Gummy hair loss on face

[LauraDod]

Hello. This is my first post and I am hoping that you all might be able to offer advice.
I went out to check on my rabbits (Holland Lops) this morning and noticed that my buck had a bald spot on his muzzle. When I looked more closely, it was wet and a bit gummy and the missing hair was matted and came right off his face.

Eyes, nose, teeth all look good. No other hair loss on his body. Good appetite. When we went back out to take pictures, the gummy-ness was gone.

I have looked everywhere I can think to online and can't seem to find a good answer. The closest I have found are wet face/water bottle problems and mites.

Any ideas? Have you experienced this? I have attached two pictures.

 

[Watermelons]

Very likely could be mites. Ringworm. Other topical issues.
Is he within reach of other rabbits?? Anything he could have caught it on? Semi infected wounds or varying stages of scabs can be "gummy" looking.
Can you get a better or more clear close up photo?

 

[Preitler]

Any chance he likes lounging under a dripping water bottle, or something? I would first think of a fungal infection, but that is just a guess.

 

[LauraDod]

Thank you, these are helpful. I actually have been wondering about him lying under the water bottle - seems odd, but he does do that sometimes. I have moved the water bottle lower.

Am thinking mites. Will try to get a better picture today. Thank you again!

 

[Maureen Las]

You probably could treat for mites and see if it clears up , but if it was me I would go to a vet and get a skin scraping. We recently have had issues with our very elderly dog getting ringworm ( vet thinks it is lowered immune system from age) . Ringworm attacks the shafts of the hair and destroys them so we picked a huge piece of hair off our dog which was gray and flakey underneath leaving a lesion .
Ringworm doesn't present in a rabbit as clearly as it does in other mammals . It isn't necessarily a round circular ring. I don't think that a dripping water bottle could cause hair loss but it is an ideal situation for the growth of a fungus.

 

[edwinf8936]

It almost looks like skin is missing. has he been bitten by another of your rabbits?
Thumper needs a trip to the vet.

 

[Preitler]

Or is another rabbit nearby, or something else he would like to reach, behaind cage wire or a slot? That reminds me of a rabbit who repeatedly stuck his nose through cage wire and scraped his fur off in a similiar fashion. It had this straight line on top of the bald spot too that marked how far he could get his nose in.

 

[Preitler]

Hm, thinking about it, no, that fur loss was gradually and dry.

(Awfully short time to edit here...)

 

[missyscove]

(Awfully short time to edit here...)

We've had problems in the past with people editing their post mid-debate and turning things into a bit of a he-said she-said fiasco.

I agree things to consider would be infectious (fungal, bacterial or parasitic) and/or traumatic, perhaps from contact with another rabbit.

Your vet should be able to help you sort this out.

 

[LauraDod]

Been to the vet, yes it was mites. We started treatment and he is looking better already. Thank you again for the very helpful replies.