Matting

[Lindsey]

I picked up my little rescue bunny Charmin (like the toilet paper) today.  The owner told me he was a netherland dwarf but when I got there I realized that he was a jersey wooly (I think) he is white and has long hair.  He has lots of matting around his rear and back, how can I get rid of this?  Also what type of brush is best to use on long haired rabbits since i’ll have to brush him in the future?  

His poor owner was living in a small trailer with a dog, a rabbit, and 4 cockatiels.  She lost her job and her car and has to move in with her son who said she could not keep him at his house.  He is completely litter box trained.  His owner told me to give him 2-3 saltine crackers a day because that is his favorite treat.

 

 

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

I can’t give you advice on brushing right now, but there are a few members with woolies and angoras that probably can.

But I can say as far as the saltines go, you should break the habit! It won’t hurt him if he gets a nibble every so often, but rabbits shouldn’t be eating a bunch of crackers! Haha. Take a look at the diet section for suitable treats (find it under the tab that says “Bunny Info”).

This site is great for all things bunny. Take a look around… you’ll find lots of useful info.

Also- welcome to BB!

[Beka27]

i don’t have experience with long-haired breeds. i know that they do require daily grooming. with those small ears, he may be a cross betw/ jersey and dwarf… if the matts are very bad, you might need to take him to the vet to get trimmed up.

i would suggest that you not give saltines (or any breads, cookies, crackers, chips, grains, seeds, nuts, corn, cereal pieces) at all since that can cause tummy upset with the bunny. the last thing you want to deal with with a long-haired breed is poopy butt!

he’s very cute. thank you for taking him in…

[KatnipCrzy]

aw, what a cutie!  I see Netherland dwarf in the ears and face- but the color and coat definitely imply another breed.  How much does he weigh?

Are the mats tight to the skin or further out along the coat?   If they are tight to the skin I would recommend shaving them off with electric clippers (like groomers and vets use).   If you do not have clippers you can see if your vet would be willing to shave off the mats.  If the mats are close to the skin, clippers are able to get in and cut between the mat and skin, slowly peeling the mat away.  If the mats are further away from the skin then you could use a mat rake to help break them up.  Never use scissors!  If you are going to take him in for a check up anyway you should consider having the vet do it especially if they are tight to the skin or extensive.  It will take a while for the little guy to learn to trust you- so make someone else be the bad guy if you can.  It might look uneven for awhile- but I bet he will feel better!

[Lindsey]

I don’t know how much he weighs yet but probably about 3 pounds or so. I’ll weigh him tomorrow. He is actually very friendly and curious. He was a house bunny before with just a litter box and the run of the house all the time. She said he doesn’t chew anything up and by the looks and smell of her house he really didn’t chew anything up or pee anywhere besides his litterbox. She just failed to groom him and gave him too many crackers. lol She made sure too when I walked out “Don’t forget to give him saltines!” lol I thought that Jersey woolies had short ears and big eyes and were dwarf rabbits?

[Lindsey]

Here are some pics I found of Jersey Woolies online that look very similar to him. 

Actually this second one is very similar to him

[jerseygirl]

Congrats! So that’s 3 boys now?  Very brave!  He does have a look of ND in the face but who’s to know…  Bunnytowne has a long haiired REW and recently said she got the hairbuster comb.  Found it the best type for her girl.  Try hairbuster.com/combs.html or bunnygear.com .

I wonder if you can massage a few drops of pure mineral oil into the matts to help loosen them?  You’d have to use sparingly and spot clean the oil out after.  The rabbit may groom out the oil and if ingested, it’ll have a laxative affect!

[Crayon]

awww.. what a cutie pie. It sounds like you found a great bunny.

[Lindsey]

He really is a great bunny. I could tell his owner was really upset to let him go. And yes that makes 3 boys. I prefer them to girls which can be so hormonal sometimes (even spayed). In the past my boys have always been much sweeter these boys were basically thrown into my lap too. Charmin seems very settled and has eaten and used his litter box several times already. He only knows how to drink out of a bowl and has never had a water bottle his entire life, thats a strange thing for me to get used to because i’m used to my other bunnies having bottles.
Just look at this face…

 

[jerseygirl]

Ooh, those cheeks! I saw your pics in the Rescue section and have been over there oohing and ahhing. You can see why it must have been hard for her to give him up.

[bunnytowne]

What an adorable little thing.  Ruby looks a lot like him except for her face and face hair.  I use a comb.  It is similar to a flea comb for dogs.  I use it to get tangles out. I start brushing at the ends first.   

I do these steps with the comb looks sort of like a flea comb with a handle.  I am going to have to look that comb up.  Then I repeat these steps with hairbuster.

Then I hold a layer up and brush the bottom layer on the sides and rear.  Then I use hair buster to brush the opposite way then brush the bottom layers back out in the direction the hair sits.  Then I brush the top layer opposite of how it grows then back down again.

Just be careful not to overgroom all the guard hairs out.

I hold the chest up and brush the bottom hair there too.    Also I trim the hair around the rear so the cecals and litter don’t get stuck in the fur.

I do that along with nails and anals once a month.

Jersey Woolies do not weigh much either.  They stay small too. I think around 3-6 lbs range.

It sort of looks like this.  Tines not too close together.  Then after this the hairbuster.

I am looking for a pic of the comb I use first. [script removed]

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I just bought a flea comb (I have everything, I collect-have the furminator too!) but the flea comb works very well!! On the short hair and Kahluas wooly hair And it was four dollars

[bunnytowne]

 

Here’s Ruby  

http://www.njwrc.net/articles/coat.html

that site will have info on jersey woolies and grooming too.

 

 

[Lindsey]

Thanks for the info! I’ll pick up a flea comb tomorrow. I trimmed the hair around his rear shorter but didn’t get the mats out yet. I’ll use your technique. Ruby is gorgeous and does look a lot like him. Thanks for the grooming link too i’ll look that over as well.

[Beka27]

oh bt! ruby is beautiful!

[bunnytowne]

Awe thanks that pic was taken yesterday b4 I groomed her.   She is starting to get a lionhead saddle on her back  barely noticeable I know lol Ruby is definitely a teddy bear lionhead.   She is looking a lot like Tiera the girls bun that I got Ruby from.

Charmin what a cute name.   He has the face of a netherland dward and the short ears too.  Maybe he is a mix?  Yep you gona be busy with hair. I love it though.

I can go 3days at most without grooming but has more tangles so I try to get everyday if not every other day.  Even if it is a quick comb running through her hair to keep it tangle free.

Most days I spent a lot of time on her hair.  She has learned to sit quietly. Rather she lies down while I go at it.

 

[Lindsey]

She is gorgeous! I had a double maned lionhead (like your girl) and she was a blue otter and gorgeous with long hair like your girl. She didn’t require lots of grooming though. Her hair was a much different texture than Charmin.

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