Moulting

Last revised November 2005

"I have an 11 month old cross-bred neutered buck. His hair is falling out in handfuls and his skin has changed colour under the loose hair. Is this normal?"

Don’t panic, he’s just moulting!

Rabbits moult regularly. The baby coat is replaced by an intermediate coat by about 4-5 months of age, although most owners notice this first coat change.

Following this, from 5 months onwards, the adult coat develops. From this point on, subsequent moults are usually far more noticeable. Wild rabbits moult fully twice a year, but domestic rabbits have more variable moult patterns. Some bunnies moult almost continuously.

A typical rabbit moult begins on the head, progresses down the neck and back and then towards the stomach, but some rabbits moult in patches all over their bodies with no distinct pattern. Dark coloured rabbits sometimes have a noticeable "tide mark". If you blow into the fur of a moulting rabbit, the skin appears dark in colour where the new hairs are growing through. All these are perfectly normal. However, there are a few problems associated with moulting that owners need to be aware of.

"Hair balls"
Moulting rabbits need daily grooming to reduce the amount of hair passing through the digestive system. True hair balls are fairly uncommon in house rabbits (they tend to occur in bored, caged meat and pet rabbits without access to hay, or in long-haired rabbits grooming their cage-mates) but all rabbit owners need to be alert to signs of a sluggish digestive system which allows hair to accumulate in the stomach and cause problems. Constant access to hay is absolutely vital to keep the guts moving normally.

Get into the habit of checking droppings daily. Droppings that are small and dry, or strung together with hair, should ring alarm bells. If you find them, but your bunny is lively and behaving normally, you can give a small dose (5 - 10ml) of liquid paraffin, which may prevent problems developing. However, if your rabbit is subdued or unwell in any way then he may be developing gastro-intestinal stasis (gut slowing) which needs urgent veterinary attention. There's more information on GI stasis elsewhere in this website.

Pineapple juice was traditionally used to treat “hair balls”, but is rarely recommended these days. The rationale for using pineapple juice was that the enzyme contained within it, papain, “would help break down hair balls”. However, many experts are sceptical about the role of pineapple juice. Firstly, as mentioned already, true hair balls are very rare. Secondly, papain cannot possibly digest hair (although it may help break down the mucus and food that binds hair together in the guts, and the fluid is always useful in helping to re-hydrate the stomach contents) and thirdly, pineapple juice is acidic and can cause irritation to the rabbit's lips. Papaya tablets are little more than sugary treats, which should be avoided.

Sticking in moult
The moulting process can get "stuck". This usually happens on the flanks, just above the tail, and on the belly. Use a cat moulting comb to remove the dead loose hair. Houserabbits living in centrally heated homes often moult incessantly, especially heavy coated breeds. This is an annoying side effect of keeping pets indoors (heavy-coated dogs living indoors do the same) and there is nothing you can do except groom your bunny and vacuum your home daily!

Fur Mites
Rabbits that appear to be moulting heavily should be checked for mites. Take a close look at the skin, especially behind the ears and along the spine - if there is any scurf or dandruff, take your rabbit to the vet, as he may have a mite infestation.

Mites (usually Cheyletiella species) are very common, and it's important they are treated – partly because they can cause mild dermatitis in humans, which will clear up once the rabbit is treated! However, mites sometimes indicate a more general health problem that a once over from the vet may uncover! Hence, bunnies affected by Cheyletiella should be checked for problems such as dental disease; obesity; arthritis; and any spinal/co-ordination problems that interfere with the ability to groom normally.

Not so many years ago rabbits with mites were treated with medicated baths, but thankfully those days are gone – few bunnies appreciate being bathed! Most vets now treat Cheyletiella either with ivermectin (two - three injections given at 7-14 day intervals until the condition is clear) or, increasingly, with spot-on selamectin (Stronghold). This is a modern drug, related to ivermectin, and appears to be safe and effective in rabbits.

Although widely used, these products are not licensed for use in rabbits and are used on an off-label basis – a situation that is true for most drugs used on our pet rabbits! However, this explains why your vet may ask you to sign a disclaimer before treating your bunny.

Never use dog/cat “spot on” treatments without consulting your vet; they may be dangerous to your bunny. For example, the manufacturers of fipronil (Frontline) warn it should not be used in rabbits.

You can find more information on the treatment of mite infestation in the dermatology section of this website. Finally, if your rabbit does develop a problem with mites, remember to treat the bedding and cage too.

Revision History
This article first appeared as a Q&A in the “Rabbit health matters” supplement of Rabbiting On. It was revised when it first appeared on the RWA website in November 2001, and again in November 2004.

Copyright © Dr Linda Dykes 2001/2004