Bald patches?

[ZoeStevens]

My angora has been shedding recently. I have plucked a lot and sheared the rest. He is done from his shoulders to his butt (I do a bit at a time - this is our first molt together). There are a few spots where I plucked more thoroughly and these spots are bald.

ANYWAY. He's at the vet today for his neuter and she called me and said his skin is a bit dry. Can this happen just from the plucking or is he likely to have mites? I didn't notice his skin being dry so it can't be that bad.

 

[LakeCondo]

The 2 things that come to find is to increase the indoor humidity [always a good thing in winter] & to increase the fat & calcium in the diet. Long-haired rabbits need a little more calcium than do other rabbits.

And you might check for mites, but I imagine you would have see evidence when you're removing the hair.

 

[agnesthelion]

I would assume the vet would have found the mites if he had them?

I've learned recently that rabbits molt with different extremes. I experienced this with my mini Rex who just got done molting and boy does he MOLT. Lol. He had a couple patches down to the skin. My lionhead's molts are not nearly as bad. So from what I've learned it just depends on the rabbit. Some molt "bad" some don't. Archie, the bad molter, had a couple patches down to the skin.

So your guys skin being dry might be because he is a bad molter coupled with the dry winter air. I agree with Orlena and maybe increase indoor humidity.

Good luck!

 

[ZoeStevens]

Thanks! The vet gave me crap for the little bald spots... she doesn't believe it to be normal... :\

 

[agnesthelion]

Thanks! The vet gave me crap for the little bald spots... she doesn't believe it to be normal... :\

Really?? Well, it may not be common for every rabbit to molt to the skin but I definitely know it's possible!!!

 

[ldoerr]

I have had MANY rabbits that had bald patches come molt time. It is perfectly normal.

 

[ZoeStevens]

Yep. I am not nuts about this vet. Her textbook knowledge is top notch but periodically she'll come out with a gem like that (she also told me my pellets were too high in protein which the angoras need for all that fur). Ah well, she means well.