Erm.. Out of curiosity..

[serenz]

I brush them quite regularly and I thought they were fine cause Istill couldbrush through their fur, till Ifelt the matted fur at their chest, then I also realised that some of their fur is matted near tothe skin while the surface looks fine.

My buns fur are so matted around the chest area it's making me crazy. It's getting so big till they can practically use it as pillows. They keep struggling when I try to cut. And that got me lots of bloody(literally) scratches.

Then I have this crazy idea. People use rice soaked in liquor to knock chickens out so I was thinking if I can do the same with rabbits?

Q1. Should I leave the matted fur that looks fine on the surface? Will mat fur spread?

Q2. Can liquor be used to knock out rabbits?

Q3. Can rabbits be butt naked? Well, maybe except for their head. LOL


So what can I do?? Help!?!?!?

 

[susanBunnies69]

Urrrrm, cant quite believe you are asking these questions but!

1. NO, do not leave matted fur on bunnies, it can become very painful and sore for the bunny. Please take your bunny to the vets and ask them to remove the mats.

2. NO DO NOT use liquor to 'knock' bunnies out! :?:shocklease tell me this question was a joke.

3. Why would you want to shave all your bunnies hair off so they are 'butt naked!?' This is just cruel.

Please seek advice from your vet.

 

[HoneyPot]

I just want to remind everyone that a stupid question is one that goes unasked.

I think serenz has some very important questions that deserve serious answers. So tone it down.

Serenz - there are a couple members on here that have had to shave their buns because of mats or because of other reasons. It's not something I would recommend for a novice "bunny shaver" as their skin is very delicate. Is there a a reason you are thinking of shaving your guys?

If mats are a problem, a vet can help you decide on the best course of action as well as show you some good methods for grooming and combing out mats.

I think if there are some more severe mats, you should take your guys in to the vet to have them looked at and figure out if shaving, clipping or combing out the mats is the best bet.

As far as the alchohol goes, I don't think it's a good idea - my first instinct is no, don't do it obviously. Has it ever been done?.. I really don't know. I'll try doing some searches for you, but the easy answer is - probably not a good idea.



____________
Nadia

 

[HoneyPot]

Also - what breed of bunnies do you have? Are they long haired? Are the mats only on their belly area? Do you have a bunny savvy vet anywhere near you?

 

[~BunBuns~]

Q1. Should I leave the matted fur that looks fine on the surface? Will mat fur spread?

No, do not leave matted fur. I don't know if it will spread.

Q2. Can liquor be used to knock out rabbits?

No, you can not use liquor to "Knock out" rabbits. A simple trip to the vet can help remove the mat.

Q3. Can rabbits be butt naked? Well, maybe except for their head. LOL

No, i don't think rabbits can be butt naked.. and why? I personally think it kind of cruel to do that unless theres a problem.

 

[Flashy]

If you want to 'knock her out' maybe it's a better idea to try trancing her. It's not something I personally do, but I know others on here do.

You would then be able to put her on her back and work through the mats carefully and at the very least assess what is there.

Do you know if the mats were made by tangles or by liquid or anything? If you can figure out what made them, then you have a better shot at keeping them away.

Having a bald bunny would probably cause the bunny great stress and make it ill, so that's not very adviseable.

 

[serenz]

susanBunnies69 wrote:

Urrrrm, cant quite believe you are asking these questions but!

1. NO, do not leave matted fur on bunnies, it can become very painful and sore for the bunny. Please take your bunny to the vets and ask them to remove the mats.

Ok I didn't know vets do that(remove mats). What do you mean that it can become very painful and sore? The mats get tighter or something?

2. NO DO NOT use liquor to 'knock' bunnies out! :?:shocklease tell me this question was a joke.

Nope I wasn't joking. Using rice soaked in liquor is one of the oldest trick in the book to catch small animals(chickens, rats, etc). You don't want to kill them you just want to knock them out. Hunters do use that too... I wasn't trying to do anything stupid that's why I'm asking. You never ask, you never know..

3. Why would you want to shave all your bunnies hair off so they are 'butt naked!?' This is just cruel.

Relax... I did mention that some of their fur is matted near tothe skin. Those look fine on the surface and the restof the mats are... quite fluffy.. So.. you take 2 of what I just said and add them together... It leaves them.. butt naked. Of cause I wouldn't do it on purpose my dear...

Please seek advice from your vet.

 

[serenz]

HoneyPot wrote:

I just want to remind everyone that a stupid question is one that goes unasked.

I think serenz has some very important questions that deserve serious answers. So tone it down.

Thanks HoneyPot

Serenz - there are a couple members on here that have had to shave their buns because of mats or because of other reasons. It's not something I would recommend for a novice "bunny shaver" as their skin is very delicate. Is there a a reason you are thinking of shaving your guys?

Yes of cause... The chest and bumare badly matted. The rest of the matts are really near to the skin but the surface looks fine. So if I shave the matts off it'll be patches here and there..and ifI don't shave everything, his fur will be uneven... Shaved fur will grow longer. Fur not shaved will stay the same length. Get it??

