Pulling Fur??

[MimzMum]

Okay, this just came out of the blue….

I go into the bunny room to check on them this evening, and HOLEY MOLEY…Pip has apparently pulled out most of her chest fur! There is no sign of it in the cage, so I have to assume she’s swallowed it.

 

Now the only time she’s been with Mimzy in the xpen was yesterday, because my mum-in-law was here and we were running around after her all week, and of course they are both fixed so there is no possibility of pregnancy…but her fur was full and beautiful this morning and now tonight….YUCK! She’s practically naked from the disapproving bunny lips down!

 

I am wondering if she’s getting ready to blow her coat? But what worries me is, if she’s going to swallow that much hair, should I start administering laxatone now? Or wait to see if she begins to have trouble in the loo?

BTW, can someone refresh me on the dosage as well please? Thankies!

Dang, I hate it when she does this. It’s almost like the time she’d pulled a little patch right under her chin and it took forever to grow back in.

[RabbitPam]

Oh my goodness! I’m glad they’re both fixed of course. I hope it’s shedding but maybe false nest building?
Anyway, I think the laxatone would do more good than harm right away, but only squeeze an inch or less on your finger and let her lap it up. Once this morning and then watch her poops before once more tonight at the most. She should be passing pearls pretty soon. (Though fur blows, so it may be a cloud under a couch or chair somewhere.)

[Scarlet_Rose]

I have mixed feelings about the laxatone, provide more hay and high-fiber to help pass the fur through.  This is only a temporary fix to help move the fur through the GI tract.  It sounds to me like this is not nesting but more of a stress/behavioral issue.  When was the last time her teeth were checked?  It could be part of the problem.  Here is a link to a discussion on another rabbit who had the same problem and it turns out that there were dental problems (It’s in our FAQ section):

Pulling Fur Out of Chest: (self-inflicted wounds – not pregnancy or false pregnancy related)

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&postid=35621&view=topic

What has changed in her environment? How long ago did you start your new work schedule (or am I mixing you up with Babybunsmum)?

[JK]

Mim – could you post a picture of this?  I have never seen the results of fur pulling. 

[MimzMum]

Sorry Rose, I’m not the working bunny mum. ^_^
No real changes, we just had a week of no real time to exercise, plus she seems to be shedding all over now, so I am hoping that is all it is. Our weather is changing from cold and blustery one day, to muggy and hot the next and it’s hard to keep the house a decent constant temp.

I’ll do my best to provide a piccy, Knowltons. She is more cooperative than Mimzy when it comes to photos, but I’ve already made her look up to examine her chin so much that I think she’s a bit fed up with me at the moment. >.< Andnow that I get a better look, I would guess it's not skin I'm seeing, but very short cropped fur. Still, it was a bit disconcerting.

Thanks for the suggestions on the laxatone, everybun!

 

EDIT: Okay, this was the best shot she would let us get. Those grey areas? That’s actually her skin color. (Yah, freaked me out too.) Normally this area of her dewlap is so fluffly you can’t see that at all.

Like I said, not as bad as I thought. (Last night the house was too dark to see clearly.) And she’s eating like a horse, so she not having tooth trouble, although I did look at the ones I could see. No signs of drooling. But I do notice in her pen at night, she is rustling around quite a bit and I think it’s to get at all the hair that’s coming loose and making her itch. Plus she REALLY hates it when she doesn’t get as much xpen time as she wants…so….

 

 

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[BinkyBunny]

I also hope it’s just molting as the short hairs look indicative of that,do the longer hairs around the shorter hairs come out fairly easily – molting there?

Also, just FYI, many rabbits with teeth problems can still eat. Rucy’s teeth have been fine lately, but she is vulneralbe to spurs and even when they have grown too long and cut into her cheek, she will still eat. Not to make you worry or freak you out just to keep you informed.

[MimzMum]

Well we had her out day before yesterday and took the furminator to her. While I wasn’t getting off GOBS of fur, as I normally do, you could see that between that and the love glove, she had quite a bit of fluff coming away. The only stuff we can’t get loose are those darn butt fuzzies of hers that look ready to go, but won’t come out and BOY is she tiring of me trying to pull them off! 0_o;

I’ll keep an eye on the teeth. And here’s another odd thing…there doesn’t appear to be a lot of hair coming out in her poops. They are lovely large, round and perfectly normal…no pearls. 😕

But I notice that, when she gets her time out, she is not grooming/chewing/scratching as much. I think we may just have a very claustrophobic bun on our hands.

[JK]

Oh the butt fuzzies! That makes me laugh because so many times Edson runs by and I see what I think is a butt fuzzie to be pulled and it isn’t! Edson whips around like “puhleeez will you stop that. It hurts!” and scurries off!

[Princess*Smudge]

Smudge’s whole coat is like one giant butt fuzzie right now…

I am starting to wish I knew a professional bunny groomer!

[Author]

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