fur pulling/sucking **Update, back from vets**

HI,

Not long after we moved I noticed clumps of matted fur on the floor of the spare room (where the rabbits are currently living) It looks like Roxy sucking her fur which is getting matted and then pulling it out. I took Barney and Roxy to the vets a couple of weeks ago as after an initial search on here I feared it might be EC. The vet can find no obvious sign of EC in either Barney or Roxy but they have both been on a course of panacur as a preventative measure. Roxy is still pulling fur out from her belly.

I must stress that this is not mucky bum/fly strike I keep checking her for this as it is an obvious worry. i never see her pulling or what I would consider over grooming but that is clearly what is happening.

I did think it might be stress from the move and that they are now both in a much smaller room than they were in (untill downstairs is sorted out!). They had both lost weight when I went to the vets so I have increased there food. I am back at the vets tomorrow but I wondered if anything sprang to mind as an obvious reason for Roxy's change in behaviour. the vet seemed to think that stress could be a possible cause.

THank you x

just bumping this up as I posted it late last night x

It's either a stress related issue, which could be difficult to solve unless it's something simple like mites or lice. Or it could be related to their environment.

I'd look at environmental factors first, i.e. fleas, chemicals on the carpet, etc.

Our house was infested with fleas when we first moved in, and my house bun had a terrible time of it. She didn't do much scratching, but was very 'twitchy', which we initially put down to the stress of the move...but it turned out she was being bitten by fleas.

Thanks Amy,

Not sure it would be fleas as the house was empty for a few years before we moved in. I wonder if it could be mites though (Mo had the same reaction when he had mites) I have been checking her as I found a couple of flakes of skin but the vet didn't find anything. I might request treatment anyway. I guess if it was more generally environmental (like the carpets) Barney would be bothered to.

just a minor thing are tehy neutered? if ntot then it could be a phantom pregnancy? otherwise it could be over grooming. if they are too young it could be that the little one is trying to suckle still if they are adults then possibly stress issues or an allergie thing. x

bunlover said:

just a minor thing are tehy neutered? if ntot then it could be a phantom pregnancy? otherwise it could be over grooming. if they are too young it could be that the little one is trying to suckle still if they are adults then possibly stress issues or an allergie thing. x

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Hi, thanks for your reply,

Its definately not a phantom pregnancy-she's pulling hair from her belly/things rather than her dewlap and its starting to get matted because of the over grooming. They are both neatured and both mature adults so its not suckling either as I've had them over two years now. :? confusaling.

Just got back from the vets, they've both put weight on which is great so its just Roxy to sort out now. Poor little thing