Reasons Rabbits Eat Fur & Solutions to Stop It

Section 1: Reasons Why Rabbits Chew Their Fur

1. Parasites on the rabbit's body can lead to furchewing behavior.

2. A diet low in roughage or insufficient sulfur amino acids in rabbit food can trigger this issue. Additionally, fluctuating environmental conditions, such as sudden changes in temperature, may also contribute to rabbits chewing their fur. This symptom is particularly common during late autumn, early winter, and early spring.

3. Another possibility is that the rabbit is in a molting phase or is infested with lice.

Rabbits between 1 to 3 months of age are most commonly affected by furchewing. This behavior can be categorized into two types: selfchewing and mutual chewing. Selfchewing refers to rabbits gnawing on their own fur, with the exception of areas like the neck and head that are difficult to reach. In mutual chewing, rabbits may chew each other's fur, or even that of rabbits in adjacent cages, leading to the loss of fur from any part of the body. This can result in weight loss, lack of energy, and an increased risk of developing hairball disease in affected rabbits.

Section 2: How to Address the FurChewing Behavior in Rabbits

Treatment: You can administer 0.25g of methionine and 25mg of cystine to the rabbit daily for 3 to 5 days. Alternatively, you can add 0.5% of gypsum powder to the rabbit's feed for 5 to 7 days, and also increase the amount of fresh green feed.

Preventive Measures:

1. Ensure good ventilation and lighting in the rabbit shed, while keeping the shed warm and dry to avoid dampness.

2. Reduce the density of rabbits in the shed, and promptly clean up any shed fur during molting periods to prevent it from contaminating the feed or water, which could lead to furchewing habits or hairball disease.

3. Improve the rabbit food formula, and provide the rabbit with sufficient animal and plant protein sources, such as bone meal and soybean cake. Also, ensure the rabbit receives adequate minerals like sodium and calcium, as well as vitamins.

4. Conduct regular deworming: Use ivermectin for external deworming and albendazole for internal deworming.

This concludes the introduction by Oxygen Pet Doctor on the reasons for rabbits chewing their fur and how to address this behavior. We hope this information is helpful to you. Lastly, a reminder to all rabbit owners: Rabbits are quite clean and often use licking as a means of selfcleaning. However, if they ingest too much fur, it can lead to bloating. Therefore, it is recommended that owners regularly comb and clean their rabbits' fur.