Here are some symptoms of a rabbit with a hairball:
* Slowing down on eating or not eating at all
* Smaller or less manure output
* “string of pearls” - droppings that are stuck together by thick strands of hair (some hair is normal)
* Decrease in activity level
Treatment for hairballs:
There are several treatments for hairballs.
* Take all pellets away for 24 hours and give a constant supply of hay.
* Give the rabbit a mixture of equal parts Molasses, Adolph’s meat tenderizer, freshpineapple juice, and olive oil. This can be given to the rabbit 1-3 times a daydepending on how bad the rabbits block is. If all of the above is unavailable give Molasses and oil (such as, mineral oil and olive oil) in a 1:1 ratio. It might benecessary to syringe feed the rabbit.
* Hairball remedies like Petromalt (found at feed stores) can be given according to thedirections on the box. Or hairball remedies for cats can be given (like Pounce hairballtreatment) found at a grocery store.
* Some people would recommend that if the rabbit does not start improving within 2 days to take it to the vet. We try to treat at home as much as possible
Prevention:
There are several things that can be done to help prevent a rabbit from getting a hairball.
* Watch the rabbit - Being aware of how much the rabbit is eating, drinking and eliminating and just how his normal behavior is.
* Good Grooming - Brushing a rabbit especially when it is molting is a good way to remove excess hair so it won’t get in the rabbit’s stomach.
* Good Diet - Always feeding a rabbit quality grass hay (such as Timothy hay or any other grass hay) and routinely feeding papaya tablets or fresh papaya and pineapple chunks.
* Feeding oils - Another good prevention is to give the rabbit a cat hairball treatment like Pounce hairball treatment since the main ingredients are oils. Feeding the rabbit about once a week some Mineral oil will also help lubricate the stomach.
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