Terrible mats. HELP!!!

[blossomisabun]

I was totally unprepared for the enormous fluff of this rabbit that came from a litter of (and sired by) Netherland Dwarfs. I think we established in my previous post that he has some manner of wooly gene and woolier he becomes all the time. 

Two weeks ago, I took him to the vet in a panic because I thought he had some kind of skin disorder that was spreading. Turns out it was little matted balls of undercoat fur. Despite brushing him nearly every single day since he came home at 6 weeks old (now 4 months old), this happened.

For two weeks solid, I have tortured both myself and this poor little guy, trying to de-mat him. I have purchased every kind of brush and comb imaginable. I have Googled endlessly. I have watched videos. He won’t stay still. He tries to bite and escape. I’m terrified I’ll cut his skin. I have gotten nowhere and the mats are only getting worse, now matting together into bigger mats and I’m feeling hopeless. 

I have read so many mixed opinions about resorting to an experienced rabbit groomer (no idea how much that might cost as I’ve never had an animal groomed ever) and to shave down the mats to start over. 

I’m at a loss right now and just don’t know what to do.

[LBJ10]

Did we establish whether or not he had guard hairs?

I can tell you how I groom Wooly. I typically use a Hairbuster comb. I’ll set him in my lap, facing away from me. Starting near his tail, I pick up his fur and comb from the inside out and back to front. When he isn’t shedding, I only comb him once a week. If he is shedding, I will comb him just about every day. This is because he will shed all at once (blow his coat). So I have to keep up with it so he doesn’t mat. The reason I don’t have to comb him as much between sheds is because he has guard hairs. They help prevent matting. Now this isn’t to say Wooly doesn’t get mats! There are a few places that I’m not allowed to touch. His chest is a big no-no area. So if I can’t get that area as well and it starts to mat, I don’t sweat it and either shave or cut it off. Sometimes he’ll have a mat here and there too. I prefer to just cut those off as well because it’s less stressful on him.

If your bunny doesn’t have guard hairs, then I would suggest regular trims. I know lots of people with English angoras do that all the time because their wool does not have guard hairs and it becomes matted easily. Now Blossom is still young. If I remember correctly, Wooly had a very soft baby coat that was thinner but fluffier than his adult coat. I don’t think the guard hairs appeared until his adult coat came in.

[blossomisabun]

From what I can tell, there are no guard hairs. His fur is insanely fine and soft and the mats are so bad that I think he might just need to be shaved to start over, but I don’t know if this is his adult coat and maybe I should wait. His coat used to be black and is now very silver, with some white and rusty colors spots on the back of his neck.

[LBJ10]

Yes, Wooly was very black when he was a baby as well. His coloring became diluted in a sense when his adult coat came in because the wool has a grey/silver appearance. He’s a Vienna marked black otter.

There is nothing wrong with shaving down and starting over from scratch. It doesn’t have to look pretty either.

[Jessica]

If he is all matted it’s best just to cut him down. I’ve had angoras for years so all I do is deal with tons of fluff ?

Mats hurt they pull on the skin, and brushing pulls them more. Use a metal comb slide it under the mat and then with scissor cut it off. Do it in a number of small sessions and give plenty of treats. Your bun my look choppy for a few weeks but it will even out quickly.

If you search for a groomer to do this make sure they have groomed rabbits and that they have you come in when there are no dogs in the salon. A quiet salon will be easiest on your bun

[Sam]

Definitely agree to shave and start over! I used to shave cats (they were sedated thank the lord, as it was while i was a vet tech at a clinic, we did lion shaves for cats that were unable to be handled by a groomer and had severe enough matting/bad enough tempers that they couldn’t be brushed) and when that sort of fine, fluffy fur gets matted, there’s really no better option in my opinion. I also had to shave my old bunny Sally’s bum when she got some serious matting there, and we were both much happier with that arrangement than me trying to brush out mats

[blossomisabun]

Thanks for the votes of confidence on finding a groomer to shave and start over. I’ve really tried everything I can to do it myself, but he just won’t stay still.

I was referred to a local pet shop and groomer experienced with angoras. Apparently the shop also sells rabbits, which I don’t like at all, but I will at least talk to them about their grooming service and see if I can arrange something at a time with no dogs present.

[blossomisabun]

Thanks for the votes of confidence on finding a groomer to shave and start over. I’ve really tried everything I can to do it myself, but he just won’t stay still.

I was referred to a local pet shop and groomer experienced with angoras. Apparently the shop also sells rabbits, which I don’t like at all, but I will at least talk to them about their grooming service and see if I can arrange something at a time with no dogs present.

[Author]

Messages