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Matted tail - help

aerofine

aerofine

Warren Scout
My agouti lop eared bun constantly gets a matted tail. During summer it was really bad and he lost the fur above his tail area. This has now grown back and the matting isn't any where near as bad. His bum area smells quite uriney and I have trimmed his fur and tail fur to try to keep on top of the mats.

Any advice please?
 
I would advise taking him to the vet for a check-up as this is not normal - rabbits in good health do not have matted tails or smell of urine.

Just wondering what you feed him?
 
He gets plenty of hay and pellets, but some brunch once a week for a treat.

He went to the vets in summer when his fur was missing and she said everything was fine with him.

No poop in fur just very thick round his tail, and his fur smells like wee.

Can I bathe him?
 
aerofine said:
He gets plenty of hay and pellets, but some brunch once a week for a treat.

He went to the vets in summer when his fur was missing and she said everything was fine with him.

No poop in fur just very thick round his tail, and his fur smells like wee.

Can I bathe him?
Click to expand...

Is your vet rabbit-savvy? Personally, I don't see how everything can be fine if he'd lost his fur and his fur smells of wee. Do you mean the fur is thick round his tail, or there is poo round his tail?

The best diet for a rabbit is 80-90% good quality hay, with approximately 1 eccupful of pellets a day plus leafy green veg. Hay is the most important part, pellets are a supplement and shouldn't form a large part of the diet. Is this what you are feeding? I don't know what brunch is - I only know it as a very late breakfast/early lunch in human terms.

It isn't advised to bathe rabbits unless there is absolutely no alternative. You could try wetting some cotton wool and cleaning him up that way, but make sure he's really dry afterwards.
 
Babsie said:
Is your vet rabbit-savvy? Personally, I don't see how everything can be fine if he'd lost his fur and his fur smells of wee. Do you mean the fur is thick round his tail, or there is poo round his tail?

The best diet for a rabbit is 80-90% good quality hay, with approximately 1 eccupful of pellets a day plus leafy green veg. Hay is the most important part, pellets are a supplement and shouldn't form a large part of the diet. Is this what you are feeding? I don't know what brunch is - I only know it as a very late breakfast/early lunch in human terms.

It isn't advised to bathe rabbits unless there is absolutely no alternative. You could try wetting some cotton wool and cleaning him up that way, but make sure he's really dry afterwards.
Click to expand...

His fur has all grown back now, he was treated for mites.

Checked his teeth and they are fine.

He gets plenty of hay with greens one every other day. He's just not a big hay eater unlike his girlfriend. His bum is clean - no poop. The fur round his tail is very very thick and that's what gets matted. I'm thinking it's just how he wees. He's very very heavy on his feet, not quick or springy.
 
How many pellets are you feeding? If rabbits fill up on pellets they will not hay. Good quality hay is so important for both teeth and digestive system. The ideal amount is about an eggcupful a day and if you are giving more pellets than this I suggest you gradually cut the amount down so your rabbit is hungry and will eat hay.

I didn't realise until your last post that the rabbit had been treated for mites.
 
Is he neutered? Their wee can smell strong if unneutered.

When you say matted - is it wet? If he's wetting himself it could be a whole host of possibilities.

I would definitely get to vets.
 
Aerofine, what age is your bunny? The reason I ask is because I've known many older bunnies to happily sit in their litter trays once they have done their business...and then fall asleep in the tray. Obviously the wee then soaks into their fur.
 
He is a rescue rabbit so yes he is neutered. Not sure on age but they estimated between 12-18 months. I got him in April this year. His tail is not wet just dry and hard. I separate the fur and I've trimmed it to keep on top. It's only the underside of his tail. The rest of his tail is fluffy. His feet fur gets thick and harder too. He probably gets more pellets than what he should so ill cut down and try to get him eating more hay. Yes he is litter trained.
 
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