Poop-on-a-String??

[cmh9023]

I've had a new bun for about 5 months now and he seems to be shedding more lately. Are there certain times of year that buns shed?

Anyway...His fur is different than my other two buns. He's a Holland Lop but his fur is sort of like Fuzzy Lop fur. It's thicker and I have to comb him about once a week. Lately his poops have been coming out strung together with fur. Sometimes just 2 are strung together, but today there was a string of 7! My question is, is this a good sign in that the fur is getting out of his system or is it a bad sign in that thereis waytoo much fur in his stomach? The string of fur isn't very thick but they are definitely hooked together. His appetite is good, he drinks a lot of water, he's very active and gets a lot of exercise time, eats lots of hay, and gets a squirt of Petromalt once a week.

 

[aurora369]

Try brushing him more often now that he's shedding so badly. You don't want to see poops strung together with fur, means a much higher risk of developing a blockage.

Encourage him to eat as much hay as possible, and maybe try him on some pumkin to increase his fiber.

--Dawn

 

[Offspring2099]

When our buns go through a shedding week I just"pluck" them. Genetly remove the lose fur when I play with them every night. Sometimes I wet my hand that helps a lot.

Also Pineapple juice has the enzymes to break down fur in stomach, but not canned pineapple (I dont think).

 

[cmh9023]

Thanks. I'll stop and get some pumpkin tomorrow. How much should I feed him? He's 2 1/2 pounds.

 

[Spring]

I would start by giving him maybe half a tsp to see if it bothers him because it's a new food. I'm not sure how much you can give him, just start out giving a small amount.

Brushing is veryimportant during a moult.

 

[cmh9023]

I know I really need to brush him more. He really hates it and struggles so hard. Any tips on getting him to hold still better?

 

[Spring]

Is there any way someone could hold him while you brush? Or the other way around?

 

[naturestee]

I always have to hold my rabbits while I brush them. The only one that tends to hold still attacks the brush if he sees it.:rollseyes

Although I do some daily plucking while I pet them.

What kind of a brush are you using? I've found that rubber brushes like the Zoom Groom get tons of hair off fast without irritating sensitive bunny skin.

 

[cmh9023]

I have used my cat's flea comb which worked pretty well, but it did seem to tug on his skin which looks very delicate. So... I got a little square brush with short, flexible metal bristles on it. That works ok too but he's so small its hard to maneuver itaround him while I'm holding him. I'll look for a rubber brush. That sounds a lot gentler than the things I've been using. He's still really skittish about being touched or held so adding a comb/brush to the mix has not made him a happy boy

Are there certain times of the year for shedding? And once he gets used to pumkpin, how much should I give him each day? Thanks!!

 

[naturestee]

I give about a tablespoon of pumpkin a day while they're shedding. Okay, actually I let the little monsters eat right out of the container, but not for too long!

Everyone here loves pumpkin except Oberon. It really does help with small poops and poops-on-a-string. Mmm, hydration and fiber! If you feed veggies, you can dip them in water too. More water really helps keep everything moving.

I use one of those wire cat brushes after I'm done with the Zoom Groom to get loose stray fur. The Zoom Groom gets really messy! But I don't go beyond the top layer of fur with the wire brush.

Edit: This is a popular time of year for molting.Mocha and Loki finished a little bit ago, Fey and Sprite are towards the end of it. Fall is another common time. And they'll usually have a few smaller molts in between. Although it depends on the rabbit, too. Mocha only molts twice a year and then everything goes at once!

 

[Crystalballl]

My Bandit has been having the same problem. His poop all strung together. He eats quite a bit of hay. But I'll try the Pumpkin. Pure Pumpkin? is it in a Can? I've never bought it before, so I have no idea?! Thanks!

Crystal

 

[naturestee]

Yes, 100% pure pumpkin in a can. Don't force it if he doesn't like it, it's mainly a tasty fluid and fiber delivery system.

 

[JadeIcing]

I fed it to my guys the first time a few days ago. Elvis yanked the spoon and ran.

 

[Crystalballl]

Alright I'll buy some today and give it a shot! Thanks