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Strange Lullaby

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Hey Bunny people!
I recently took in an Angora bunny ( at least I think he is)
Sweet and cute as a button. However he was covered in mats. His back was like a football stuck to his skin. It took an hour of shaving with the clippers to get it out. He still has mats though. One is almost attached to his eye, another his cheek/neck and then the bottoms of his paws are matted but stuck to skin. His tail I can't see cause its a mat. So I left it alone cause I didn't want to cut his actual tail. He looks like a choppy butchered lion head right about now. I know it will grow back but I feel bad. I am not quite sure how to go about getting the mats on his feet off or the one near his eye.
He's been getting Timmy and alfalfa Hay and greens from me. Mainly Romaine and Dandelion with the occasional piece of fruit. I give him the dried (no sugar added) papuya and or a pear skin every other night. I also gave him one of the organic carrots with the greens left on.
Luckily health wise he seems pretty good. No sneezing, no issues, and super friendly.
My other question was, he was housed with another species. I have since separated them because I don't agree with it and I believe this is another reason he got matted so easily, besides neglecting to groom him.
He gets along with my cats and dog during the day when he gets out for hours, but do you think he really needs another cage mate to cuddle with at night or is he fine?
He is already neutered and the previous owner is supposed to be getting me copies of the vet bill to prove it.
Thanks!

 
Hi and welcome to RO.
For the Matts i would saggest u take him the vet and ask them to help with the really bad ones. Or u can try a dog grooming place. My mom did that to one of rabbits that shed alot she would take her down and she would get them to brush her out and the bunny sat well for it.

If u place your location in with your info someone in your area might beable to help u choose a rabbit SAVVY vet.

We would love to see photo's of her Before and After.

Rebecca
 
Hi,
I have 2 very good vets lined up. One is super expensive but one of the best around.
I will bring him to the vets last option for this if I need to but I need to save up money. Everything is super tight. He needs a larger cage, a check up and testing as it is. I don't really trust the groomers around here to be honest. These mats can't be brushed out either, they are too long dreaded and stuck to the skin. It would be torture to try! Unfortunately I didn't take a pic before I shaved him but I do have one after I did his back. I will take more afterwards. I need to upload it to a site first. No upload options here.

 
Here is a picture of him after he's been mostly shaved. I think the mats must have weighed a good lb.
HPIM2451.jpg

 
Yes there is still a ton of shaving to do but the majority of it was removed. He had about a mat that was 5 inches thick that wrapped around from his neck to genitals and side to side. He still has more mats but I didn't want to keep stressing him. He needed a break.
I am in NJ. We named him Sam
sam_sheep_dog.jpg
after the sheep dog from old school looney tunes.
Do you think he is ok by himself?
 
Sam could use a friend, but i would wait till he's not so stressed out. I feel sorry for the little guy that one matt must of hurt. Have u got a good vet?? I would take him to the vet do any matts u can't get out, then they can look him over to make sure there's no sores from the matts. Best of luck.

Rebecca
 
I don't think he is stressed now. I shaved him last week. Wanted to give him some time. He was definitely in pain but the ones he has now aren't hurting him thank god. So far no sores.
Yes I have three different vets who are exotic specialists that I work with with other species.
I will be working on the rest of the mats this week with a friend of mine. We are both X vet assistants and do a lot of home vetting. I've just never come across a bunny this matted on his feet. I need a better clipper I think.
I guess my question is does he really truly need a cage mate? Can he be happy by himself? I'd rather not get another unless I have to. He does come out a lot and he does romp around. He often goes near the cats or sleeps behind the chair on their beds.



 
hmmm..
I have time but not " alot". I do carry him around on my hip like a rag doll cause he kinda just hangs there and seems to love it. I hold him like a baby and sing to him as well but other then that he doesn't like to be pet too much. He'd rather be held. If you pet him he will just move 2 feet and keep repeating it. But go to pick him up and he won't try to get away.
I suppose I will look into it. I wasn't even supposed to get him. He was going to go into a rescues foster but I got to attached. ( go me and my sappy self)
 
Welcome to RO!

From my personal experience so far, I have found that my mini-rex's fur is a lot silkier and better kept now that he has a neutered girlfriend. She spends a lot of time fussing over his coat, and cleaning him up.

Though my boy has an incredibly short coat compared to your Sam, I'm pretty sure that having another bunny would give him companionship, and likely help out with the grooming too.

I've never had an angora, but I know my Evie bun would love to get her little paws on that long hair. She tries to brush my longhair cat's tail for him, much to his displeasure.

She would probably want to groom Sam all over... :)

Poor guy:( Those mats must be really pulling on his skin... Glad you are helping him out!
 
Thanks for asking. He is doing good. Although there is an issue with he name lol. We are thinking of another one. We originally named him Ralph because I mistook Ralph the Wolf for Same the Sheep dog. Since he looks like the Sheep Dog had to change it to Sam but its just not fitting him.
I've got nothing yet.
Yesterday we worked on his fur big time. I sat down with a grey hound comb and surgical scissors. I was able to cut alot of them out that I couldn't shave. I was also able to get the Tail mat out. So he has a little tail once again. Got the one by his eye out. Got many of the little ones on his feet. Began to shave the feet down again but he wasn't having it. Was able to clip his nails down further then last time. I couldn't get to the nails cause of the mats. One of the nails was over an inch long and twisted like a unicorn horn. =(
His toes feel like they started to twist with the nails . Will they ever go straight again?
All thats left to do is more foot work and maybe a shallow bath for his feet. He has to be feeling better today. I have yet to see him Binky outside his cage though.
 
It's good to hear that u made some more progress on him. Hmmm about his toes u might want to post in the Infirmary about that. U will get a lot of help from the mods there. About the binking mine don't :( Sam could still bot feel comfortable just yet with the mats and all, just give him time and lots of love.

Rebecca
 
I just found this thread a little late, but welcome to RO! Sam is adorable, even if he is covered in mats! I remember that sheep dog, and I'm only 21 (raised on old-school TV). :) Sam is so lucky to have found you!
 
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