Rabbit Fur

Question
I have a very bonded pair of rabbits we adopted. What can I give them to help them digest their fur, since they're licking each other practically non-stop and are very affectionate? They're about 6 months old.

Answer
Dear Martin,

There's nothing you can give them to digest the fur, but you can help prevent undue intestinal trouble from ingested fur by:

1.  Grooming them well to reduce the loose fur when they are shedding.  It can really help to take bun up onto a secure surface (table top with a traction-backed mat), and with moist hands, rub back and forth where there's loose fur.  It will come off on your  damp palms, and you can then rub your palms together to get the fur off.  You will get a lot of felt!  :)

2.  Provide a diet rich in long fiber to help push the hair through the GI tract:  This means lots of fresh grass hay (timothy, brome, oat, coastal, orchard, or whatever grass (not legume) hay your bunnies like best.  Rotate hay types for variety!).  Also be sure to provide a daily serving of lots of fresh, wet greens.  You can read more here:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

3.  Provide a constant supply of fresh water in a heavy crock, NOT a sipping bottle.  Bottles are okay for back-up.  But a bowl will promote more drinking, and in a more natural position than a bottle.  A well-hydrated bunny can pass things through the GI tract much more effectively than one who's not getting enough water.

Those things should help keep the lovebirds healthy and happy.

For all the best information on keep your your rabbits happy and well, please go to:

http://www.rabbit.org/

Happy snuzzling!

Dana