The rabbit ear mite, Psoroptes cuniculi, produces abundant red-brown crusts in the ear canal. The rabbit may shake his caput or scratch at his ears or ane or both ears may droop. This is a very uncomfortable disease. Mites may be seen with the naked eye, moving forth the crusts. If they are not grossly visible they are easily detected via microscopic exam of the crusts and debris from the ear. These mites can also be found on other areas of the skin, most commonly simply to a higher place the tail, where they crusade itching and crusts. Injectable or oral ivermectin has traditionally been the treatment of choice only Revolution, used in the same manner as for Cheyletiella has proven safe and constructive. It is non necessary to clean the ears and remove the crusts which is extremely painful. Once either ivermectin or Revolution and the mites are killed, healing progresses rapidly and the crusts come up out on their own. It is of import as with the fur mites, the clean the rabbit'due south environment afterwards each treatment equally a few mites may exist present in the bedding from time to time.
Fleas
Fleas can cause hair loss, redness, minor crusts, and itching. Advantage (imidacloprid) or Revolution, both used at a kitten dose or true cat dose depensing on the size of the rabbit, applied topically in one case a month accept been used quite successfully. The rabbit'southward surround must also be treated. Environmental handling with insect growth regulators (IGRs) and insecticide sprays has proven safe as long equally the rabbits are removed until the product has stale. Application of borate pulverisation (Fleabusters TM) to rugs is also safe and effective.
A Warning About Baths
Reports accept been received of stupor or death in rabbits post-obit the use of insecticidal dips or baths that are normally considered safety. Products involved take included carbaryl dips, carbaryl shampoo, pyrethrin dips, pyrethrin shampoo followed by carbaryl dip, lime sulfur dips, and even baby shampoo. The wide variety of products involved and the lack of symptoms ordinarily associated with insecticide toxicity propose that the reaction is initiated by the stress of bathing, dipping, or drying, rather than by the chemicals themselves. Overheating, spooky, or liver problems (common in overweight or anorectic rabbits) may be critical factors as well. Rabbits should always be observed subsequently bathroom or dip for signs of shock-pale mucous membranes, astringent depression, or weakness. Firsthand supportive care (warm IV fluids, warmth, corticosteroids, etc.) tin be provided if problems develop. Fatalities sometimes consequence despite prompt treatment.
Chronic Wetness Leads to Problems
If a rabbit'southward skin is chronically exposed to moisture, then baldness, redness, and crusting may develop, and bacterial infection may follow. The source of the moisture may exist the environment (water crocks, leaky water bottle, clammy litter, overgrooming by some other rabbit) or the rabbit'due south own torso fluids (urine leakage, fecal staining, drooling due to dental problems, or centre discharge). Infection by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa sometimes causes a moist dermatitis which shows as a blueish discoloration of the fur. If drinking water is contaminated with Pseudomonas, rigorous disinfection or replacement of h2o containers is essential.
Finding out where the wet is coming from and eliminating the source is the first and most important step toward a cure. Steps may include veterinary treatment for bug like arthritis, bladder problems , or conjunctivitis (see HRJ III, five), or a change in diet to correct obesity (run across HRJ Three, three,4). Rabbits with these problems should not be allowed outdoors because they are at for fly strike.
Daily care of the affected area is necessary and may include clipping, cleansing with chlorhexidine or tamed iodine solution, and applying topical antibiotic/anti-inflammatory pulverization or ointment. Intensive or prolonged use of topical corticosteroids can accept systemic effects and should exist avoided. Systemic antibiotics (based on civilization/sensitivity testing) are needed if there is pus, fever, or languor.
Pododermatitis
Pododermatitis (sore hock) is most usually seen in rabbits housed on wire or other rough, wet, or difficult surfaces, but may occur in rabbits who are never caged. Heavy-bodied breeds (Flemish Giant, Californian), obese rabbits, and those with thin fur on the bottoms of their feet (Rex) are predisposed to this trouble. In uncomplicated cases, providing a soft absorbent resting surface (cotton toweling or artificial fleece are ideal if the rabbit doesn't chew them), cleaning the underside of the foot, and applying a padded wrap for 1-2 weeks volition aid upshot a cure. Topical utilize of Preparation H or Handbag Balm are folk remedies that tin can be effective. Weight reduction tin can be the cardinal to a cure in overweight rabbits. For cases with severe infection or deep ulceration, X-rays to determine if the infection has penetrated into the os, culture/sensitivity testing, and appropriate systemic antibiotics are recommended. Hocks with astringent infection or deep ulceration may exist difficult or impossible to cure. If the infection has penetrated the os and only one pes is infected severely, amputation may be necessary to provide relief from pain.
Ringworm
Ringworm is not a worm merely a fungus that takes its name from the classic raised red circular lesion with a immigration center that can exist a principal symptom. However, crusting, scaling, and baldheaded spots are actually more common symptoms than the cherry-red band. Ringworm nearly unremarkably occurs on the rabbit's head, ears, and face up. Treatment with ProgramTM has been constitute to be quite constructive. Your veterinarian may provide topical treatment (miconazole, clotrimazol) for pocket-size lesions.
Rabbit Syphilis
Treponema cuniculi is a bacteria called a spirochete similar to that which causes syphilis in humans. It causes crusty dermatitis primarily around the rabbit's genitals or nose but in severe cases is tin extend upwards on the confront and around the eyes.. This organism is resistant to most topical treatments just responds well to procaine penicillin G injections. One must take intendance and watch for intestinal upset during this treatment.
Lumps, Bumps, Cancer
Abscesses are the most common skin swellings in rabbits. Because the pus produced by rabbits often has a thick cream cheese-like consistency and is encased in a thick capsule, lancing, draining, and systemic antibiotics often fail to effect a cure. Complete surgical removal of the intact abscess is preferred. There are a wide range of potential treatments for abscesses that are not able to be surgically removed for whatever reason. The most important matter is to get an anaerobic and an aerobic culture prior to whatever treatment to decide what the about advisable antibiotic will exist to give either systemically and/or into the abscess cavity itself. Treatments range from cleaning the abscess and implanting antibody impregnanted beads to leaving it open and packing and/or flushing with a variety of medications. It is best to consult your veterinarian to determine what is the nearly appropriate regime of treatment for your individual rabbit.
The most common cause of lumps and bumps on rabbits are warts, caused by a papilloma virus and beneficial growths such as fatty tumors (lipomas). Malignant skin cancers are not common in the rabbit, but exercise occur and are about often a metastasis of another cancer, most noteably uterine cancer. Any unusual growths on the skin should be watched for modify in size, shape, or colour and should be evaluated by a veterinarian. If a skin mass is removed, information technology is a skillful idea to have your veterinarian transport it out for pathology and so it can exist identified and whatsoever further treatment tin be instituted if necessary.
The skin ailments mentioned here are non all-inclusive. Abode remedies are typically ineffectual and may pb to complications or fifty-fifty death. It is ever best to consult your veterinary rather than attempting home diagnosis and treatment
Source: https://rabbit.org/journal/4-9/skin.html
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