Barbering?! Bunny PJ’s?

[Erbear]

So, Radar bit Josefina.  It tore out a chunk of fur but that made me look closer, I found a hard patch and freaked out.  I took her to the vet, they shaved Jo and told me it was an abcess.  She was put on antibiotics and a pain med.  They gave her a ‘cone’ to keep her from cleaning the area.  They also told me that she needs to have time where she’s not wearing the cone each day so she can eat some of her cecals and just clean and be normal.  All her meds have gone through the course and she is looking so much better in the area where the abcess was but we have a problem.

Even with the ‘cone’ on, she has time out of it which means that all she does is clean herself.  She’s been pulling out chunks of fur and generally making a larger bald spot.  the original spot has started growing in but she other areas are getting bigger.  She also has figured out how to get out of the cone at night.  So it slows her down but does not stop her. 

I’m wondering two things:

1. Is this a common thing for a rabbit to do, go though a stressful time and cope by tearing out fur? (barbering right?)

2. Should I get her doggie PJs to slow her down even more?  The cone and PJs? 

 

My BF thinks that we should just shave her and have her start from scratch….. (kidding of course)

Other than that she’s doing very well and the original problem area is totally fine, she doesn’t have a raised temp anymore either! YAY! Much to Radar’s dismay, she may have saved Josefina’s life.  Also, a bunny that tries to binky with a cone on is HILARIOUS! I try not to laugh at her misfortune but   WW!

[MimzMum]

Pip tends to pull fur from directly under her chin when she’s stressed, This can be anything from the wrong kind of hay (causing an itchy reflex) to not getting enough time out in her xpen. She’s very claustrophobic. And that’s how she deals with it. It looks ugly as heck, but when I see it I know I need to let her out more, or more carefully watch what she’s eating.

A bunny with a cone. 0_o Oh poor thing! Hopefully the fur will start growing back soon.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Awww I don’t know anything about this but I know a few people have experienced it, they should be able to help out! {{ VIBES }}

[Beka27]

i also have no experience with this, but how amazing that you were able to find it like that. good job Radar! have you asked the vet about her getting out?

[Erbear]

I fixed the way that she was getting out of the cone if that’s what you mean but I’m still worried about it getting chapped and being cold. She was rubbing the cone on her litter box until both ears flipped backwards under it then pulling backwards. I pulled out that litter box and put in a different one without the stuff she was using to get the cone caught.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Can you wrap something around the edge of the collar that goes around her neck like some sticky foam weather stripping? Perhaps the discomfort from it is causing her some pain and so she is tearing out fur, but that also could be from the stress as well.

[Erbear]

It’s got a squishy foam edge on it. She actully does well with the collar itself. I wish that I could leave it on all the time but she needs to eat her cecals at least half the time they come.

I talked to her vet and she suggested leaving the collar off for a couple days to see what Jo does. If she continues to tear out fur then it’s back with the collar to protect her and we’ll figure something out. But **cross your fingers** if she stops then it’s the collar and stress from all the medicine and extra fuss that I’ve been giving her that’s got her tearing her hair out.

Who knew rabbits could be so complicated? I think that instead of going to school for a masters in ornithology that I should probably just write a paper on all that I’ve learned about them and be done with it.

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