Fur mat question

[JackRabbit]

I found a lump of matted fur on Marlee’s bottom right beside and a little below her tail. The mat is about finger size around and goes all the way to her skin from what I can tell (its like a fur finger sticking out next to her tail, not flat like matted fur usually is). Its too close to the skin to cut it off.

Anyone ever seen a mat like that? What should I do?

[LBJ10]

Are you able to tease it away from the skin with a comb?

[JackRabbit]

It goes all the way to the skin and it looks like a combination of matted and twisted fur, like a tightly woven dreadlock hanging next to her tail? Will more fur just continue to add to it if it’s left alone or will it just grow out?

[Cottontail]

When we had cats with that kind of mat, we’d split it with scissors. You cut the top half of the mat off, but the remainder you take the scissor perpendicular to the skin and snip through the mat in a couple places so that it becomes essentially a couple close together mats… you don’t have to get all the way down to the skin, but it allows them the opportunity to try to work it out themselves a bit and generally relieves some stress on the skin of it’s tight and pulling. That’s the best advise I’ve got for the situation… Once it’s had a chance to grow out a bit it won’t be as tight and you can repeat the process. There’s a good possibility if just left completely alone when already in this state it will get worse by incorporating the surrounding furs. :\
I wish you good luck!

[JackRabbit]

This is going to sound strange, but the mat is hard but flexible . . . can I be sure its a mat and not some type of fleshy growth? I’ve never had a pet with fur that could mat before and this is the first time this has happened with my bunnies!

[Deleted User]

Sorry JR, I’m not well but I am reading….. I ditto CT and I have experienced what you just described in your last post with my Toy Poodle Molly.
Cut off as much as you can (the hard/stiff part) with the scissors, and try to tease the rest out with a comb. If you can’t – keep at it, as it grows you will.
Sorry if that didn’t make sense – maybe I shouldn’t have posted today….. Sorry!

[LBJ10]

If you can’t tease it out as is, then I agree that cutting into the mat would probably help loosen things.

[JackRabbit]

Would the vet be able to cut it off?

[JackRabbit]

How quickly does the mat need to be dealt with?

[LBJ10]

If it isn’t pulling, then it isn’t going to really hurt anything. If it is pulling, then you will want to deal with is as soon as you can. I mean, Wooly will get mats here and there. I don’t fuss about them too much because they tend to be loose and away from the skin. If I can’t tease them out with the comb, then I just cut them. No biggie. If you’re concerned, I’m sure the vet could get in there with more precision. Or at the very least, she might be scared enough at the vet’s office to stay still enough for them to cut it off safely.

[Deleted User]

Ditto LBJ! Just change Wooly for Molly.

I love/d Molly, but I’ll never get another Poodle again – high maintenance. Either he needed to be groomed every day (not for me – too lazy!) or trimmed monthly (expensive) at the groomer, or option 3…. ”I” cut and combed the matts in between going to the groomer’s.

Imagine a knot in your hair near your scalp (I don’t know how I sleep to get them, but I do), that’s how Marlee would feel. If it’s on the skin pulling, it would hurt/cause discomfort. If it’s way from the skin – she may not notice it and it may not bother her (like me until I go to comb my hair – DOH!).

[Megabunny]

I’m not sure if the vet would totally get it out either with clippers if it’s that tight to the skin. I agree with the others about waiting a bit and trying the break apart if she’ll let you. Rabbit fur will usually come off like LBJ discussed with a comb in time

[Cottontail]

Another note… once it’s no longer so tight to the skin, you should be able to get the rest of the mat in one session. The easiest way at that point is to slide a comb between the mat and the skin and use it as a guard for your scissors, that way you can get closer to the skin without risk of cutting the bun. I hope that she cooperates and doesn’t hold too much of a grudge… Maybe she can get a special reward during or after having her “pants tailored?”

[JackRabbit]

I’m such a wuss. Heading to the vet this afternoon. Hopefully they can get it out and give her a little trim down there as well. Also a good excuse for me to put off learning to trim nails for another month — we’ll be there *anyway* and Moshi goes along for support and son can do Kieko’s nails this month . . .

[Megabunny]

Lucky bunny!! What a good mom!

[JackRabbit]

Went to the vet . . . I think I’m in love the vet tech we saw today!! I kept hearing how wonderful this tech was so I requested her when I called this morning. She does house calls!! The vet office charges $22 *per bunny* for nail trims and $18 for mat removal. The tech said she charges $15 for a house visit which *includes* trimming all 3 buns’ nails, removing any mats, scent gland cleaning!!!!!

Turns out that Marlee had the one big hangy mat I found plus a bunch of little ones starting so Marlee got a bikini trim! The vet tech cut both M&Ms nails nice and short too — bonus!

Next to lots of poops in litterboxes, this is the happiest I’ve been this year!!

[LBJ10]

That’s great JR! Wish my vet did house calls for stuff like that. Wooly hasn’t had his nails trimmed for awhile because he refuses to let me touch his feet and my husband is zero help when it comes to holding him.

[JackRabbit]

LBJ — turns out this vet tech works exclusively with the main exotics vet there so she has lots of experience with bunnies. She also does bunny sitting!

[MissGabbster]

Is Utah too far for a house call from her? LOL

[JackRabbit]

MG — hahaha! Probably just a little far! Luckily I’m really close to the vet office!

I’m still excited!

[Author]

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