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My rabbit pulled out her fur and now there are bald patches on both her hips and under her chin.

22 9:58:32

Question
My female rabbit pulled out her fur a few days ago.  She pulled out so much that there are bald spots on her hips and under her chin.  I'm pretty sure this is a false pregnancy.  I'm worried about her pulling out all the fur and the bald patches.  Should I be worried?

Answer
Is she making a nest with the fur?  If she is then it is indeed probably a false pregnancy unless for some reason she has been around a buck then it could be a real pregnancy.

If it is a false pregnancy then there is nothing to worry about.  I can only responsibly tell you to get her spayed and she will not do this anymore.  If you intend to use her in a breeding program then clearly you are not going to want to do this.  If she is your pet you should be aware that rabbits that are not used for breeding have up to an 80% chance of developing reproductive cancers.

If she is not making a nest and is just plucking all the hair off for no reason then she could either be bored or she could have a painful skin condition such as mites.  In this case I would recommend that you have her examined by a vet just to be certain.

Honestly it is that time of year when rabbits think they need babies.  It is not uncommon at all for them to have false pregnancies and some does want to be such good moms that they will pluck themselves bald.  If the hair is growing back that is probably all it is.  Unfortunately without seeing her I can't tell you for certain.

Good luck with your precious bunny.

Pam