Groom during a molt when bunny hates it?

[mint]

Moomoo is molting pretty bad.  I combed her out and there was enough fur to make another bunny.  She still has clumps around her butt and back legs, so I want to comb her again, but now she is really wary of me even more than usual. 

She really hates the combing too because she hates being handled.  I try to be gentle but it seems to make her really mad at me and stress her out pretty bad.  

After the sessions she usually just lays down giving me her butt, and she’ll stomp and grunt at me if I come near her.  Do you think it’s better to just let the fur shed, rather than comb her, due to the stress? 

[LoveChaCha]

I put a towel in the bathroom, pick up the bunny, take her into the bathroom, set the towel on my lap, bunny, and pluck away. Rabbits don’t like it, but I do it because I don’t want my bunny to ingest a ton of fur and get a potential blockage o_O I give her a lot of hay daily, and it helps push the fur through the tummy.

Have you noticed any stringy poo?

I would suggest a treat after grooming to make her happy

[mint]

I occasionally see a stringy poop now and again. Ingestion does worry me because there is literally a mat of fur after one day in her space from her shedding.

Yeah she has no problem taking a treat afterward! I’ll try the plucking instead of combing, thanks!

[LizzieKnittyBun]

Try a lint roller instead… it’s often faster and the hair clings to it so you can just toss it when you’re finished.

Definitely keep grooming her so she won’t ingest too much fur. The stringy poop is a warning sign.

Don’t worry, she won’t molt forever : )

[BinkyBunny]

Vivian is a molting mess right now. She likes to be combed only in certain areas. However, I have learned a trick that helps me comb more everywhere. She likes being pet pretty much everywhere so I just brush with one hand, and the other hand follows right after. That seems to work much better. Also, if I come across a tuff that gets a bit stuck in the comb, I use my fingers to protect the base of the fur tuff so it doesn’t pull — kind of like when get to a tangle in your own hair — you use your other hand to hold onto the hair between the tangle and your scalp so it doesn’t hurt.

[mint]

Thanks guys, gotta do what’s good for her.

[RabbitPam]

Yes, in the long run it’s much better for her to be combed. Sammy hates it, but if I pet her whole head (she loves that) until she puddles, she knows that the price is being combed. Gentle pressure on the shoulders as you pet around the ears is also a mild form of dominance that they usually sit still for.

[Rodney]

I recently rescued a Holland Lop and she’s wonderful but I’m not sure what kind of circumstances she came from. She Haddon Heights so bad that when she shook her head big chunks of black stuff came out of her and I took her to the vet three times and my vet that never seen a case of mites like that ever. I know it’s affected her hearing a great deal, she might be even deaf I’m not sure. She is so nervous!!! She lets me pet her and I talked very soft and she’ll let me comb her for a little bit, however, if I get a snag I stopped right away but then she just jumps away and won’t let me pet her for the whole day. She’s been having string poops and it really worries me! I so don’t want to hold her down because she’s such a nervous rabbit and I’m trying to make her feel safe and trust me. Any suggestions would be very Greatly Appreciated! Thanks Sue

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