how do you shave your rabbit?

[hollandloplover1]

i adopted a wooly holland lop about a week ago. hes perfect and i fell instantly in lop . the problem is he wasnt well groomed and he was wearing a way too tight collar. now he has all these matts around his neck from his collar. he also has matts on his legs. he needs a shave! has anyone here shaven thier rabbits? what should i use and how do i keep them calm? any tips will do.

p.s. no groomers in my area do rabbits

 

[slavetoabunny]

Our vet will shave the mats on a rabbit if they need it. It doesn't really cost that much, especially if the area is not large. Once you get the mats out, regular grooming should keep the bunny mat-free.

 

[luvthempigs]

Years ago when I had a long haired bunny I used to have the breeder groom him for me. She would shave him with horse clippers which I was too scared to do myself :rollseyes

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I use dog clippers to do my rabbits. You could try a set for people, but it might not be strong enough to deal with rabbit fur and matting. A good set of dog ones will cost at least $150, probably more.

Are there any dog groomer that would be willing to work with you? They can use the clippers while you hold the bunny and help.
A vet should also be able to do it, but make sure whoever is actually doing it knows how to handle rabbits or will let you hold the rabbit.
A wooly or angora breeder might be able to help. Someone who keeps angoras would also have to tools to sheer the rabbits and the knowledge to do it right.

Shavings is really your best bet to get rid of the mattes. You aren't going to risk cutting the rabbit like you would if you tried to use scissors. With it being around the neck and the back legs, it would be tricky to use scissors even with the fir in good condition.