Rabbits and Hairballs

We have recently obtained a young rabbit
as a family pet. I had no idea that a rabbit
could be such an engaging indoor pet.
However, I am worried. My neighbor's pet
rabbit recently stopped eating for a couple
of days and suddenly died. They took it to
their veterinarian to have the body
examined and she told them it died from
trichobezoar. What is this, and could it be a
problem for my rabbit?

Trichobezoar is the doctor word for hairballs.
Rabbits, like cats, are very fastidious animals.
They spend a lot of time grooming themselves
and ingesting the hair. However, unlike cats,
rabbits are incapable of vomiting. Hair can
collect in the stomach and intestines. If enough
hair builds up it can cause a partial or total
obstruction. When this happens the rabbit may
eat less or stop eating completely. Any
condition that causes the rabbit to groom more,
can make the problem worse; fleas, boredom,
stress.

Rabbits deprived of food can starve to death in
less than a week. Any problem that involves a
rabbit that is not eating is an emergency. It is
important in these situations to seek the advice
of a veterinarian experienced with rabbits.
Because there are many reasons why a rabbit
might stop eating, it is important to determine
as quickly as possible whether or not a hairball
is the problem. In most cases this is done by
taking X-rays of the rabbit's abdomen. A
contrast medium similar to barium may be
required to clearly visualize the obstruction.

The treatment for hairballs depends on how
many days it has been since the rabbit ate,
and its general condition. When caught early,
a combination of nursing care, and
medications can be tried to get the hairball to
pass. If the rabbit has not eaten for several
days its only chance may be to have a surgery
to open the stomach and remove the hairball.
Even successful surgeries require intensive
post-surgical care.

Rabbit hairballs are a problem best avoided.
Dietary management is the key. The diet
should consist primarily of roughage such as
kale, collard greens, and mustard greens. The
rest of the daily diet should consist of ¼ to ½
cups rabbit pellets and a handful of timothy
hay. Finally, a 1" strip of commercial feline
hairball remedy twice a week can go a long
way to preventing this serious problem.
Rabbits are exotic pets and require you to be
extra-attentive to signs of medical illness.