Matted fur

[Briana C.]

 Greyson has had horrible mats in his fur since i got him. I am VERY ashamed that i haven’t done anything about it earlier. It has been hard up until recently to get my point across to my parents. When i was younger i couldn’t pay for Greyson to have the things he needed so i was dependent on my parents, so anything they thought wasn’t nessicery didnt happen. Now that i have enough money to provide for my rabbit and i’m old enough to realize that Greyson needs a lot more than hes been getting, i can finally afford to get him groomed by professionals. I havn’t called yet because i know nothing about what i’m doing. The place i want to take him to is a small animal grooming salon. What sort of questions should i ask? and what should i expect? I mean these mats are so close to the skin and they are BIG i can’t remove them i wont risk that. Should i wait until summertime so if they have to shave him he will be warm still? its been in the 70’s around here or hotter but i don’t want to risk it possibly getting colder. Any suggestions or thoughts? Thanks!

[Bo Bunny]

Hmm when my grandma’s cat Mary had mats, she was a black long haired cat, she’d have her shaved every spring. Looked so funny with her long poofy tail and her head unshaved. So that might be an option. If you did do that I’d wait it warms up slightly. Also as for asking questions maybe ask to see some client pictures of the work done and maybe what were to happen in the event your rabbit got nicked or something.

[Briana C.]

Okay thanks for the help haha ive seen those persian cats before LOL

[Beka27]

You are right that you absolutely should not do it yourself! Rabbit skin is very, very thin and can be easily nicked with scissors. I’d recommend you take him to the vet to have the mats removed. I’d be weary about a groomer, but maybe that’s just me. Is he long-haired? Where is he matted?

[jerseygirl]

If he is matted on the underside I would get an experienced person to cut them out. It’s better for hygiene but also more comfortable for him. Heavy matts can be a bit painful on the skin. Providing plenty of straw for him to burrow into should keep him warm.

[KatnipCrzy]

My first thought is- (not seeing the mats/rabbit) is to try to arrange an appt where you can hold the bunny and they can shave the mats out.

I would not recommend a bath- as that will add more stress.  And a drop off appt at a groomer could be more stressful if there are barking dogs.

So I would try to minimize stress by having a professional shave out the mats- groomer or vet.  Don’t expect a “perfect” looking bunny afterwards- go for function/necessity and not beauty.

What kind of rabbit is Greyson and where are the mats?

[Briana C.]

Greyson is a netherland dwarf?– we *think* and he has short very soft fur, the matts are all on his bum and have been there since i adopted from his previous owner. I haven’t called the place but i feel pretty happy with it already because it is focused solely on small animals such as rabbits and other like animals.

[Monkeybun]

Reading your profile and seeing Greyson is about 5 lbs.. he’s no0t a purebred Nethie thats for sure. A mix is more likely

[Briana C.]

that was an estimation, i weighed him recently and he wasn’t five pounds, he was 2-3 llbs my scale is a bit off so i cant know for sure but i know he is definatley under five llbs. but mots likely he is a mix, i just got him from a teacher who had him as a class pet (YIKES)

[Beka27]

I’m so happy that you’re going to take him in to be cleaned up! He’ll feel so much better! Please keep us posted on how everything goes.

[Andi]

I had a handicap bunny who needed shavings monthly, though I can do it myself, rabbit fur killed my clippers (lol) so i would get my vet to do it (and kill their clippers :p ). I found the Vet was more experianced with rabbits then most groomers would be as they would only be used to cats and dogs, not delicate buns. And the clipping was not to expensive.

If you decided to go to a groomer, ask if they have ever groomed a bunny before, and only get him clipped not bathed. Good luck

[KatnipCrzy]

If Greyson is not a long haired rabbit once you have the mats removed you should be able to mantain the upkeep with combing/brushing.

[Briana C.]

So today i finally called the place and i mis read their ad, i thought it was small animal grooming but it’s just small breed grooming for dogs. I will be taking him to the vet to be groomed, and while im there i should probably get stuff checked out. He hasn’t ever been to the vet since i had him. I feel bad blaming it all on my parents but they expect me to pay for everything but his food basically. My dad grew up really poor and he lived on a farm, the animals just got food, water and a place to stay, the rest was just up to luck. He still just believes that if it’s not dying then its fine. my mom just doesn’t like animals at all so im at a disadvantage when it comes to me caring for my animals. Since i can finally pay for stuff, what all do i need to get checked out? I’m not rich and i am just a teenager working for $30 for 9 hrs of babysitting so please just tell me the necessities.

[Beka27]

The vet will do a general check-up, check teeth, eyes, ears, palpate stomach, and they can do a fecal test to check for parasites. You can also ask any other questions you might have about his care or diet.

[Briana C.]

alright thanks

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