HELP!!!

[Elena Niznik]

I’ve had Boo just over a month and we have finally fully bonded so I felt comfortable leaving him overnight out of his cage. When i came in to the livingroom in the morning I found huge clumps  of hair. Particularly under the sofa where he likes to sit and in his cardboard play box. He had also urinated outside his litter box on the carpet.

I checked him over and there are no bauld spots and no areas of noticebly thinner hair. One set of hair was clumped together and elonagte kind of like an owl pellet where as the other one was fluffy and spread out. I have attached pictures of the clumps.

He is acting normal running round at super speed, eating normally and his poos are regular both in shape and frequency. There are no signs of blood,food,hay or poop in the clumps and the clumps are dry. I have been watching him and he isnt pulling his hair out and he isnt scratching.  There are no signs of fleas or mites. Could it be that he is just having a heavy molt?? But the clumps are large and there is no other hair anywhere else in the room. Also when I brush him (usually once a day) he doesnt lose copious amounts of hair.  Has he just had an all over body shed overnight??

Also I am in the middle of changing his diet as he is a selective feeder I have been following the advice of the HRS and i am currently mixing 25% new to 75% old over the past week and a half.

Please any advice would be great I have booked him into the vets tomorrow morning.

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[BinkyBunny]

So this might be a silly question, but did the vet yet for sure determine that Boo is a male?  The only reason I ask, is these clumps of hair remind me of nesting behavior of females.   They will pull out the fur underneath their chin.  

If he is for sure a male, then I am baffled.  Some bunnies do have a sort of explosion molt, but usually it doesn’t clear up in one night.  More like over a few days if it’s quick.

It COULD have been that something scared him last night, and when bunnies get frightened, their body does shed immediately.  It’s a way of protection. By being able to release their hair, they can possibly release their predators grasp. .

So, if something really scared him like moving curtain or a sound, (snoring) JK!  Then maybe he freaked which would have made hair loosen up a bit . It doesn’t project out all by itself or anything, but once he settled down, and/or grooms himself etc, the hair rubbed off where he was chillin’

Obviously, I have no idea if that happened, but I really can’t figure out how two clumps of fur would have just appeared on their own. It’s not like he knows how to knit a sweater or anything.

Boy, what a hay day he had last night during his freedom fest!

[Gravehearted]

yes – it sounds like a false preganacy to me as well, which aren’t uncommon with unspayed females. I have heard of some bunnies shedding in a huge amount all at once, but it’s pretty unusual, particularly since you’re brushing so regularly.  I’d likely keep the vet appointment and even if it turns out to be nothing of concern, it’s always good to have a new bunny visit the vet. Hope everything will be ok!

[Elena Niznik]

Been to the vet and the opinion his  Boo is definately a male. Although I may get a second opinion because when I first saw the hair I myself did think “holy crap he’s a girl and pregnant”.  He also hasn’t been neutered. If he is a boy… No idea why his fur came off like that he is a netherland dwarf so his hair is not long must just be one of those weird bunny mysteries or like u said binky he might have gotten a fright. Or he could think he is a pregnant female haha he is a bit bonkers. Just hope it doesn’t happen again because I got quite a fright. Thanks for the help.

[Gravehearted]

well… I heard about a bunny they were sure was a girl, until they went in to do the spay and discovered it was a boy… now this was an very experienced rabbit vet too! So, maybe it could be the other way – esp since he’s a dwarf and his anatomy is so small? Well, I sure hope he doesn’t pull any more super sheds like like again, I would have been freaked too.

[Elena Niznik]

Thank you gravehearted I am Just back from the second vet and his opinion is Boo is a girl however her genitals are a bit on the large side for a girl making him think she has a bit of both. He couldn’t feel any babies thankfully. I am however a bit worried the shelter told me she was a boy and therefore she had been in with other male rabbits so there is a chance she could still be pregnant. Am I right in saying that gestation in bunnies is about 9 weeks? Also if she does have both male and female genitalia I dnt think I can have her neutered/spayed.

[Theresa Moan]

Rabbits gestational periods are around 30 days, give or take a day or two.

On a side note, my first bunny, Bobo, we thought was a boy. Good thing we picked a unisex name b/c when we got her fixed she turned out to be a girl. Your bunny Boo reminded me of that given the name.

[BinkyBunny]

If Boo is a hermaphrodite, it can be challenging, but depending on the what she’s got, and how it’s all laid out, some vets can spay & neuter. Obviously, this will be something you will want to discuss further with your vet.

[Elena Niznik]

HI Guys good news Boo is not pregnant. She has been checked over again and the verdict is she is female, she has all her nipples and her girly bits appear normal they are just on the large side for a dwarf. I am currently making arrangements to get her spayed.
She has been out of control the past couple of days first it was the false pregnancy with her making a nest, now she is constantly circuling and making loud frantic oinking noises. She occasionally used to do this when she new she was getting a raisin.
I’m terrified that i stand on her, she circles until she is absolutely knackered and pants alot and becomes distressed and aggressive when i dnt pay her attention. Could it just be that she is on heat?? she is showing submissive postures when i do eventually pet her.

She is constantly urinating herself with excitement and whilst this behaviour is somewhat cute i find it distressing as she cries alot when you stop petting her and follows you everywhere. Any suggestions would help greatly. I’m definately going to get her spayed

[Anita Stark]

Phew, I’m glad things have been figured out. I don’t have experiece with bunnies in heat but I know when our cat started we couldn’t get her spayed soon enough for the poor thing. Hope you can get her taken care of soon. I know someone else will be along with advice for you. I just wanted to send best wishes for her.

[Theresa Moan]

Hi-
The behavior seems to be driven hormonally. Once you get her spayed and she recovers, that behavior should die down and eventually stop. Circling and honking are mating behaviors, and she is telling you that she loves you. Bobo did the same thing to my boyfriend (including humping his arm!!) So of course we went to spay her after that. All the bunnies we’ve acquired in the future were already fixed adults, so that we wouldn’t have to *deal* with that again, but that’s just us

[Faye Perry]

Hi

Just wanted to let you know that my last bunny did exactly the same thing. (although we already knew she was a girl) When she first started ‘nesting’ we saw her face looked different but couldn’t work out why – on closer inspection she had a mouth FULL of fur- we just saw these few tufts sticking out!!! We watched her and saw that she kept going to the same spot (under a chair where she couldn’t be seen) and would come out with a normal sized face.  Then we went to look under the chair and found a huge pile of fur, just like your photo. 

She LOVED my husband, and would follow him around honking loudly.  If he sat or lay on the floor she would first start licking him frantically, then try to hump his arm!  It was cute at first but it wasn’t fair to either (i think husband felt harrassed by so many women!!) so we booked her in to be spayed and it all died down.

Missy never urinated during this ‘love affair’ but on occasion when she was taken over by lust she would release an ‘odur’ which was very distinct!  not completely sure what it was – but then again i’m not sure i want to!

Anyway good luck with your ‘girl’ bunny x

Boo is a great name for a girl (I chose it for my girl too) :o)

[Elena Niznik]

Hi Bunnybabe, Boo follows me about like your husband she doesnt seem to hump my arm though, she did pee pee on my head yesterday when I was reading the news paper on the floor ( I Hope it was pee pee and not something else) . I had to sleep in the livingroom with her because she cries when I leave her so the sooner I can get her spayed the better cos it isnt fair on her. I cant belive the shelter I got her from didnt notice this behaviour. I’m quite stressed out because I start my first proper job on monday and Im dying thinking about leaving her.

When you got your little bunny fixed did her personality change much ??

[Faye Perry]

oh no peeing on your heads not good, well not unless thats the look your going for! :o)

When Missy was ‘done’ the lusty behavior stopped, she stopped being aggressive and she calmed down a lot too, we didn’t have her done until she was almost a year old tho, so some of that may of been an age thing?  She was still a tinker, and continued to chew occasionally – espeacially wallpaper and my wooden chest!  But all in all she was still the same bunny, but without the attitude!

My two new bunnies- Mable and Booboo -were spayed 3 weeks ago and they’ve retainted there personalities too! so i don’t think it changes them. It took Missy longer to get over the op than it did the other two buggers! Just make sure that you have a supply of ‘her’ fave things to eat after the op, in case she refuses to eat.. Missy did and we got a little concerned, but a trip out to get her fave carrot tops did the trick, and after a couple of days she was back to her normal ‘pre-attitude’ self.

It would distress me to hear my bun’s crying so i’d see about getting Boo ‘done’ as soon as you can, it sounds like it would be a relief for you both. xx

[BinkyBunny]

When you say cries…what is she sounding like?  I mean I know crying…but is it loud?  Is she screaming? Or is it whimpering? 

I think between her pseudo pregnancy, and her hormones getting wacky, she is still wanting to mate even thought her body believes she’s pregnant. 

For now, you may be able to use a substitute to comfort her.  Take an old shirt, wear it around, or wear it to bed, so it will have your scent on it, then stuff it with something soft and tie off the ends of the shirt.    Keep that with her.   Maybe that will help.

So I just want to clarify – so the vet said she was female only?  Not both male and female? 

The urinating is typical of MALES as they can pee on their prospective mate as they get excited.   But I haven’t heard it as something normal for females.  Though, your description of how excited she is, I can see where this could happen.    I just want to make sure it’s not some sort of other problem that is going on, that she doesn’t have some sort of illness that is made worse with her excitement.

Also, any bunny will mark territory or claim things by peeing on them. So she may have been just claiming your head.  Lucky you.  

This will die down once she gets spayed.

[Elena Niznik]

HI BInky,
It’s not a screaming noise, its not high pitched but its not a honk either. She only does it when i stop petting her or when i come in from being away for a while. Its kind of like a soft lower pitch dog cry ( if that makes sense) she does it as she shoves her head under my hand or foot so that i’ll pet her.

I found a really good vet who specialises in rabbits, he reckons that she is infact female and that her genitals are just a bit large, i suppose we wont know for sure until she is spayed. She Is booked in for blood work to be done in 2 weeks time (she is an older bunny)

As for the peeing It could be that she is just uber excited, it doesnt smell funny and it just ressembles normal rabbit pee pee. Either way the sooner she gets spayed the better. Thanks for the help.

[Elena Niznik]

Hi guys thanks for all your help. Boo! is booked in for her spay on tuesday morning there was a cancellation and she had her blood tests earlier today. I think I have found the perfect vet and I’m more than happy with the advice i have been given but i still cant help but worry. I’ll let you all know. I hope that all of you who have been having your lovely buns spayed and neutered recently are all ok and that your buns are ok too. again thanks for the help x

[BinkyBunny]

I know it’s impossible to worry.   It really is the best, especially since unaltered females have such a high rate of cancer of their reproductive organs.  

It’s great that your vet did blood work.  I can’t remember, but is your bunny older than 2 years?   Either way, that does help make sure that there is nothing for them to worry about that could cause problems, so it sounds like you have vet who knows what s/he’s doing.

As the surgery gets closer, I’ll be sure to remind everyone so we can send our best wishes for you and BOO.  

 

[Elena Niznik]

yeah Boo is older than two the shelter wasnt 100% sure but they reckon that this is the case,

i’m really pleased with the vet that I have found she has 7 rabbits of her own so she is prettty well clued up, thanks so much for your support this site has been a saviour.

[Gravehearted]

I hope the spay goes well! *Sending Boo good thoughts*

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