My senior rabbit is shedding a lot of fur. Is he sick or is it normal?

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 Autumn, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. Rabbits can be quite varied in the way that they molt, and this may be a variation in Autumn's molt. There is also an infectious agent that can result in areas that look similar to what is occurring on Autumn's head. It is a fungal organism called dermatophytosis, or ring worm. There can be no redness, and no itching. Occasionally there is flaking like you mentioned, and often it can resolve and recur in cycles, similar to what you are describing happened to Autumn. Unfortunately, ring worm is zoonotic, which means that it can be passed from animals to humans. My recommendation would be to take Autumn to a veterinarian for evaluation. They can take samples of the hairs on Autumn's head and perform a fungal culture on them. They can also perform a thorough physical examination on Autumn to ensure that they don't find any abnormalities - the reason I bring this part up is that typically ringworm should not affect healthy individuals with a competent immune system. Until you can get Autumn to a veterinarian, I would recommend washing your hands after handling him. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Autumn the best.

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.

A change in weather can cause increased shedding. Other causes include parasites, infection or stress. If the shedding persists and results in bald patches, have Fluffy examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits. Any treatment will depend on the diagnosis. In the meantime, clean the cage and provide fresh bedding. Make sure she isn't too hot or too cold. Look her over for redness, sores or dry skin.

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.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is hard to say what is going on with him exactly. If you would like to post again with some photos that may be more helpful. Here are some things that may be causing the hair loss: * barbering (chewing the hair) * mites * ringworm * normal shedding * fleas Those are the most common reasons but there are many others. It is best to get him to a vet for an exam to be on the safe side. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It definitely sounds like something serious is going on with Bun Bun. If his appetite is still good and his stools are normal but he is losing weight I would be concerned with either intestinal parasites or cancer causing him to get a lack of nutrients. This would explain the hairloss as well. I would recommend taking Bun Bun to your veterinarian to be examined. Your vetnwill most likely want to run some blood work and possibly do X-rays as well. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.