# Babies have Dandruff??



## BlueCamasRabbitry (Mar 19, 2007)

Ok so the other day i had the babies up at the house and we (me, my sis and my friend) noticed that they have little white specks and there easy to blow off. What could they be? There right when you lift up their ears, the babies are only a week old. We just want to know, could it be dandruff? 





:bunnydance:


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## TinysMom (Mar 19, 2007)

No it is not dandruff. I just read about that last weekend - I'll try to find the information. I never knew that it was a problem till then..

Peg


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## TinysMom (Mar 20, 2007)

WOW - I found it. First of all, this book is_* Raising Rabbits*_ and it was written in 1977....so maybe they've found out more things since then.However...here is what I read - pages 115 & 116.

Nutritional Deficiencies:

Nutritional stresses are harder to correct than those brought on by weather and noise. Inadequacies in the day-to-day diet of the herd can crop up in some of the strangest ways. One of these problems appears to affect only very young rabbits, though the actual deficiency is experienced by the mother doe. The doe herself won't normally show any outward symptoms, except that she may be somewhat thinner than usual.The tiny babies, somewhere between a few days and several weeks old but still relying mainly on the doe's milk for nourishment, develop tiny bumps or pus pockets. These tiny pustules most commonly are noticed on the necks and bellies of the little rabbits. When the babies are a bit older, already furred out, the first indication of any problems may show up in white scaly-looking material around their noses (simular in appearance to dry, flaky dandruff). The fur around the noses may shed, leaving only bare but scaly, snowy white patches on either side of the nostrils.

When this problem appears in young bunnies, the mother doe is carrying a nutrition-deficiency disease germ called Pasturella. This disease is contagious through direct contact between rabbits, so those affected should be isolated. The doe and her litter may be kept together and medicated to correct the problem.

Vitamin therapy on a daily basis is the only cure for this type of Pasturella. Even if the young are still nestlines, not yet eating solid food or drinking water, vitamins given to the doe will benefit the young as well. The vitamins should be administered through the doe's drinking water.

~~~~

That is all it says about this particular type of Pasturella. It goes on to talk about caked breasts in the doe, etc.

The next page talks about Vitamin E being important.

*AS I stated in the beginning, this informationis 30 years old. Perhaps someone can add more updated information!!!


*


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## clarzoo (Mar 20, 2007)

I have noticed this on many litters through the years. I don't believe in my case (and probably yours) that it is the nutritional deficiency mentioned by Peg- though it's important to consider it. 

My theory is that it is either dried milk from the babies being little piggies when they nurse, or possibly just changes their skin and coat go through when it is first growing. 

I've never noticed the flakiness around thier noses like mentioned in that article- it is always behind their ears and neck and goes away as their coat grows out. Seems like I usually see it around day 6 to 14.


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## BlueCamasRabbitry (Mar 20, 2007)

Yeah we just noticed it from day 7 to now. Im going to check today after school. I don't think its Pasturella either.I think it too is flakiness. Well g2g. I write more later! Bye and thanks for all yours advice!


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## pamnock (Mar 21, 2007)

It's very common and normal in babies - just some flaking skin.

Pam


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## JAK Rabbitry (Mar 24, 2007)

Are you sure it might not be mites? They like to hang out on the back of the neck and around the ears where it's warm and it can cause the skin to peel and flake.

-JAK


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## pamnock (Mar 24, 2007)

There's usually no redness, scabbingorirritation with this condition, and it generallyclears uprather rapidly on its own. It is possiblethatitsa form of eczema similar to "cradle cap" in human babies.

Pam


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## Starlight Rabbitry (Mar 24, 2007)

Most of my litters get it. It clears up usually by the time they are two weeks old. Don't worry about it.

Sharon

How are they doing?


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