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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Not sure what to do…excessive grooming?

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    • skibunny8503
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        Ok so I’m at a total loss at what’s going on with our Sandy.  This has been going on for hmmmm a month or so now?  I started noticing stiff fur stuck together on her belly.  I combed it and it would come back.  I smelled it but it wasn’t pee.  My parents had rescued some kittens and had them fixed and while at the facility they picked up fleas and my parents had fleas all in their house.  I thought maybe somehow she had a flea.  I brought her to a rescue friend and she shaved her belly and we couldn’t see any fleas.  I took her to a different vet because I had talked to her vet and she said to use flea meds but I told her she didn’t have fleas.  So I wanted a second opinion.  This vet said she might have mites and gave me revolution.  Did that but she was still doing it, so the vet ruled out mites.  She tested her urine and it had some bacteria in in (also she’s been a little wheezy…she’s 7 years old so thought maybe she was getting that from being older, vet said might be resp. infection), gave some meds which she was on for 2 weeks.  I thought it was helping but couldn’t tell.  At this point she hates being inspected and has bite me twice so it’s really hard to even comb her.  Her wheezing sounded a lot better.  I took her to the vet again because I felt a small soft lumb, about a 1/4 in or less wide and it moves around if you push on it.  The vet said it was a hernia (which I can’t find anything on hernias in rabbits; my rescue friend said it’s rare they get them).  She had her stay on the meds for another week (she’ll be done on Sat.).  I checked on her today and she’s grooming herself more.  Now it’s her back leg and front leg that has the matted like fur.  The vet thought she was doing better because the fur on her stomach was growing back and if she was grooming it wouldn’t grow back as fluffy. 

        She’s acting completely fine.  Her one eye was a little water last night but it looks better today.  I don’t really know what to do; take her to a different vet or what?  I did have a thought but wasn’t sure….could it be allergies?  She’s never had this before and nothing has changed in her environment.  Didn’t know if this has happened to anyone before.  I have to point out that I haven’t caught her when she’s doing this but her cage is in the finished basement and we bring her upstairs to run around sometimes so I’m not watching her 24/7.  I did read something about excessive grooming could be a bunny is depressed or bored…is this excessive grooming or something else? 

        You can see on this picture the fur on her belly and above it on her leg.

        This picture it’s at the bottom on her front leg.


      • jerseygirl
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          Hi Ski !

          I’m sorry to hear that’s something is going on with Sandy.

          Was it baytril that she was put on?

          Allergy is a possibility… You could try some Benadryl to see if that helps.
          Is there anything new you can identify that you have in her habitat or the house in general? New carpet perhaps?

          Another possibility is a fungal skin infection. They can get fungal infections in nose also. On baytril, you may even see a bit of improvement of resp symptoms if fungal.

          The lump immediately made me think of an abscess but it sounds like that was ruled out. Could be a fatty lump (lipoma) too.

          Another reason for over grooming is it can be a coping mechanism. So if she has pain elsewhere or even dental issues.


        • skibunny8503
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            I had to look back but it was Trimesta Sulfa (I think that’s how she pronounced it).  She said if that didn’t work that she’d put her on something stronger but it would cost a lot more. 

            Nope, nothing new, she’s been eating the same hay for a while now too.  She’s acting completely normal. 

            I just felt her nose and it’s a little wet.  The vet had checked to see if her paws had any crusty or discoloration on them because she said that when they’re nose is running they clean them off and sometimes you can’t tell.  Her paws are fine but I can feel a little bit of wetness on her nose.  She still wheezes a bit but only if I’m holding her and she’s freaking out.  She also snores just a bit.

            I had only noticed the lump because of feeling her belly if she was grooming still and she was shaved their.  Dr said she might have always had it and just didn’t noticed because of how much fur she has and never pet her on the stomach.  I had thought it was an abscess but the dr had said it wasn’t hard and it moves around when you press on it so that’s why she thought it was a hernia. 

            I also had that thought about her being in pain and she’s grooming herself like dogs and cats do for their wounds.  How would we even know where to look though?  She had bloodwork done at the end of summer and everything was fine.  If she had dental issues wouldn’t she have a hard time eating?  She practically follows me in the kitchen every time I open the fridge and begs like a dog lol!

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        Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Not sure what to do…excessive grooming?