Why is my rabbit shedding so much fur? Is it a health concern?

Poor Fluffy, Rabbits can have a molt where they will shed the hair almost like a dog would. However, if the coat appears abnormal or you feel like she is painful I would recommend taking her to a vet for a good exam. Rabbits can also get parasites, fungal disease and bacterial disease of the skin that can affect how the coat grows and might be causing some pain when the hair is removed. hope that helps

Thanks for your question about Puku. I didn’t see what breed she is, but that could make a difference. For example, Angoras require grooming on a daily basis due to the large amounts of hair that they grow. It also can be temperature dependent - longer haired rabbits in warm climates will shed a great deal. Of course, there are also nutritional and medical conditions that can be related to hair loss as well. An ideal rabbit diet is made up of 80% grass based hays that are of high quality, one tablespoon of Timothy pellets per 5 lbs of body weight, and 1 cup of leafy greens per 5 pounds of body weight. Greens examples include red and green leaf lettuce, romaine, endive, escarole, cilantro, parsley, mint, dill, basil, and radicchio. I don’t recommend any fruits, seeds, milk products, or other carbohydrate treats for rabbits. I would recommend considering an examination for Puku. They can evaluate the skin and look at hairs under the microscope to ensure she doesn’t have any issues there. They may also recommend blood work to evaluate her systemic health. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Excessive shedding can be normal. Sometimes they shed more or less depending on the situation. The only time to be worried is if Oreo is scratching a lot or if you are seeing bald spots. Best wishes.

It can be completely normal for a rabbit to shed. Sometimes they will shed larger amounts when scared or stressed. They can also lose fur with skin infections or mite infestations. If Bunny Boo’s skin is nice and pink and appears healthy, then she is probably having a normal amount of shedding. If her skin seems overly dry, crusty, or flakey, this could indicate a problem. You also want to watch closely to make sure there are no additional areas of baldness like around the ear. If Bunny Boo is exhibiting any of the symptoms described above, I would recommend taking her in to the vet to be checked out. She may need medication for a skin infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for your question about Poe, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. This photo looks like an appropriate amount of hair for a rabbit to shed, but most people don’t see it because rabbits are so good at grooming. Usually when it is seen, it indicates that the rabbit isn’t grooming appropriately, which may be the case for Poe too. I would recommend a veterinary visit for Poe, and would recommend considering radiographs (x-rays) and blood work. At his age he may have the start of arthritis or another disease that may affect his mobility or the way he feels. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This could be due to Cheyletiella parasitovorax, a rabbit skin mite. It's characterized by by patchy fur loss with flaking on the back of a rabbit. I'd have Rueben seen by a vet to have this diagnosed and treated.

Binky may be suffering from mites, as may your other rabbit. Patchy fur loss with flaking along the rabbit's back is typical for the mite Cheyletiella parasitovorax, Your veterinarian may examine a sticky tape preparation or skin scraping under the microscope for the presence of mites, however, might sometimes not find any, even though they are present on the rabbit. Mites are usually eradicated easily. Classic treatment is with injectable or oral ivermectin, or a selamectin spot on given in treatments two weeks apart. As mites live in the environment of your rabbit, it is essential to thoroughly clean your rabbit's cage and disinfect areas after each treatment to control reinfestation, since fur and dander in the environment may contain mite eggs. You will need to treat all rabits in your household.