News and Specials from Rabbit Haven

The Hair is Flying! comb graphic

Our bunnies are really shedding.

When your rabbit starts to shed, you MUST brush and comb your rabbit to get the hair off. Like cats, rabbits groom themselves and will ingest all of the loose hair on themselves and their rabbit companions. But unlike cats, rabbits cannot vomit to rid their stomachs of foreign matter.

They require large indigestible fiber particles to stimulate healthy motility of the gastrointestinal tract, preventing impaction of the material in the stomach. Besides feeding your rabbit fresh greens and water, your bunny must have a handful of Timothy Hay each and EVERY DAY. He also needs plenty of exercise in order to keep the stomach contents, including injested hair, passing through his system. (Do not give the small compressed hay blocks as the fiber is too small to be helpful).

Rabbit parents need to be aware of the first signs of decreased motility, also known as STASIS, as it can quickly become deadly.

Rabbits will eat less over a period of days and eventually stop eating altogether, even stop drinking; which only worsens the condition.
Droppings will get smaller and may be strung together with pieces of hair.
The rabbit may hide hunched in the corner or crunch his teeth in pain.
The rabbit's body temperature may drop.
Your rabbits stomach may feel "tight" and bloated if you gently push on it.

Any signs of severe gas (enlarged abdomen, failure to defecate, subnormal temperature, loud gurgling from the rabbit's stomach, signs of severe pain such as teeth grinking or sitting in a hunched position) should be treated immediately. Give the rabbit a dropper full (1cc) liquid simethicone, and repeat every hour. Apply external heat (heating pad set on low or hot water bottle filled with warm water and wrapped in a cloth). Acute bloat can come on very rapidly, and if not treated, the rabbit can die in less than 24 hours.

It is important to administer oral, high moisture, high fiber foods to these patients in order to stimulate increased GI tract motility. Rehydration is one of the most important things you can do to reverse gastric stasis, either orally or with injectable fluids. Your rabbit saavy vet can provide drugs to stimulate the stomach's motility again.

Some people give their rabbits Petromalt or Laxatone (2 brand names of a cat hairball remedy) once a week when not shedding and then daily when they shed. If this gives your rabbit diarrhea, discontinue.

But the best prevention for gastric stasis is a healthy high fiber, low carbohydrate diet, plenty of fresh water, ample exercise and a clean and calm environment.