Need some advice on what to do!

JosieRamirez · Nov 29, 2016

My pet rabbit, Cocoa, is three years old. He was sold to me by a seller who was not legally supposed to sell him. He was only four weeks old when I bought him (btw i found this out from my vet, we were told he was old enough to be removed from the mother when we bought him, she lied to us) and has had many stomach problems since. He's been in and out of the vet and costed us a fortune lol. For about a week and a half, his hair has been getting mats on his bottom. I've been going through everyday with a brush and occasionally with a warm wet washcloth to loosen up the mats, but they just keeps getting worse. The hair on his legs is basically gone, all bunched up in mats and I just don't know what to do. I don't want the vets to think that I'm neglecting him, because I love him to pieces. Is it something that I've done wrong? I feed him three different mixtures of hay and he has free reign to it. He also gets one bowl of pellets a day and unlimited water. He does have a cage buddy but nothing has gone wrong with him. Any advice is needed. I just don't know what to do! Would you guys suggest taking him into the vet and seeing what they can do? I just don't feel like they'll be able to do anything else other than what I've already tried. Thank you all in advance! <3

Watermelons · Nov 29, 2016

Can you post some photos or him and the legs?
I feel like some critical info is missing... what is causing them.
What is his environment like. I dont feel like taking a bun that early from its mom would cause matting.

Bedding? Litter?
How often do you cut his nails?
Has he gained weight?
Been injured?
Is the hair stained and discoloured or ever damp?
If you put a dab of something sticky in the area is he able to clean it off okay?
Info on this cage buddy? Another rabbit or?

How much is 1 bowl of pellets a day? If hes prone to tummy issues he shouldnt be getting more then 1/4cup per 5lbs and likely half that for tummy issue buns.

Aki · Nov 29, 2016

A bowl of pellet is waaaay too much. You don't mention vegetables. Is your rabbit not able to eat some? If he was incorrectly weaned, it's possible. You sound like you take good care of him, so I suppose you did discuss it with your vet? Normally, vegetables should come second after the hay and pellets should just be like a food supplement (about 2-3% of the rabbit's weight everyday).

About the mats, are there just knots or is there like fecal matter in it? Is your rabbit short-haired? Has his overall coat changed at all? Like for humans, things like an illness, an hormonal unbalance, nutrition... can affect the quality of hair. Is your rabbit possibly overweight? With that much pellet, he might be which might prevent him from cleaning his backside correctly and causing the matting? I second that posting photos would help to get a clearer idea of what the problem might be.

JosieRamirez · Nov 29, 2016

I do only give him about 1/4 cups of pellets a day. He LOVES vegetables, I try to change it up a bit each day. Some days he will have a cup of kale, others it could be a carrot with the greens attached or a cup of arugula. I do make sure that he eats plenty of hay, I give the vegetables at night so he eats hay all day. His cage buddy is another rabbit that has been living with him since he was a baby. They are both holland lops and have both been neutered. His weight has been staying pretty stable, he hasn't lost or gained any since our last check up. Because of his stomach problems in the past, the vet did recommend that we use a probiotic for kittens weekly and they had put him on medication because he had a very liquidy poop. He is no longer taking the medication, but I do still give him a whole tube once a week. (Vet recommended Bene-Bac Plus, comes with four 1g tubes). For his litter, we buy wood pellets from mounds. I cut his nails at least once a week, but I check his teeth, ears, and nails daily. He has not been injured. The hair on his bottom is sometimes damp. I've never tried putting anything sticky on his bottom, is that a good idea? If so what would you recommend I use? The mats are just knots, and yes, the hair is discolored on his bottom. I'm pretty sure It's just his pee that is causing the discoloration because when I go through the discolored hair with a brush, nothing comes off. I'll go take a picture and post that next.

JBun · Nov 29, 2016

If the fur on his bottom is getting discolored and damp that means it's getting wet with urine(if he's not outdoors in a damp environment). It likely also explains the matting of the fur that is occurring. If he's not having accidents and just sitting in the puddle of urine that is getting his fur wet, then he likely has some sort of health issue causing it, which you will need to get him into your vet to figure out what the cause might be. The vet can also shave the fur on the bottom(if indoors or in a warm environment) to help keep it clean and so it won't continue to get matted, until the urinary issue is resolved.

There are several things that could cause this. Common reasons for a urine soaked bottom or incontinence would be a UTI, bladder sludge/stones, obesity, arthritis, sore hocks. Other less common causes would be other bladder related problems, e. cuniculi, kidney problems, spinal issues, pain from other health issues. So best to get your bun seen by a good rabbit vet right away to determine the cause.

This link has info regarding this type of issue.
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/UrineScaldingRabbit.htm