Bunny Plucking Fur and Spayed

[carrot-tops]

Hey Everyone! So I have 2 rabbits, both about 5-6 months old, male and female, and entering their adolescent stage. They have been acting up (humping, the regular dominance displays) but they are also both fixed. Yesterday, I noticed my female started plucking her fur everywhere and I looked it up and the internet said this was nesting and could be due to pregnancy or false pregnancy, but it could be solved with spaying. But I was confused because mine is already spayed. So I took her to the vet and she said that even though she is spayed she’s still got the hormones raging inside of her telling her to pluck. However, this isn’t the vet I usually went to and she didn’t see to care for rabbits very well, so I don’t really trust her. I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else has been experiencing this from their rabbit like me or if I should be worried at all. She’s getting bald patches now and at this point I’m completely lost. Please help. 

[DanaNM]

Hi there, the female is pretty young to have already been spayed. How long ago was she spayed? It can take a while for hormones to drain, so if it was recent, she could be going through a hormonal surge.

Also, did you get the rabbits already bonded? I’m just curious as to whether they maybe were together as babies and got along, but now as adults are having issues (which is common).

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[jerseygirl]

Did you take them to be desexed yourself? Or were you told they were already done?

If the latter, you should still be able to see the shorter fur on her belly where it was shaved for the surgery. It takes a long time to grow back.

Are you seeing her pull her own fur? Or just seeing lots of it around?

If she was spayed and is still showing this behaviour, it’s possible her spay was incomplete. Perhaps and ovary was left behind?

It’s odd that you’d be seeing this much hormonal behaviour from both rabbits, if they are both desexed.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Either way, I highly suggest splitting them up and keeping them completely separate at all times. Hormonal bunnies can become aggressive bunnies. And aggressive bunnies can lead to fights and grudges. So keep them separate until you find out for sure whether or not they’ve been fixed, and then going through the bonding process.

[JLH]

I had my bun spayed at exactly 5 months, 1 week before she was spayed she started to pull some of her hair out but not much, her big problem before being spayed was not letting me near her. she was a angry little girl. anyway 2 weeks after being spayed she was back to her normal self with no issues at all. if you don’t trust the vet by all means find a good one, I am very lucky, I have a bunny doctor that is an expert on bunnies, she even has 2 Holland Lops of her own. her office is also only 2 miles from my house, which is a big plus.

[jerseygirl]

Posted By JLH on 1/16/2019 11:15 PM

I had my bun spayed at exactly 5 months, 1 week before she was spayed she started to pull some of her hair out but not much, her big problem before being spayed was not letting me near her. she was a angry little girl. anyway 2 weeks after being spayed she was back to her normal self with no issues at all. if you don’t trust the vet by all means find a good one, I am very lucky, I have a bunny doctor that is an expert on bunnies, she even has 2 Holland Lops of her own. her office is also only 2 miles from my house, which is a big plus.

That’s really interesting!  I always find it surprising that one so young would do that. And a single bun also!! But it happens. 

I have a bunny doctor that is an expert on bunnies, she even has 2 Holland Lops of her own. her office is also only 2 miles from my house, which is a big plus.

It’s always heartening when your vet has their own rabbits. Very convenient that they are so close also.  

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