My new 7-week-old bunny keeps licking and scratching. What's wrong?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for reaching out about Thumper and including a photo. Rabbits are meticulous groomers but mites are often microscopic. If scabs are observed, a veterinary visit is recommended for diagnostics. Good luck.

Hello Ann. Thank you for using Pet Coach. So sorry that Charlie is having this issue. I suggest that you shave the matted areas. Wet the hair first (you can even use a bit of soap) as it will be easier to shave (use an electric clipper). Rabbit is skin is VERY fragile and thin so be gentle or you may cut him. Honestly, it is best to get him to a vet for an exam. He may be licking that area if there is an underlying problem. He may some sort of wound or lesion underlying. Licking of the furniture and other objects can be normal. Sometimes it is just an obsessive disorder. I cannot comment on if he is lacking something as I don't know what diet you are feeding. Just be sure he is on a balanced diet appropriate for adult rabbits - don't forget that hay (timothy is best) should be the main component of his diet. Hope this helps. If you have any further questions feel free to post again. Best wishes.

If his coat is as healthy as it appears in the photo you provided, I would not worry about this behavior at all. Rabbits can get a variety of skin diseases so be on the loom out for any redness, hair loss or flaking of the skin. If you notice any of these issues then there may be something to be concerned about. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see the areas you described, they appear somewhat red and crusty with hair loss. This can be caused by overgrooming (can be from lack of enrichment), a skin infection (bacterial or fungal), and certain skin mites. I recommend gently clipping the fur with an electric clipper to keep it clean and improve your ability to monitor it. You can also apply some silver sulfadiazene (SSD) ointment to the area. If there is no improvement over several days, then your bunny should be seen by a vet to determine the cause. I would also separate her from any other rabbits she may be housed with as fungal infections and skin mites are contagious. I hope this helps!

Hi there. Some possibilities of what may be causing Opie's symptoms would be: 1. Fur mites (microscopic so you will not see them) 2. Lice 3. Fleas 4. Ear mites 5. allergies 6. ringworm 7. bacterial skin infection Many of these things look similar grossly. It is impossible for me to know for sure what it is. I suggest you get Opie to your vet for an exam so you can get him the best treatment depending on what the underlying cause of his symptoms are. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It's very difficult to check for mites, when such an itching problem occurs the first thing that should be done is treating her for a possible mite infestation, i would recommend to take her to the vet ASAP, the treatment is usually by injection and it requires 3 sets of treatment 1 week apart.