rabbit fur problems

Question
Hi, lately I have been noticing that my rabbit has been losing alot of his fur. Yes, I do know that it is the time of year that he will be shedding his winter coat, but his fur has been falling out worse that what it usually does. When I pet him, I get big handfuls of fur. Even if he's just laying in his cage, his fur will fall out. Is this something I should be concerned about and take my rabbit to the vets to get checked out? Or is it just him shedding?  

Answer
Dear Callie,

Sometimes a bunny will go through a really "violent" shed cycle.  It's important at these times to make sure you keep the loose fur groomed off him as much as possible, to help him avoid ingesting it and causing intestinal irritation and worse.  Make sure he has plenty of fresh grass hay and wet greens to keep the intestinal contents well hydrated, full of fiber, and pushing things through.

As long as the fur is growing back in, you need not worry.  But if you see bald spots or irritated skin, then please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can help with diagnosis and treatment of the problem.

Hope that helps!

Dana