New Angora Adoption - questions about grooming

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WhisperingAcres

WhisperingAcres

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Feb 3, 2009
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Location
, Iowa, USA
Hi all,

I am new to the forum. This is my first post. I had a bunny before, for 14 years! She was a remarkable girl and although she has been gone for about 3 years now, she is always on my mind. She was a little dwarf grey girl, and I never had any problems with her.

This past weekend, I adopted an angora rabbit from our local shelter. I spin my own sheep's wool (from our own flock) and wanted to add angora fiber, but only if I could find a rescue bunny. Now that I have him, I am just thrilled, but I have some questions since angoras are new to me.

First, his fur is REALLY long. It's 5 inches long in some places. Is this normal? I bought three combs - a cat slicker brush with the fine wires, a dog comb for removing undercoat, and a more "hairbrush" type of brush with metal tines with little balls on the ends. The tines are spaced well apart on that one.

I know I should be grooming him often, but I think he needs help first. I cut two enormous matts off his face (cheeks) yesterday. He has a lot of matts around his back legs. His rear back area is not matted, but very long. His front/sides area is very matted for about the bottom 1 to 2 inches, and then loose on top. Then right behind his head, for a stripe of about 4 or 5 inches going back, and 2 to 3 inches wide, he is bald, or nearly so.

Should I cut off the side mats? I have brushed for 3 days with all 3 brushes but none of them are really working on the matts. I tried them on the matts I cut off his face yesterday (after I cut them off) to see what kind of effort it would take to separate the mats. So far, no amount of effort separates them!

I don't want to hurt him by pulling on the fur, so I presume trimming is kindest? Can I leave the back part long where it is loose?

I think once he gets into his now proper grooming routine, it will improve. His previous owner gave him up because "he was too big for his cage". Grrr...don't get me started!

Any advice very much appreciated for this new angora owner! :bunnydance:
Thanks,
Claire


 
Welcome to the forum, and congrats on adopting a new bunny friend! He's beautiful.

We do have a Satin Angora breeder on the forum, hopefully she'll see this and be able to offer more advice. Also, there's some good info in the Library:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=28114&forum_id=17

Check out the links at the bottom. There's some for Angoras specifically, including one on dealing with the fur of rescued angoras.

What does the bare skin look like? My first thought is fur mites because longhaired buns do tend to have more problems with that as they can't groom their fur as well. Revolution (from a vet) or Ivermectin are the most common treatments.

I've had to groom a number of matted longhaired rabbits at the shelter recently and I just bought my own grooming tools so I can find what I want when I need it. What kind of dog comb do you have? If it's plain straight tines then that is good, and that's actually what I've found is the most useful for gently working mats out and removing some of the tangled fur that's been shed but can't be gently pulled out like it should. Also, get a blunt-nosed grooming scissors for cutting any really stubborn mats off. You're less likely to accidentally poke the rabbit that way. Just be really careful because it's easier than many people realize to cut the skin of the rabbit while cutting the fur. Rabbit skin is really thin.

With really bad mats that are tight to the skin, I've been cutting into the mat and cutting off what I can, then going back a week later and combing the rest out. That seems to give it a little time to loosen on it's own.

Once his fur is free of mats, you might want to get a blower and use that instead of a comb. This will keep from stripping his fur down and is what many Angora rabbit people use, especially for show rabbits. Then when he molts you can gently pluck all the loose fur off of him. It's actually molting time here with all of my buns, so maybe he is/will be molting and that could help loosen some of the mats too.

Oh, and what is his diet now? The angora breeder might have some good recommendations. I'm just asking because there are some pellet brands that look decent on the label but aren't. *cough* Small World *cough* He will need alfalfa pellets for all that fur he grows, not the low-protein timothy pellets that we often recommend for neutered adults.

Hope that helps!

 
Thank you thank you!!

So, he is a Satin Angora then? I was not sure what type he was. I read about the 4 types but still wasn't sure.

The link you provided was great and I read a number of the sub-links and there is some excellent advice in there. I will be proceeding more confidently now! I think I'll need to cut some of the mats, but not his whole body.

