Furry Feet

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

My lionhead, Toki, has VERY VERY furry feet. His feet are so furry that his toe nails are nowhere to be seen.  I was wondering if i can trim his feet just like I trim my dogs feet.

Fog dogs, if not trimmed, it makes it hard for them to get a grip onto floors.  Is this the same case for rabbits? Does having a hairy feet give any disadvantages or limit them physically in their everyday lives?

I’m thinking that this could be result of having lack of ‘wilderness’ since he’s a domestic rabbit. For an example, a wild rabbit dont need his nails trimmed because it gets worn out running around different surfaces.

[Deleted User]

How furry are we talking about? He is a lion head right?

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

He stands on his hair instead of his feet. I’ve met other lionheads and I think Toki is hairier than others. When I let him out in the yard, his feet collects all the leaves and debree from the ground.

[BinkyBunny]

When you say hair feet, do you mean the actual bottom? If so, you definitely want to leave that alone.  UNLESS, you find that it’s matted on the bottom, then you want to carefully brush out  the mats.  Rabbit need to fur on the bottom of their feet for padding. As they don’t have actual skin like pads like dogs do.

[Sarita]

If he has long hair you should trim it and comb it – it will get very matted. You don’t want to trim to the skin but you will need to brush it as well. I just had a friend demat a fuzzy lop that I’m trying to bond with one of my buns and the fur on the bottom of his feet was so bad and matted, it was not a good thing – his whole body was that way really – he got a full body trim. I have another rabbit, who is not long haired, but very furry and the bottom of his feet get matted too so I try to trim his feet too. Do be careful though and take your time – you don’t want to nick her skin.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Fur on the hocks or rear feet should be groomed regularly to fluff it up and prevent matting and absolutley should not be cut or removed except in cases of extreme matting so it can grow back normally (use lots of soft surface coverings until it grows back). Like Binky Bunny said, it is padding for the feet and if it is not there, sore hocks can result and that is not a good thing. Sore hocks can become open wounds, which then become infected and if not treated promptly can cause the infection to penetrate and go into the bone.

[Sarita]

Sore hocks are more common in larger rabbits and rabbits who are kept in unsanitary conditions or on wire floors. And I’m not saying to remove, I’m saying to trim as needed on the bottom if the fur is long or matted.

[Scarlet_Rose]

I totally understand Sarita and assumed that. Sorry if it was taken the wrong way, I was explaining how if it were removed or too short, what would happen.

[poopy]

Your lionheads are so cute! We want pictures!!

[Author]

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