Mats in my rabbits fur

[Roo1234]

Hi my new bunny Henry is a Holland lop, he was playing outside in a play pen and sat on some burrs that got stuck to the hair on his behind. I carefully trimmed them out and it haven’t bin a problem since. But know I have recently found a mat on his upper back we’re im almost positive he can clean himself. He is brushed every 3 days, how do I keep him from getting more mats and how do I deal with this one?

 

[Catlyn]

For most rabbits, now is the prime season of moulting. Help Henry with brushing every day or every other day, depending on how much he tolerates. Keep giving him hay, water and all bits of his usual diet.
If you can gently untangle and comb it out, it's good. Maybe it's a clump of already loose fur, see if it comes out if you tug at it gently.
When we first recieved Lümi he was also full of small sumer mats, and i gently plucked those off him. Took until fall to get them all out and his moult stopping but he was happy with it.
If it fails, and it's not too close to the skin, you could try gently clipping it off with preferrably blunt-tipped scissors. I had to do so for some more stubborn mats.

 

[Roo1234]

Would it be a good idea to get him shaved? I found 3 more mats and I’ve bin brushing him everyday. He doesn’t seem to be loosing a whole lot of hair when I brush him, is it just that he’s not cleaning himself well enough? He is also pretty hot in all that hair

 

[WhiteBunnyEcho]

I’m not sure if it’s the same for rabbits, but I know, as a dog groomer, that for some breeds, shaving dogs down all the way makes their coat grow back different… again, not sure if this is the same for bunnies but it’s something to look into. I’ve personally never shaved any of my rabbits so I couldn’t tell ya

 

[SirLawrence]

My biggest concern, as evidenced in these forums, is that rabbits have delicate skin under that fur that is easy to tear with clippers. I personally not consider it with Lawrence, as he (and many other rabbits) are not known for sitting still and allowing a shaving, which would complicate matters. When he gets mats, I can usually pull them out gently. He doesn't give me more than the occasional tail wag. I would only consider shaving a rabbit if it was part of a medical procedure!