hair pulling/eating?

[toby2449]

hi all,

new to this forum, our rabbit, Dolly, who we've had for 9 months now ispulling her hair out with her teeth, swallowing it, and then brining itback up, is this normal?? Should we be concerned?? Can we stop herdoing it. She gets loads of effection/attention and is a perfecltyhappy/hyper rabbit so we're a bit confused!



Cheers,

Mark.

 

[aurora369]

Hmmm... that is very interesting.

I know rabbits will pull hair if they are having a pregnancy or falsepregnancy and feel the need to build a nest. But I've neverheard of one eating it then pulling it back up.

As far as I know rabbits cannot vomit or regurgitate like cats/dogs. It goes down and stays down.

Can you provide us with a little more information? How muchfur is she pulling? Does she have baldspots? What is she doing that makes you think she'sswallowing then bringing it back up?

Give us as much detail as possible.

--Dawn

 

[maherwoman]

Hmm...I'm not sure about this one, either, but this will help bump it back up to the top for ya.

 

[toby2449]

aurora369 wrote:

Hmmm... that is very interesting.

I know rabbits will pull hair if they are having a pregnancy or falsepregnancy and feel the need to build a nest. But I've neverheard of one eating it then pulling it back up.

As far as I know rabbits cannot vomit or regurgitate like cats/dogs. It goes down and stays down.

Can you provide us with a little more information? How muchfur is she pulling? Does she have baldspots? What is she doing that makes you think she'sswallowing then bringing it back up?

Give us as much detail as possible.

--Dawn

Hi and thanks for the comment.Sorry i may be wrong about her swallowing it, i assumed as she pulledher hair out & it wouldn't appear for a little while that shemay be swallowing it but i take it she could just be holding it in hermouth?

Her coat is fine, no bald spots at all, reallyhealty looking. How much hair does she eat-well i'd say a mouth full,which she tends to try and hide somewhere or just puts it in hercage.To be honest we're just a bit concerned as we don't knowif this is usual behaviour, and as i said earlier she's a perfectlyhappy bunny ( a great little character!)

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Is she using the fur to build a nest? or attemptto? Do you leave it wherever she puts it? She could have a falsepregnancy? Bo is a neutered male and can build a blankie nestlike a pro!

If her coat is fine and no holes, maybe she's just molting? and if that's the case; good for her not eating it!

 

[maherwoman]

Okay, well if she's not eating it, she'sprobably having a phantom pregnancy. My Maisie's had acouple...she pulls out her tummy fur and piles it all in her bigplastic igloo along with some newspaper shreddies. I leave itfor a few days and then clean it out (when I can tell she's forgottenabout it, so I don't upset her).

Whew...what a relief! Don't worry, she's just fine.

 

[toby2449]

thanks all, you've been a great help, atleast i know the bunny is "normal"