The bare skin is exactly that - bare skin. It is very light pink and healthy looking to me (I am accustomed to looking for mites on chickens, which are very tiny, so I don't think he has mites). It is warm and has no flaking or other obvious signs of distress. He was evaluated by the vet at the Rescue League (they get quite a lot of rabbits) and no problems were noted there, or during his neuter operation. I think, although again I am not experienced with angoras, that it's just a result of poor grooming and perhaps malnutrition.

I am very fussy about my my dog and chicken feed, so I will be fussy about my rabbit feed too. I have alfalfa and timothy loose hay for him. I also have a pellet from my usual feed store for the rest of the farm, and I will have to go back and get the brand name because I didn't get a whole 40 lb bag the first time because I didn't know how much he would eat or if he would like it.

My previous rabbit, Thumper, was very particular about her pellets, and when I moved here to Iowa from Canada, she would not eat any of the brands I could find here. My parents had to ship her brand to me for several years. Crazy!

What brands would you recommend? I like to feed lots of "salad" stuff too - kale, spinach, etc.

Thanks again!
Claire
 
Here is a Wikipedia article about Angora rabbits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angora_rabbit
They specify the breeds. :)

I've heard that Angoras that are going to have their wool used for spinning (as opposed to just throwing it out) need a little more protein in their diets. It has something to do with a healthier coat. Also, plucking is best for harvesting wool, once his mats are gone.

I have no experience with Angoras, but this was just some info that I've read in my many studies! :)

Welcome, by the way!
 
Thank you for that Wikipedia article! That made it fairly clear to me that mine appears to be English. He has fur all over his face (long fur) and ears, so that seems to suggest the English type.

I'm not sure what it means when it says that the fur can be "cottony" but his fur is definitely long all over. I think I need to feel some other angoras to determine the level of cottony-ness to his fur!

I forgot to mention earlier that I'm giving him a papaya tablet every day, like I did with my previous bun, although I'm sure its even more necessary with Butterscotch because he is an angora.


 
Papaya's use for helping hair through the system is debatable. But it is a tasty, healthy treat. I'd actually see if he likes canned pumpkin. I feed this as a treat and also daily when my rabbits are molting. It adds water and fiber and just seems to help everything run smoothly even when the gut is chock full of hair. Just be careful he doesn't get it all over his fur!:shock:

The leafy greens are great. Most of the brands that feed stores carry are suitable if not perfect for your needs. There are a lot of different brands and sometimes it depends on what area you live in. If possible go for the highest fiber content. It's the pet store (or Walmart!) brands of alfalfa pellets that are often more cruddy than their packages let on. For an angora you're probably looking for 16-17% protein, although I'd think 16% would be enough for a neutered adult. That's the most common level. If you call the feed store and ask what the name and type of the food is, usually you can find the nutritional info on the internet.
 
Thank you for the papaya tip. It was one of those things I did with my first bunny so I thought I'd continue. The pumpkin tip is a great one! We use canned pumpkin with our greyhound to prevent runny poops, and also to decrease...well...intestinal gas, to put it politely! I can definitely give some to Butterscotch.

Right now he is chowing down on fresh celery. :biggrin2: Good thing he has good teeth!

I'm definitely not a Walmart shopper, so I won't be getting their pellets. I buy goat, sheep, llama, chicken, duck and donkey feed, so I am always at the feed store!

This is a great forum! I'm glad I found it!
Claire
 
That's what "Let Your Hare Down" is for. You won't be the first one posting pics of goats and sheep, although I think you will be the first with llamas and donkeys!
 
Wow what a pretty boy! I'm a sucker for brokens.

He's definitely got some English in him, though I wouldn't be surprised if he was an angora cross. Did you trim any fur off his forehead?



"First, his fur is REALLY long. It's 5 inches long in some places. Is this normal? I bought three combs - a cat slicker brush with the fine wires, a dog comb for removing undercoat, and a more "hairbrush" type of brush with metal tines with little balls on the ends. The tines are spaced well apart on that one. "

Very normal. His fur will keep growing as long as he doesn't enter a molt and even then it will probably hold on until it is plucked out.

