Is my rabbit sick? Should I be worried?

[Coconut001]

Hi everyone! I just got a rabbit and after a week he developed this white/yellowish crusty appearance over his nose and mouth (now it is improving). Fur was also falling off easily. Yesterday I also noticed that fur was not present on a part of his front paw.

Otherwise, he plays, eats, drinks and poos normally. He is currently around 6 weeks old.

What do you think it is please? Is it a parasitic infection or allergic reaction?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tina

 

[JBun]

Most likely it's either rabbit syphilis or fungal dermatitis. Both are usually easily curable with the right medication. Treatment for rabbit syphilis is penicillin g procaine/benzathine injections(injection only, never orally), 40,000-60,000UI/kg SC, once every 5-7 days, for 3 weeks. Fungal dermatitis would be treated with a rabbit safe antifungal.

By the look of your photo and if it is affecting his paw as well, I would suspect this is most likely fungal dermatitis. Rabbit syphilis usually only affects the genitals, eyes, mouth, and nose, and has a different look to the lesions on the skin. Treatment information for both are in the links below.

But if it does end up being rabbit syphilis, a few tips when giving injectable pen g. A high fiber grass hay diet, no sugary/high carb treats, providing a good rabbit probiotic like fibreplex, and making sure to thoroughly clean off any spillage on the fur at the injection site, can help prevent antibiotic induced diarrhea, which is usually fatal in rabbits if it occurs.

If you have access to a knowledgeable rabbit vet in your country, I would book an appointment with them right away. If you don't have any rabbit vets, maybe a local vet could phone one to consult with.

Medirabbit: rabbit syphilis

Medirabbit: atypical rabbit syphilis

Medirabbit: fungal dermatitis

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
https://rabbit.org/italian-veterinary-listings/

 

[Coconut001]

Will do. Thank you so much!