If mats are a problem, a vet can help you decide on the best course of action as well as show you some good methods for grooming and combing out mats.

I think if there are some more severe mats, you should take your guys in to the vet to have them looked at and figure out if shaving, clipping or combing out the mats is the best bet.

I already cut the fur around the bum. It's the matts at the chest that's giving me headaches..

As far as the alchohol goes, I don't think it's a good idea - my first instinct is no, don't do it obviously. Has it ever been done?.. I really don't know. I'll try doing some searches for you, but the easy answer is - probably not a good idea.

Yes it has been done before.. Almost on any small animal that eats rice.. chickens, rats, etc.. BUT.. I'm not sure about rabbits.. that's why I'm asking..

____________
Nadia

 

[serenz]

HoneyPot wrote:

Also - what breed of bunnies do you have? Are they long haired? Are the mats only on their belly area? Do you have a bunny savvy vet anywhere near you?

Seller told me they're angoras. The matt isalmost all over Daddy except for his belly. I was surprised that with Sugar's long fur her matt is only on her chest and bum. Yes I know some bunny savvy vet. I'll check with them.I didn't know vets remove matts.. now I know..


Sugar(doe) looks angora.. but..

Daddy(buck) looks more local..

 

[serenz]

Moominmoo wrote:

If you want to 'knock her out' maybe it's a better idea to try trancing her. It's not something I personally do, but I know others on here do.

You would then be able to put her on her back and work through the mats carefully and at the very least assess what is there.

Do you know how to trance? I saw the clips on youtube, there's 1 that was tranced for quite a while but he didn't show how he did it. Another was that he just made his rabbit lie on it's back and it was tranced. It doesn't work with mine... My sugar hates to lie on her back..

Do you know if the mats were made by tangles or by liquid or anything? If you can figure out what made them, then you have a better shot at keeping them away.

Seriously. I have no idea how they got matt. I brush their fur almost everyday, I bathed them onceabout 2 months ago cause they were really dirty but I blow dryed and brushed them. But... I couldn't brush the fur at their chest cause they'll bite.. so.. I didn't..:grumpy:and I didn't know thatI have to brush their fur bit by bit, I just brush it through normally like how you comb hair. Daddy's fur is very soft, silky and short(about 2inch). I really didn't realise it until the matt at their chest got bigger..

Having a bald bunny would probably cause the bunny great stress and make it ill, so that's not very adviseable.

Yeah that's what I told my bf.. It took us about 8hrs to cut the matts off sugar's bum.Daddy's matt was almost all over his body so he suggested to shave everything off. I said crazy. How would you feel if you suddenly go bald the next day? but then again.. It's not impossible.. sheeps do that.. so I'm just checking...

 

[Aliena]

There was a completely bald rabbit listed on an auction site in NZ. The lady who had the rabbit was a vet nurse who had been given it by a kindy (who had gotten it from a petshop with lots of mats but the owner said they were easy to remove). Well the kindy teacher couldn't get the matts off and so that's why the vet nurse took it on. The rabbit ended up being aneasthetized (sp) by the vet and shaved all over (except legs, head and tail).

I emailed this lady as I have a fuzzy lop who has bad matts and I asked her if they always need to be knockedout by a vet and done properly and she said yes they did because the matts get so close to the skin.

However, I managed to get the worst of my does matts out and then got some hair clippers/shaver and shaved out the really bad ones(they were around her neck so I didn't want to use scissors). I didn't actually have to shave right to the skin, the matts came out nicely although there are still a few rough patches that I'm going to have to keep an eye on.

So, get in touch with the vet and see what they say. Depending on the severity you might be able to get them out yourself or get the vet to do it with clippers, if it is REALLY bad the vet might have to do it under aneasthetic.

 

[Flashy]

I don't know how to trance, but there might be a link in the Bunny 101 forum, or else googling might help you too.The mats can cause pain because they pull the skin. If you imagine in your hair, if you had one massive knot that kept growing and pulled your skin tight because the knot was getting bigger, it would hurt, and the same applies to bunnies.

If you haven't already, it might be worth researching how to groom a rabbit of the breed you have, so that this doesn't happen again.

 

[HoneyPot]

We had a post about grooming, but it's been eaten in the forum move. Here are some links on grooming long haired rabbits. Proper grooming and fur maintenance should help you avoid getting the mats in the future.

Hope this helps. There are several members on here with long haired rabbits, I think the trick is just learning how to groom them as it's very different from grooming a short haired bun.

http://www.mybunny.org/info/groom_long_haired.htm

http://www.ontariorabbits.org/diet/careinfo7.html

 

[gentle giants]

Do your bunnies live indoors or out? If they live indoors, perhaps it would be a good idea to have them groomed professionally, and have the fur not shaved, but buzzed shorter in the summer. That might make it easier to keep them from getting tangled. Probably the reason that they are getitng matted in the areas they are is because those areas get wet, from drinking and peeing. I have never had an angora, but I have had collies since I was little, so I think I have an idea of your difficulties, LOL.

