Over Grooming?

MyBabyBunnies · Jul 9, 2006

(Sorry if I put this in the wrong area.)

I noticed the other day that Zoey has a small bald path under one of her eyes. It wasn't there a week ago and it's not getting any worse from what I've seen. The vet looked at her eyes when I took her in a few weeks ago and said nothing. Since Mocha and Zoey have only been bonded for a few weeks, I'm thinking it's probably from Mocha over grooming her in that area. He does seem to pay extra attention to grooming around her eyes and always seems to go straight for grooming around her eyes. Is it likely that this is caused by Mocha grooming her?

rubysmom · Jul 9, 2006

Maybe it's from overgrooming but you would probably see more hair loss around the eye instead of just that one patch. I wouldn't worry too much unless it started to spread or change in some way. Especially since your vet looked at her eyes and didn't feel anything was wrong. Your picture made me laugh...I thought I was the only one that would take a blow up pic of my pets anatomy and indicate suspect areas! I thought that my rabbit was being overgroomed after he was bonded to my female because he had developed a weird ring around his nose. No fur loss just a weird parting of his fur. My vet just laughed and said she had no idea why it was like that but only I would notice something like that. I had to laugh too. He's fine and it still like that/images/emoticons/big_grin.gif

MyBabyBunnies · Jul 9, 2006

LOL, well it's sort of hard to see so I highlighted it. It wasn't like that even a few days ago but Mocha tends to groom ALOT in that one particular spot and no where else. When he grooms her, thats the one spot he goes to right awayand I don't know why. It's not spreading and there are no more bald patches anywherebut it's about the size of the tip of Mocha's tongue. I should also add that she's shedding so it's possible the extra grooming in that spot managed to work all her hair out.

RebeccaUK · Jul 10, 2006

We had an overgrooming problem a few months back - unfortunately I haven't any images to post but it was on Benjamin's back and was approx 4cm in length and 2cm in width. The vet decided it was Twinkle who was over-zealous in her grooming of Benjamin. The vet even suggested that Twinkle had been eating Benjamin's fur rather than just cleaning him.

I would keep an eye on the patch and see what happens. Hope the fur grows back asap.

rubysmom · Jul 10, 2006

When they eat the fur it is called "barbering". Many times a dominant individual will do that to a subordinate. I have a female guinea pig who used to do that to her bonded friend.