Monday, January 25, 2010

does my rabbit have pica?

For anyone who hasn't seen these pictures before, this is Baby.
I got Baby last fall, in lieu of getting pregnant. Basically, i wanted something small and cute to cuddle and take care of, but recognised that having another baby at this time was a really bad idea. Hence the name.

i love Baby, but i am worried about him. For three days now he has been eating his hair. I have no idea why he is doing this. He has plenty of food and timothy hay. I brush him to help with shedding. But he sits in his cage, yanking out bits of hair and eating them.
This is especially worrisome because, unlike cats, rabbits cannot throw up a hairball. A hairball can cause an intestinal blockage and kill them. I am just worried i am going to wake up and find him dead in his cage one morning.
There was this pet store we used to go to when I was a kid that had a big old parrot name Herkie. As Herkie got older, he started losing it and pulled out all his feathers. He looked ridiculous, with feathers on his wings and head, but a bald, skinny chicken-bone body.
Is Baby losing his mind? Am I not providing him with enough enrichment? Or is this just a phase?




8 comments:

Alexandra Rising said...

Poor Baby :(
Have you looked up any possible causes online?

brie said...

i have no idea about pica, but SHIT i want your rabbit! it's

A D O R A B L E

Keely said...

She could just be chewing her fur. Some rabbits do this, a lot of times if they are not getting enough fiber. Be sure to give her extra hay in case she is eating the fur; the hay will help prevent hairballs.Unspayed females sometimes build a "nest" and pull hair from their chest and stomach to line the nest for babies.

Is there a rash? She might have fleas also.

Try increasing fiber first. (Carrots, extra hay, 1/2 bananna)

If it doesn't help take her to vet to check for fleas/rash.

:)

Lou Lou said...

I.LOVE.YOUR.RABBIT

Lost in Obsession said...

I use 2 have rabbits till they kept dieing and I realized i had no idea what I was doing. Sry bout your rabbit, maybe a trip to the vet is in order?

Keely said...

Oops. I overlooked that baby is a "he". :) Disregard my nest theory. :)

now.is.now said...

I forgot you had a rabbit! So cute!

I would suggest calling a vet and asking if you should be worried...

Anonymous said...

Baby is so cute. :) Has anything changed in his environment or with his food? My cat went through a phase where she ripped out almost all of her stomach and leg hair. The vet couldn't figure it out but we figured out it was an allergy. And we eliminated a certain flavor treat we had been giving her and she quit chewing at herself and her hair grew back.