Hair loss in rabbits is the same as in other animals. If the hair loss is only seasonal, such as in the spring and summer, there is no need to worry about it. However, if there is a large area of hair loss, or localized hair loss, the situation is more serious and needs to be analyzed as soon as possible to determine what causes the hair loss.
First of all, it may be due to poor nutrition that causes rabbits to lose their hair. Insufficient fiber in the feed, some lack of trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus and especially magnesium and other minerals, or lack of A and B vitamins and lack of sulfur-containing amino acids cause rabbits to shed or eat hair.
Further the probability is that the rabbit’s hair loss is caused by a parasite on the body surface. Scabies causes more hair loss in various parts of the body, with a higher incidence in winter and spring. It is common that rabbits have inflammatory exudate with yellowish color in the affected area, and if infected by bacteria there will be purulent scabs, broken hair, hair loss, hair length and itching often occurs.
There are also skin fungal diseases that can cause hair loss in rabbits. The disease can occur in rabbits of all ages throughout the year, but it occurs mostly in young rabbits. The affected rabbits have white skin flakes surrounded by corn-like protrusions, forming a disc-shaped hair loss. Bacterial diseases cause hair loss in rabbits. Necrotizing bacilli can cause traumatic infections, which can be seen as necrosis, ulcers and abscesses in the oral mucosa, skin and subcutaneous tissue.
For this situation above, if it is due to malnutrition, we can add a small amount of trace elements to the rabbit’s daily food to supplement nutrition and prevent continued hair loss. The problem of parasites is perfectly solved by deworming medicine. However, if the situation is caused by a skin disease, it is best to bring the rabbit to the veterinary hospital for treatment because the parents cannot determine the specific skin disease situation.
