Precenting Hairball problems

Question
Hi Dana

Thanks for the information, I groom her but she is large and sheds like crazy, I can get a whole bunny of her with the amount of fur she sheds. Half an hour after grooming she seems to have produced more fur to shed and of course the male bunny loves her so keeps grooming.

Do you think it is safe to put mineral oil on his hard food during her shedding period? I do not want to give him unecessary laxative from the vet, or should I only treat when he shows signs of discomfort.

One day he was trembling, we kept him hydrated and he stopped eating for a few hours, and his tummy was gurgling, (I have read your other posts) fortunately the problem passed after a few hours but I would like to prevent this from happening again rather than having to rush him to emergency.

Thanks

Tanja


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Followup To
Question -
Hi

My male rabbit sometimes has pooing problems when our female rabbit is malting as he grooms her alot, and generally through out the year his droppings are small and dry.

We give them a very healthy diet of lots of timothy hay, green vegetables (parsley, cilantro, endive and romaine lettuce), and small amounts of martin pellets and apple, and he is a free range bunny, litter trained and runs around the house. The female has no pooing problems, she is the opposite.

My questions is to keep my male rabbit pooing regularly would it be an idea to brush his dry food with a vegetable oil or something else to keep things moving?

Unfortunately he does not like petra malt and I would have to force feed it to him.

Thank you,

Tanja

Answer -
Dear Tanja,

The best solution is to beat him to the hair.  When the female is shedding, be sure to groom her daily with a short-toothed flea comb.  You can get even more loose hair off her by pulling loose tufts with your fingers.  

I find the very best way to get loose hair off a bunny is to put her up on a stable surface (where she can't run off) with a cotton, rubber-backed mat, and have a bowl of water nearby where you can dip your hands.  With wet palms, rub the bunny back and forth several times.  Loose hair will come off and stick to your damp palms.  Rub them together to roll off the fur (felt sticks!), discard the loose fur, and repeat over and over until very little fur comes off.

You will be *amazed* at how much you'll get off her that way.  And every piece of fur you remove is one he can't lick off her.

If things really get furry, and he still ingests her sheddings, then the best way to promote its swift passage through his gut is with a dose of lactulose from your vet.  This is an osmotic laxative that will hydrate the intestinal contents and help slide things through. Vegetable oil won't work, as it is digestible.  Only indigestable oils (e.g., mineral oil) will act as a lubricant laxative.

Also provide lots of fresh grass hay and fresh water while they're shedding.  This, too, will help things move through the gut without causing problems.

Hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana  

Answer
Dear Tanja,

Yes, the task of grooming her may seem endless.  But that is what you must do to keep your male bunny safe.  There really is no other alternative.  I would be remiss if I told you otherwise.  It's just part of the upkeep you need to do in keeping both bunnies safe and healthy.

DO NOT put mineral oil on his food.  Please read:

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

for information on the safe ways to keep intestinal contents hydrated and lubricated.  Mineral oil (or other petroleum-based laxatives) should be used ONLY if the intestinal contents are well-hydrated.  Otherwise they can coat an already dried, hard mass and make things even worse.

Once again--vigilant, constant grooming is the answer.  I know it's not what you'd like to hear, but it's the truth.

Good luck,

Dana