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Why Would My Bunny Lose Its Hair?

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It can be scary to discover that your pet bunny is losing her hair. Hair loss is common for rabbits, though, and is often just a result of natural occurrences such as shedding -- nothing to worry about. If you rule out natural reasons for the hair loss, however, then you should seek veterinary care to diagnose the problem.

Molting or Shedding

It is normal for some types of rabbits to molt, or shed their fur, once or a few times a year. It is important to know what breed of rabbit you have and what its shedding habits are. In many cases, what may seem to be an alarming loss of hair simply may be the normal process of your bunny molting its old fur coat.

Hair Loss Due to Barbering

Barbering is a term used to describe what happens when one bunny bullies another to establish or maintain its dominance. The dominant bunny will sometimes pull out the hair of the other bunnies. When this happens you should separate them so that the barbering can be put to a stop. You also can confirm by separating them whether or not this is really the cause of your bunny's hair loss.

Nest Building

Female bunnies will sometimes pull out their own hairs when pregnant. She uses her hair along with other materials to help build a nest for her young. If this is the reason for the bunny's hair loss then there is no cause for alarm. Make sure that you establish whether or not your bunny is pregnant before trying to diagnose her for a more severe condition for her hair loss.

Hair Loss Due to Medical Condition

Hair loss can be caused by certain medical conditions. These can range from mites, fleas, ringworms, infections, disease, wounds or a nutritional deficiency such as low fiber in her diet. It is important to seek veterinary care if natural causes for her hair loss can be ruled out and if it's suspected that a more serious condition may be the underlying cause.