Hairy poo's!

Not sure if this should be here or in Diet & Digestion. Anyway!
Pudding is moulting and as a result there's a lot of fur in his poo. Is there anything I can give him to break the fur down a bit? He's eating and pooping normally, I'm just worried that drier, fur packed poo can't be very nice for him to pass. We've been brushing him too, but it hasn't made much difference on the er..output!
Is it just something he won't have even noticed?

Usually fur in poops is a sign of gut slow down, as usually most buns are able to digest the fur without it causing a probelem . If the gut is too slow, then blockages can occur and this needs immidiate vet attention if bun stopps eating.

Does you bun eat lots of hay? Traditionally Pinapple/papaya youed to be given as it supposedly broke down fur, but I think this may be just a myth. Pinapple and papaya is full of sugar and can cause additional gut problems, so you may want to try something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Health-Bromelain-Papain-100mg/dp/B006WXP4Z0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=H1AVBC7TJZR6&coliid=I10KEHQY6EOTJB

I didn't realise that, he's had it for about three weeks or so. He's doing everything normally so I wasn't too worried. He has a hay rack constantly full of Ing's, which he loves.
I'd rather try something natural if it needs addressing, I'll do some Googling and see if there's a particular herb or something that could help. Thank you!

It is common for buns to pass hair in their poops- the string of pearls!
It only becomes a 'problem' if theres a lot of hair or bun has difficulty passing them or indeed stops eating, which is a medical emergency!
You can help him pass it by keeping h very well hydrated, give him a bowl of watet instead/as well as a bottle yo drink from, feed him his veggies soaking wet as this will help with hydration.
Herbs that are good for digestion are parsley and dill- but remember to introduce slowely so you dony startle the gut.
Ask your vet for Fibreplex- it is a high fibre paste which will help with gut slowdown prevention.

He already has a bowl, picky little monster refuses to use a bottle :lol: He loves parsley and it's one of his regular herbs, so that's good, and he always gets them wet.
I've been Googling and it does seem to be quite common, phew. Was a bit scared I'd ignored an illness then!
Is it worth getting Fibreplex now or just keeping an eye on things and going if I need to? Our vet is very close by and opens until 8pm (I think). As I said, he's still doing everything normally and binkying like a loon

Yes its normal when they're moulting, mine are making me lots of lovely bracelets at the moment :lol: Its a bit alarming but atleast it means its getting through them and out the other end. As has already been said if he stops eating or pooing altogether he'll need a vet visit immediately.

Some people believe that there is an enzyme in pineapple that helps break down fur in the gut. Others think that it can be counterproductive as it is a fruit and is obviously sweet. Personally I give mine a small chunk of fresh (not tinned) pineapple once or twice a week during their moult :wave:

I might give the pineapple a go, but he's not keen on very wet fruit. I gave him some strawberry this morning and it was promptly thrown across the floor :roll:

cm85 said:

I might give the pineapple a go, but he's not keen on very wet fruit. I gave him some strawberry this morning and it was promptly thrown across the floor :roll:

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Nothing will actually dissolve the fur. Pineapple has Bromeline in it which increases gut movement. It's far better to bypass the sugars which can cause problems with the important gut bacteria, & use the bromeline in ground up tablet form. I understand that the tablets can be bought from Holland & Barret.

ETA I'd steer clear of fruit too, for the same reason. Best thing for my buns are safe tree leaves & twigs which is another natural gut stimulant.

One of my buns is producing a lot of strings of poops too. From what I read above this is good thing as it means their getting through his digestive system.. however, earlier in the week he did stop eatingand I was in panic mode! luckily he is back to normal now after forcing a bit of fibreplex in and plying with treats like dandelion and bramble leaves! Do you think he stopped eating because of the hairy poops in his tummy? I tried pineapple last year and they wouldn't eat it! They eat loads of grass and hay and what ever veg or forage I give them. I'll try and get some apple twigs today if they help as I'm passing m dads house.

When Thumper gets this I increase grooming him to once or twice a day and this really helps. I run wet hands over his fur to pick up any loose hair and brush him through to get rid of any matts hiding underneath x

sammywoo said:

When Thumper gets this I increase grooming him to once or twice a day and this really helps. I run wet hands over his fur to pick up any loose hair and brush him through to get rid of any matts hiding underneath x

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:thumb: Yep, & for those with multiple buns it's important to groom any partner bun whose moulting cos they lick each other too.
1). Stop any more fur than necessary being swallowed. :thumb:
2)I agree completely about encouraging them to drink lots of water & fresh herbs & forage help here.
3) I increase fibre by giving safe bush & tree leaves, preferably "on the twig" or just safe fine twigs. Your bunny will chose the one which suits them best from the ones you can get. Apple & fruit bushes eg currant (not flowering currant which doesn't bear fruit) strawberry leaves, raspberry, (tayberry/logan berry), hawthorn (the common field hedge) bramble/blackberry, & the fastest mover of all is blackthorn if it grows in your area. Blackthorn has to be gathered & stored after the fruits (sloes) ripen down here it's at the end of Aug - end of Sept.
There are also Hazel leaves & birch leaves. Older tough leaves are the best.
The increase in fibre is the natural way to get the gut in best condition to get rid of fur.

I wouldn't increase veges or give fruit because the higher nutrition & sugars can cause gut issues (dysbiosis) in their own right.

The beads of poohs on a string of fur don't cause probs if the gut is moving well, but it's commoner to see occasional larger more eliptical poohs