Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > Pulling Hair on Chest

Pulling Hair on Chest

22 9:45:04

Question
Hi!  We have had our bunny, bun bun, for a year now and she is about 1 1/2 years old.  She is a lionhead, dwarf netherland mix about 3lbs.  She just started pulling the hair on her chest and making a huge bald area.  I took her to the vet who tested her for mites, fungus, etc. and could not find anything.  She thought it was stress from our being on vacation and having friends come take care of her.  BunBun clear up and was fine, but now about a month later, she has taken to doing it again.  I caught her doing it.  She pulls it out with her teeth and she has made a sore on her chest about the size of a quarter from chewing her skin off.  I have put neosporin on it and am having her wear her harness to keep the area protected from her behavior.  

Nothing has changed with diet or the amount of play time/attention she gets.  She is not spayed.  I have read it could be a false pregnancy, but I cannot find the hair anywhere in a "nest".  Can I put bitter orange on it to keep her from doing this?  And what do you think is causing it?

I would appreciate any advice you can give.

Answer
Hi Carol,

Since your vet tested for the obvious skin conditions and parasites, I'm going to look into a few of the less common but still very relevant causes of fur-chewing.  

Pseudopregnancy (false pregnancy) can happen in does of breeding age, but usually she will make a nest with the fur and not scatter or ingest it.  Often a pseudopregnancy happens after another dominant female or neutered male "mounts" her and her hormones are tricked into believing she's pregnant.  There is no way to prevent pseudopregnancies other than to keep her apart from other rabbits.

Fur chewing is another consideration, which often happens because of stress, boredom, parasites (which have been ruled out) and seasonal changes.  It would make sense that she was stressed while being cared for by another person, but that wouldn't explain the behavior occurring again this month.  Does she have toys to play with?  Unpainted/unstained/untreated wooden blocks make great toys for bunnies to throw around and chew on and can often keep them occupied enough to prevent fur-chewing if boredom is the cause.

When fur is being both chewed and ingested, the diet should be reevaluated.  Often a mineral or fiber deficiency is the cause of fur ingestion here.  A high-quality pellet containing at least 16% protein should be fed to an adult rabbit in the amount of 1oz of feed per pound of rabbit.  For a 3 pound rabbit, this would amount to about 1/3 cup a day.  Hay should also be given daily to add fiber to the diet, either Timothy or alfalfa hay is fine and a small handful usually does it.  We also supplement our rabbits' fiber intake with old fashioned rolled oats, about a teaspoon per day, which helps their gut efficiency (and is a great treat!)  Always avoid iceberg lettuce as this can cause "scours" which will inhibit the gut from properly absorbing all of the nutrients in bunny's feed.  For now, I would add an animal electrolyte to your rabbit's water (ask for this at your local farm supply or feed elevator).  It's just like Gatorade except for animals.  You mix it in their water to help them balance their mineral intake.

I hope that these things will take care of the problem for you, best wishes!