Super Shedding

[TwoLittleBuns]

I came home yesturday to find Bentley's cage (almost 2 year old Mini Lop) covered in fur. And I mean COVERED. It was everywhere, in his food dish, in his litter box, all over the sides, on the floor, even on his drinking bottle. So I took him out and his hair was pretty much falling off. I got a shedder brush and brushed him for a long time, but the hair just kept coming off. It never made any bald spots or even any sparce spots, but it just keeps coming off. This has never happened with him before and it doesn't seem to be bothering him. Should I worry?

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

It sounds like a molt, which is more intense then normal shedding. During a molt, the rabbit's entire coat falls out and is replaced by a new one. Usually this starts at the base of the neck and moves down the back- you'll see "spots" of shorter and longer hair. But some rabbits literally blow their coats and the fur just comes out all over the body.

The best thing to do is brush your rabbit as often as you can to get the fur out of his environment. Rabbits will try grooming themselves but a molt can cause more fur ingestion than normal which can lead to blockages in the digestive system (not good). So in addition to brushing your rabbit, make sure to offer plenty of hay.

Usually the really intense molting lasts for a week or two and then the coat slowly starts coming back together.

 

[tonyshuman]

How long have you had him? Rabbits go through two different types of sheds, one heavy, and one light. They usually alternate between these sheds and have one molt every 3-4 months. Has anything changed in his environment lately, for instance, temperature or food type?