I use a slicker brush for regular grooming and a pet comb for taking care of mats. You'll read that most exhibitors use a blower for regular grooming, but unless you plan on showing or getting more Angoras it's really not necessary considering the cost.

Also here's a great grooming [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ccl9bs0UzI&feature=PlayList&p=DFDA4279D02A73BD&index=0&playnext=1]video[/ame] series by Bunnycentral.



"I know I should be grooming him often, but I think he needs help first. I cut two enormous matts off his face (cheeks) yesterday. He has a lot of matts around his back legs. His rear back area is not matted, but very long. His front/sides area is very matted for about the bottom 1 to 2 inches, and then loose on top. Then right behind his head, for a stripe of about 4 or 5 inches going back, and 2 to 3 inches wide, he is bald, or nearly so."

I would cut the mats out. They are painful and if you can't break them apart it's better just to do away with them. You may even want to consider taking him out of coat completely if he's housed indoors. I've found its often easier to keep a coat nice if you're ontop of it from the begining rahter than try to recover a developed but very matted coat.




"I have alfalfa and timothy loose hay for him. I also have a pellet from my usual feed store for the rest of the farm, and I will have to go back and get the brand name because I didn't get a whole 40 lb bag the first time because I didn't know how much he would eat or if he would like it.

What brands would you recommend? I like to feed lots of "salad" stuff too - kale, spinach, etc. "

Veggies and hay are great. Parsley, celery, lettuce, cilantro, anything green. But I'd take it easy on the Kale and Spinach if you rabbit is above the age of 6months though--(like alfalfa)they are rather high in calcium for adult buns.

I feed Manna Pro Sho as it has a lot of extras that make it ideal for angora. However even I have to special order it from TSC. If you can't find it I would go with a nice pelleted feed with high fiber content. (I'd say over 18% fiber and 16-18% protein) Also as rule of thumb I also try to stear clear of feed that has any corn in it--some feeds use it as a filler.

Hrmm...I think that's all I got for now. I hope that helps! Don't be afriad to ask questions if I left something out.:)




 
Hi Claire, welcome to RO.

What agreat website you have and what a Beautiful Bunny you have.

What part of the GTA did you live in? Do you miss Canada?

I look forward to seeing more pictures of Butterscotch and reading all about her.

Susan:)
 
Hi Clevername! (what a clever name!)

Thanks for all your helpful advice! I haven't clipped any forehead fur. Here is a close-up of his forehead. It is not matted, so that is why I didn't clip it. Should I clip it? If so, why?
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http://flickr.com/photos/10178403@N05/3254708456/

The person who dumped him (oops) I mean "dropped him off" at the shelter said that they bought him at a rabbit show. That was one reason I thought he might be pure angora, but I have no real idea.

I do not plan on showing angoras. We are primarily a small farm and we sell eggs at the moment. This spring will be our first shearing and we will be selling wool after that. We are also hoping to develop a small dairy and make our own cheese. We won't be able to sell that unless we meet certain regulations and I'm not sure we're at that stage yet. We will maybe be doing goat milk soaps/lotions. Anyway, the main point of having the angora, besides the rescue aspect, is to blend his fiber with our sheep/angora goat/llama fiber, for fiber batts and dying and spinning. So, long story short = not for showing! We might show Nigerian dwarf goats one day.

I'm slowly cutting out the mats. I don't want to traumatize him, so I just do it one mat at a time. I cut off one face mat the other day, and then the next day I did the other side. I think this evening I will do a bit of side matting. His back, from about the upward curve to the butt area, and then down his butt and back legs, has barely any matts. I think I might just keep that going. It is fairly easy to groom now. The sides and his belly are the bad spots.

Current feed is 16% protein so I'm happy with that for now.

SOOSKA! Hello my fellow Canadian! Are you kidding me? Do I miss Canada??!! Each and every day I miss it!! :cry1: I mean, don't get me wrong, I love where I live. I have a beautiful acreage and wonderful animals. I have a great job (the main reason I left Canada) and I enjoy it immensely. It is a big part of the reason I have stayed here, and now the farm kind of keeps me here. My parents still live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, so I visit with some regularity. Makes me miss it all the more.

