Is my bunny's head hair loss and shedding normal for molting?

Question

My bunny is experiencing a lot of hair loss on his head, and has been shedding all over for about 2 weeks. It’s not balding and seems like there is another coat under it. Last year I was concerned he had walking dandruff because he has white flakes on his ears with little hair, but had never experienced itching & the hair grew back every time. There is also no sores or redness. Does anyone know if this hair loss is common for bunnies when moulting? Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 4 months old | 5.5 lbs

Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM · Accepted Answer

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.

Is my bunny's head hair loss and shedding normal for molting?

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