Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE Is she just shedding her fur?

Viewing 16 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • Auburnie
      Participant
      88 posts Send Private Message

        I’m seriously concerned because when I woke up this morning, i found a HUGE clump of Harlows hair in her cage. It looks like it was ripped right out of her, all of it going the same way as apposed to being clumped up in a ball.

        http://tinypic.com/m/j7s19u/1

        i’m not quite sure how to post pictures on here, but I uploaded it to my tinypic. She’s my first bunny and i’ve never been around a shedding bunny so i have no idea if this is normal or cause for concern?
        Because she is my first bunny i don’t really have anything to groom her, but I was going to buy her a grooming set today anyways because my mom just got her check last night. She’ll have a brush and nail trimmer by tonight so i will give her a good brush down when i get back, but i’m still worried

        .


      • Gina.Jenny
        Participant
        2244 posts Send Private Message

          If she is a young bunny and not spayed, I would consider the possibility she is going through a false pregnancy, and pulling her own fur to line the nest?

          When you have more than one bunny they do this to each other as a dominance thing, I have to pick up at least one tuft like this most days, and it is Jenny keeping her husbun, Pippi, in his place!


        • Auburnie
          Participant
          88 posts Send Private Message

            She is by herself now, but she was with other bunnies when i got her a week and a half ago.

            if there any way this could be a real pregnancy? Cause that kind of freaks me out lol.
            But she is not spayed, the people i bought her from said she was a boy, although i’m sure they only said that because they knew I wanted a boy. 


          • Bam
            Moderator
            16838 posts Send Private Message

              As GinaJenny says, a young un-spayed girl bunny can go through false pregnancies, and that can make her pull out her own fur from her chest. This is normal and not dangerous for her, but it’s stressful if it happens a lot, her body thinks she’s going to have babies and she prepares for it by nesting. The best thing for a girl bunny is to be spayed, that prevents false pregnancies and it also protects the bun from getting uterine cancer, a disease that unfortunately is very common in girl bunnies around age 3-4. If you could start saving up for a spay, that would be a really good thing for your bun.

              If it’s not a false pregnancy not it, it could be shedding, some buns shed in clumps of hair and even get temporary bald spots. That’s normal and nothing to worry about. If she is shedding, you’ll soon see more hair come loose. When your rabbit sheds it’s good to groom her daily so she doesn’t swallow too much hair when she cleans herself.


            • Gina.Jenny
              Participant
              2244 posts Send Private Message

                If she was with other bunnies, and the people that sold her to you as a him mixed up other him and her bunnies, there is a chance she is actually pregnant.

                How old is she? And do you have a vet for her? If she is old enough to spay, this can also terminate an early pregnancy, which may well be kinder than letting a very young bun have a litter, or ending up with a load of baby bunnies you would need to find good homes for. We were advised to do this for one of our rescue bunnies, as she was nesting, and because she had been living wild, we had no way of knowing if it was a false or real pregnancy.


              • Bam
                Moderator
                16838 posts Send Private Message

                  It’s hard to tell the difference between a boy and a girl when they are very young.

                  If she’s a girl and she was with other rabbits, she could be pregnant depending on her age. Nesting generally comes towards the end of the pregnancy.


                • Auburnie
                  Participant
                  88 posts Send Private Message

                    i’m honestly terrified. I found another huge patch cleaning out her cage today. I really hope it’s a false pregnancy, but i thought i kept feeling something when i felt her stomach. I could be wrong, but we’re going to take her to the vet. 

                    I got her cage all cleaned up and got her box all set up. I’m slowly learning, I’ve only had her a week. I’m not ready to deal with this yet!! lol.

                    BUT I will do the best I can, whether or not she is. I’ll try my best to make her feel safe and secure. And give the proper care. 
                    This is what I get from buying a bunny from a backyard breeder i guess!
                    Next bun will be a rescue. 


                  • Azerane
                    Moderator
                    4688 posts Send Private Message

                      If there’s even the slightest chance she’s pregnant and she’s pulling fur and arranging it, it’s worth providing her with a nest box. She can make a nest in there, keeps the nest together and the babies can’t climb out over the edge. Rabbit kits are amazingly mobiles and can squeeze through tiny gaps in cage bars, so just something to be prepared for on the off chance she has little ones. See images for nest boxes, you can use a cardboard box too if you’re strapped for something https://www.google.com.au/search?q=rabbit+nest+box&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivz-O2vN_KAhVBv5QKHUqeDiMQ_AUIBygB&biw=1600&bih=775

                      Best of luck at the vet, I hope it’s just a false pregnancy but I suppose you’ll find out soon enough


                    • drwil
                      Participant
                      191 posts Send Private Message

                        It is either a real or false pregnancy. If it is real you have about 12 hours to 36 hours before babies. If it is false she probably saw a boy bunny and popped an egg, no problem. The fur gets loose due to hormones so it is not like they are ripping out firmly attached hair.

                        If she has kits put ads in the local paper and craigslist giving them away providing the person buys $60 worth of feed and hay from you. If they want to kill the rabbit they will not want to buy the food so no deal.


                      • Auburnie
                        Participant
                        88 posts Send Private Message

                          She hasn’t seen any boy bunnies, she’s the only bun in the house so far. She has her cardboard box in her cage with newspaper, a handful of her paper bedding, and a ton of hay.

                          As a sort of experiment me and my boyfriend went out today and found a small tote like container thing. Deep but not too deep and bigger than her. I shredded up a bunch of newspaper and put it in the bottom, then laid a towel on top, clipping it down with the side handles. Before I even finished positioning the towel just right, Harlow scratched my hand and grunted at me just before hopping inside and laying down. i’m wondering if i should switch this one out with the other box? The towel might be more comfortable and provide more warmth.


                        • Bam
                          Moderator
                          16838 posts Send Private Message

                            If she likes the towel and doesn’t chew it, let her have the towel. If she has kits, she will keep them warm by wrapping them in her fur. Then she’ll let them be except for feeding them twice a day. That’s what a bunny mother should do, so it’s not like she doesn’t care about her babies.


                          • Azerane
                            Moderator
                            4688 posts Send Private Message

                              I suppose now it’s just a bit of a waiting game for 24-48 hours. I hope it’s just a false pregnancy, but at the same time I hope there’s adorable little bunny kittens Haha, a tough dilemma that one!


                            • Auburnie
                              Participant
                              88 posts Send Private Message

                                I’m just worried because I’m completely not ready to be a grandmother yet xD
                                I’m just learning all the right things to do for Harlow.

                                I put the towel and newspaper box inside and she loves it.

                                I’m terrified of her having babies but at the same time that would be pretty cute too. lol.


                              • Azerane
                                Moderator
                                4688 posts Send Private Message

                                  Keep us posted, there’s plenty of information available out there to help you.


                                • Auburnie
                                  Participant
                                  88 posts Send Private Message

                                    *relieved sigh* i do believe it was a false pregnancy because no more fur has been pulled and no babies i’m calling tomorrow to set up her first vet appointment and we’ll be discussing spaying then. 

                                    Although i’m sad there are no babies, i’m so relieved because i wouldn’t know what the heck to do. so its probably the best for the both of us


                                  • Azerane
                                    Moderator
                                    4688 posts Send Private Message

                                      Somehow I missed this post! I am relieved for you that it was a false alarm, I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of work and worry baby bunnies would cause


                                    • Auburnie
                                      Participant
                                      88 posts Send Private Message

                                        For some reason she started doing it again Poor baby. She has an appt monday

                                    Viewing 16 reply threads
                                    • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                    Forum DIET & CARE Is she just shedding her fur?