I used to live in Guelph and commute to Mississauga every day. I worked for BASF, just beside the airport. That's one thing I don't miss. My commute was 1.5 hours on a good day, each way. Now, it's 25 minutes, and that's because I live in the country. And there's none of that 401 traffic.

Claire
 
By the way, I tried to embed a photo, using either Picasa or Flickr, and it didn't work either way, which is why I put in the link. Any help on that appreciated! I'm on a mac using Firefox.
 
" I haven't clipped any forehead fur. Here is a close-up of his forehead. It is not matted, so that is why I didn't clip it. Should I clip it? If so, why? "

No worries. I was just trying to figure out his breed. Breeders sometimes make crossbred angora to improve texture, wool yield...or inject a gene trait into their line (like the broken pattern which in the US Is currently in development for English and Satin angora). But after seeing more pictures, I'm pretty sure he's all English.



" Anyway, the main point of having the angora, besides the rescue aspect, is to blend his fiber with our sheep/angora goat/llama fiber, for fiber batts and dying and spinning. So, long story short = not for showing! We might show Nigerian dwarf goats one day."

I LOVE blending llama and angora. It's by far my favorite combination aside from angora/alpaca. Since you're keeping them just for wool production you won't have to worry about preserving their coat density when grooming, which is pretty much why people go for the blower.

Do you plan on plucking or shearing?

I personally alternate between the too to keep the guard hair count balanced with the undercoat. My sheared fiber is the stuff I blend and the plucked fiber is the stuff I spin straight. I not an expert as far as shearing is concerned (getting better at least) but I have a guide on my blog for plucking.


"I'm slowly cutting out the mats. I don't want to traumatize him, so I just do it one mat at a time. I cut off one face mat the other day, and then the next day I did the other side. I think this evening I will do a bit of side matting. His back, from about the upward curve to the butt area, and then down his butt and back legs, has barely any matts. I think I might just keep that going. It is fairly easy to groom now. The sides and his belly are the bad spots. "

If he gets worked up when you're grooming out the tough spots you can try trancing him. Its tough at first but doing this will [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foz9Dp4f04w&feature=related]make life a lot easier[/ame] on both of you in the long run. Mess with him everyday and reward him for good behavior, you'll want him to think of grooming as a positive activity.
 
Well, things have progressed well with Butterscotch.

I did some plucking in some areas that were not as badly matted, but there was so much matting deep down in the fleece that I ended up basically shearing him gently with hand scissors. I did it over about a week so that it wasn't too distressing at any given episode. And, I am glad to say, there were no skin nicking incidents!

I did trance him for some of the tougher areas (I was used to trancing from my previous bun) and he managed just fine.

Interesting things I have noticed about him compared to my previous bun.
1) He hates raisins (she loved 'em)
2) He makes a funny musky scent sometimes (he is fixed)
3) Every time I go to put food in his dish, he puts his front feet on the back of my hand. What is up with that?!

Now, a couple of questions and observations.

I keep reading people talking about rabbits doing something they call a binky. What is that?

When I got him, his fur was almost entirely white except for the area around his face. Now that I have clipped him, I find that he has a real caramel colored stripe down the center of his back, and also some grey splotches elsewhere on his body. Why do you suppose this wasn't showing in his coat before? Does the fur start out one color at the skin level and change as it gets longer? Or was the colored fur masked by the white fur?

He looks pretty sorry for himself now, being all short furred, but I think it is best for him to start with a new coat. I can't imagine that some of those tangles and mats were very comfortable. Poor little guy. He looks so tiny now! Good thing he is in the warmth of the house!

Claire
 
Oh!! He does a binky all the time! So did my other rabbit. I just didn't know that is what it was called! I always called it a "twisty-hop".

How do I clean his scent glands?
 
WhisperingAcres wrote:
Oh!! He does a binky all the time! So did my other rabbit. I just didn't know that is what it was called! I always called it a "twisty-hop".

How do I clean his scent glands?
Click to expand...

Here is a good demonstration:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vldSCV9qY3c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vldSCV9qY3c[/ame]
 
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