 

[serenz]

Aliena wrote:

There was a completely bald rabbit listed on an auction site in NZ. The lady who had the rabbit was a vet nurse who had been given it by a kindy (who had gotten it from a petshop with lots of mats but the owner said they were easy to remove). Well the kindy teacher couldn't get the matts off and so that's why the vet nurse took it on. The rabbit ended up being aneasthetized (sp) by the vet and shaved all over (except legs, head and tail).

I emailed this lady as I have a fuzzy lop who has bad matts and I asked her if they always need to be knockedout by a vet and done properly and she said yes they did because the matts get so close to the skin.

However, I managed to get the worst of my does matts out and then got some hair clippers/shaver and shaved out the really bad ones (they were around her neck so I didn't want to use scissors). I didn't actually have to shave right to the skin, the matts came out nicely although there are still a few rough patches that I'm going to have to keep an eye on.

So, get in touch with the vet and see what they say. Depending on the severity you might be able to get them out yourself or get the vet to do it with clippers, if it is REALLY bad the vet might have to do it under aneasthetic.

I called the vet today. They said that they can only do aneasthetic then I have to send them to a groomer. Aneasthetic sure is expensive... Do you know how much it costs on your side?

 

[serenz]

Moominmoo wrote:

I don't know how to trance, but there might be a link in the Bunny 101 forum, or else googling might help you too.The mats can cause pain because they pull the skin. If you imagine in your hair, if you had one massive knot that kept growing and pulled your skin tight because the knot was getting bigger, it would hurt, and the same applies to bunnies.

If you haven't already, it might be worth researching how to groom a rabbit of the breed you have, so that this doesn't happen again.

Thanks I found it. Tried it on sugar but she's almost impossible....

 

[serenz]

gentle giants wrote:

Do your bunnies live indoors or out? If they live indoors, perhaps it would be a good idea to have them groomed professionally, and have the fur not shaved, but buzzed shorter in the summer. That might make it easier to keep them from getting tangled. Probably the reason that they are getitng matted in the areas they are is because those areas get wet, from drinking and peeing. I have never had an angora, but I have had collies since I was little, so I think I have an idea of your difficulties, LOL.

I live indoors but they don't get wet from peeing, well maybe sometimes for sugar but very seldom. Only her tail gets wet.. I think it's my fault that I didn't groom them properly since day 1. I'm new to this.. My first bun didn't last a month(don't know what happened).

 

[Flashy]

serenz wrote:

Thanks I found it. Tried it on sugar but she's almost impossible....

Keep practicing You'll get there in the end.

 

[Bunnicula]

serenz wrote:

I live indoors but they don't get wet from peeing,

Are you sure about this? One of our bunns often gets little mats on her hind quarters because she sits in her box to munch hay or lays in the drip area around her water bottle. It's not your fault where your bun chooses to relax, it's just something to be aware of. I find that I have to clean Gingivere's litterbox much more frequently to keep her dry...and that seems to help.

well maybe sometimes for sugar but very seldom. Only her tail gets wet.. I think it's my fault that I didn't groom them properly since day 1. I'm new to this.. My first bun didn't last a month(don't know what happened).

Sorry to hear about the loss of your first bunny. I'm glad you took a chance on Sugar & Daddy. They are beautiful rabbits. I remember being a rabbit novice not that long ago...and I am still quite far from knowing all I should. Just take your time, read everything you can to educate yourself, and keep posting your questions here at RO...there are lots of folks here with tons of experience to help.

Hoping all goes well with the grooming! Looking forward to more pictures.

Mary Ellen

 

[serenz]

Bunnicula wrote:

serenz wrote:

I live indoors but they don't get wet from peeing,

Are you sure about this? One of our bunns often gets little mats on her hind quarters because she sits in her box to munch hay or lays in the drip area around her water bottle. It's not your fault where your bun chooses to relax, it's just something to be aware of. I find that I have to clean Gingivere's litterbox much more frequently to keep her dry...and that seems to help.

Yeah I'm quite sure.. My apologies(gentle giant) I wanted to say that they live indoors and they're free to roam in my room. Was rushing yesterday and typed wrongly. I haven't really bunny proofed my room and they got to my computer mouse wire. TWICE! :grumpy:Now my room is bunny proofed, I think. I'm quite free these days so I keep a really close eye on what they do in their litter box. I make sure that their litter box is dry.

well maybe sometimes for sugar but very seldom. Only her tail gets wet.. I think it's my fault that I didn't groom them properly since day 1. I'm new to this.. My first bun didn't last a month(don't know what happened).

Sorry to hear about the loss of your first bunny. I'm glad you took a chance on Sugar & Daddy. They are beautiful rabbits. I remember being a rabbit novice not that long ago...and I am still quite far from knowing all I should. Just take your time, read everything you can to educate yourself, and keep posting your questions here at RO...there are lots of folks here with tons of experience to help.

Yeah I'm reading and asking as much as I can. I didn't know much about them till I found this forum. Then I knew that they can be potty trained and when I told my friends, they were really surprised.. :biggrin2: