Over Grooming

[Brittay]

I have a strange situation & was hoping maybe someone else  has had this happen - 

I have a 7 year old male bunny who, in the last few months, has started over grooming his hind legs. I didn’t really noticed an increase in grooming (he’s always cleaned a TON), but his fur on his hind legs and down the front of his hind legs started to seem crunchy, so I took him to his vet.

She thought perhaps, given his age, he had the beginning of some arthritis and sent me home with a week’s worth of pain medicine. In that week’s time I was to watch him to see if his cleaning decreased. Like I said, he’s always cleaned a TON, so when a week went by and nothing really seemed different she discontinued the use of the pain medicine. She’s decided, because he is acting completely normally, to give him a few weeks to see if perhaps it’s a mating thing and he’ll just stop after a bit of time on his own. Ideally, that would be great, but I’m also trying to be realistic.

Nothing in his environment has changed. No new toys, housing supplies, cleaners, foods, friends – nothing is different.

She also mentioned that perhaps it’s emotional/psychological.

Has anyone experienced this with any of their rabbits? I’m just really curious. I hate not understanding what’s going on with this little guy. I just want to help him.

Thanks so much in advance!!! 

[Sarita]

Has she done any x-rays, bloodwork or any other diagnostics?

[Brittay]

She stopped the pain medicine and is going to give it 4 weeks (provided it gets no worse and he continues to act entirely normal) to see if it stops on its own. Then I’m assuming all of the xrays, bloodwork, etc will come in to play. She said she’s hoping it’s a behavioral thing.. or perhaps even a mating thing (which would be SO strange – he’s 7 years old and has never done anything like this…)

[Author]

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