Why is my rabbit losing fur on her stomach and legs? What to do?

If he was having a lot of nasal discharge that drained around his nose this can explain the hair loss there. Typically the discharge can also land on the front legs and irritate the skin there too. Of course other possibilities such as mites and skin infections are also possible. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by a veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for caring for this bunny and for using Pet Coach.

With the majority of the changes to the skin occurring around the back legs, this could have started with some kind of a urinary issue. Urine that gets onto the skin can be very irritating, can smell badly, and the hair can fall out. You didn't mention what the skin under the fur looked like, but often the skin can become painful, red, and infected. I would recommend that you take Willie in for evaluation by a veterinarian. They can evaluate the skin and may take a few samples to evaluate under the microscope. If your veterinarian suspects that there may be a urinary issue, they may recommend collecting a urine sample to evaluate (a urinalysis), and blood work to evaluate systemic health. Depending on the veterinary clinic, they may also be able to bathe Willie for you, as this can be stressful for rabbits. Please don't give Willie any human medications, or apply any medications to his skin, as these can be harmful for our rabbit friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck!

This could be due to Cheyletiella parasitovorax, a rabbit skin mite. It's characterized by by patchy fur loss with flaking on the back of a rabbit. I'd have Rueben seen by a vet to have this diagnosed and treated.

It can be completely normal for a rabbit to shed. Sometimes they will shed larger amounts when scared or stressed. They can also lose fur with skin infections or mite infestations. If Bunny Boo’s skin is nice and pink and appears healthy, then she is probably having a normal amount of shedding. If her skin seems overly dry, crusty, or flakey, this could indicate a problem. You also want to watch closely to make sure there are no additional areas of baldness like around the ear. If Bunny Boo is exhibiting any of the symptoms described above, I would recommend taking her in to the vet to be checked out. She may need medication for a skin infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It definitely sounds like something serious is going on with Bun Bun. If his appetite is still good and his stools are normal but he is losing weight I would be concerned with either intestinal parasites or cancer causing him to get a lack of nutrients. This would explain the hairloss as well. I would recommend taking Bun Bun to your veterinarian to be examined. Your vetnwill most likely want to run some blood work and possibly do X-rays as well. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A change in weather can cause increased shedding. Other causes include parasites, infection or stress. If the shedding persists and results in bald patches, have Fluffy examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits. Any treatment will depend on the diagnosis. In the meantime, clean the cage and provide fresh bedding. Make sure she isn't too hot or too cold. Look her over for redness, sores or dry skin.

Thanks for your question about Autumn, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. Rabbits can be quite varied in the way that they molt, and this may be a variation in Autumn's molt. There is also an infectious agent that can result in areas that look similar to what is occurring on Autumn's head. It is a fungal organism called dermatophytosis, or ring worm. There can be no redness, and no itching. Occasionally there is flaking like you mentioned, and often it can resolve and recur in cycles, similar to what you are describing happened to Autumn. Unfortunately, ring worm is zoonotic, which means that it can be passed from animals to humans. My recommendation would be to take Autumn to a veterinarian for evaluation. They can take samples of the hairs on Autumn's head and perform a fungal culture on them. They can also perform a thorough physical examination on Autumn to ensure that they don't find any abnormalities - the reason I bring this part up is that typically ringworm should not affect healthy individuals with a competent immune system. Until you can get Autumn to a veterinarian, I would recommend washing your hands after handling him. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Autumn the best.