One of the reasons many people enjoy rabbit breeds such as the angoras, jersey woolies and American fuzzy lops, is due to their soft wool coats. These long-haired rabbits are beautiful to see and wonderful to touch. However, one of the problems that is associated with owning a rabbit with a wool coat is that they can get something called ‘wool block’ much easier than rabbit breeds with normal or rex fur.
What is Wool Block?
Rabbits ingest wool and fur when they groom themselves or nibble on their neighbor’s coat. The wool mixes with the undigested food in their stomachs or intestines and becomes a firm ball called a trichobezoar.
There is some speculation that a rabbit's tendency to become blocked could be due to the way their insides are formed, inferring there is a possible genetic link to wool block. While wool block isn’t limited to long-haired rabbits, it is predominately seen in rabbit breeds that have wool. If not treated early, the rabbit may not survive.
Preventing Wool Block
As with anything, a little prevention goes a long way in avoiding a trichobezoar in a rabbit.
- Make sure the rabbit pellets are high in fiber.
- Offer grass hay or oat hay for roughage as often as possible – preferably everyday.
- Papaya enzymes break down wool fiber. Offer papaya enzymes 1-2 times a week in tablet form or whole form. Also try putting pineapple juice in the water bottle.
- Keep long-haired rabbits groomed to eliminate as much loose wool as possible.
- Try not to over feed a rabbit, as this could cause a digestive system backup and encourage wool block.
- Always have fresh water available to rabbits.
Symptoms of Wool Block
- Rabbit looks listless or depressed.
- The rabbit stops eating and drinking.
- Rabbit droppings become very small, hard and are sometimes strung together.
- No droppings at all.
Treating Wool Block
Rabbits can't vomit, so any blockage has to be pushed out the opposite end. If the blockage is severe enough, none of your attempts to cure him will help, and he needs to be seen by a veterinarian ASAP. Surgery may be necessary. However, if his symptoms have just appeared and he's still leaving some droppings, there are a few things that can be tried before the trip to the vet.
- Offer him a piece of banana with the skin still on (maybe 1/3 banana).
- Give him ½ tsp – 1 tsp of Colase syrup (a stool softener) on a banana if he will eat it, otherwise, it can be given with an eyedropper. If an eye dropper is used, put him on someone’s lap with his feet resting on their legs. Try to get the dropper in his mouth coming at him from the side of his mouth. Don’t turn the rabbit over and force it down his throat, he may aspirate the fluid into his lungs.
- A dropper or two of mineral oil may help the blockage pass.
- 1 tsp of meat tenderizer mixed with mashed banana has been known to help break up the hair blockage.
Wool Block can be very serious for a rabbit as far as recovering from a severe case, so when in doubt, consult a vet that works with small animals and/or exotics.
Disclaimer: This information in this article is for reference only. In no way does it take the place of veterinary counsel or care.
Related Reading
Interested in reading more about rabbits? Check out Rabbit Reproduction. Don't forget to look at Raising Angora Rabbits For Wool and Myxomatosis: The Rabbit Killer.
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