Chunks of fur gone from shoulders? Shedding?

[Gwennie and the Buffster]

Today I found a small patch of fur missing from one of Buffy’s shoulders. When I petted the area, even more fluff came out — pretty large chunks of white fur. A few hours later, I found the exact same thing happening on her other shoulder. Does this look like shedding to you? I had to use my computer’s webcam to take photos (my phone had an unfortunate run-in with the toilet a couple of weeks ago, and I don’t have a new one yet), so sorry for the poor quality images!

There is a healthy coat under where the fur is falling out. I’m inclined to believe that she’s shedding from the area around her shoulders, but my paranoid mind worries that it could be something more sinister. What do you think?

[Bam]

It sounds like shedding. It’s not uncommon for buns to shed in chunks. It’s quite normal, but you should try to pluck out or brush off as much hair as you can while this is going on, so she doesn’t ingest a lot of hair when she grooms herself.

If there were parasites the skin underneath would not be healthy and smooth, there would be big-ish flaskes of dandruff and some scabbing. So I don’t think you need to worry at all.

[Gwennie and the Buffster]

Thanks I try to groom her at least twice a day, but she won’t tolerate it for long. Is there anything I can feed her that would be good while she’s shedding?

[Bam]

Sometimes a bunny gets grumpy when its shedding heavily.

There’s nothing that will speed up the shed, but hay is important because it helps carry hair through the intestines. Hydration is important too, so you can give her her greens freshly rinsed and dripping wet.

Sometimes plucking out tufts of fur with your fingers is more successful than just brushing. You can end each session with lint-rolling. Use a generic brand lint-roller, they don’t have as stiff glue as name brands.

[Gwennie and the Buffster]

How long do sheds usually last? Buff hasn’t gotten any more patches (although a TON of hair is coming off her butt, so I think molting is definitely the culprit), but she’s still got these silly bald patches on both her shoulders.

She seems super uncomfortable, she’s not enjoying the heat, and a lot of her poops are strung together no matter how much I groom her or how much hay/grass she eats (most of her poops are normal, but we get four or five “string of pearls” poopies every day). I just want her to feel more comfortable <3

[Author]

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