Moulting

"I have an 11 month old cross-bred neutered buck. His hair is falling out in handfuls and his skin has changed colour under the loose hair. Is this normal?"

Don't panic, he’s just moulting!

Rabbits moult regularly. The baby coat is replaced by the intermediate coat by about 5 months of age, after which the adult coat develops. Once the adult coat has developed, moults tend to be far more noticeable. Wild rabbits moult fully twice a year, but domestic rabbits have more variable moult patterns. Some bunnies moult almost continuously.

A typical rabbit moult begins on the head, progresses down the neck and back and then towards the stomach, but some rabbits moult all over with no distinct pattern. Dark coloured rabbits sometimes have a noticeable "tide mark". If you blow into the fur of a moulting rabbit, the skin appears dark in colour where the new hairs are growing through. All these are normal. However, there’s a few problems associated with moulting that owners need to be aware of.

Hair balls

Moulting rabbits need daily grooming to reduce the amount of hair passing through the digestive system. True hair balls are fairly uncommon in house rabbits (they tend to occur in bored, caged meat and pet rabbits without access to hay) but houserabbit owners need to be alert to signs of a sluggish digestive system which allows hair to accumulate in the stomach and cause problems. Constant access to hay is absolutely vital to keep the guts moving normally.

Get into the habit of checking droppings daily. Droppings that are small and dry, or strung together with hair, should ring alarm bells. If you find them, but bunny is behaving normally, you can give a small dose (5 - 10ml) of liquid paraffin which may prevent problems developing. But if your rabbit is subdued or unwell in any way then he may be developing gastro-intestinal stasis (gut slowing) which needs urgent veterinary attention.

Pineapple juice is probably useless at treating hair balls (the papain in it cannot possibly digest hair - although it may help break down the mucus and food that binds hair together in the guts, and the fluid is always useful) but is unlikely to do any harm. Papaya tablets are little more than sugary treats which should be avoided.

Sticking in moult

The moulting process can get "stuck". This usually happens on the flanks, just above the tail, and on the belly. Use a cat moulting comb to remove the dead loose hair. Houserabbits living in centrally heated homes often moult incessantly, especially heavy coated breeds. This is an annoying side effect of keeping pets indoors (Labrador dogs do the same) and there is nothing you can do except vacuum daily!

Fur mites

Rabbits who are moulting heavily should be checked for fur mites. Take a close look at the skin, especially behind the ears and along the spine - if there is any scurf or dandruff, take your rabbit to the vet. Fur mites (usually Cheyletiella species) are common, and it’s important they are treated because they can cause dermatitis in humans. Most vets these days use a course of at least three ivermectin injections given at 7-10 day intervals until the condition is clear. This does away with the need for repeated bathing.

Do remember that the bedding and cage need to be treated too. Some rabbits have mites with no signs at all, so it’s worth looking out for "dandruff" whenever you stroke your rabbit.