Rabbit stopped grooming and has become matted around rear end

[C.Edwards]

Hi,

My three year old fluffy bunny has stopped grooming herself around her rear end and underneath her tail is matted and around her genitalia. I took her to the vets to get the mats removed. They removed part of one and booked her in for rearguard treatment to prevent flystrike. They didn’t remove any more of the mats as the rearguard can sting the rabbit if the skin is exposed. Surely they should just remove the mats so my rabbit can start again and groom herself- I believe she stopped as she was stressed as we’ve moved her from the garden in earth into astroturf at the front of the house as we’re renovating the garden. Should I take her to a different vet and get the mats removed or just get her covered in rearguard so I can be rest assured she won’t get flystrike? Please help!

 

[InspectorMorse]

Take her to another Vet, the sooner the better as she is currently at very high risk of Flystrike. F10 insecticidal wound spray can be used on bare skin and even broken skin.

https://www.f10products.co.uk/f10-germicidal-wound-spray-with-insecticide-product-information/

Also, not sure if you are aware of how hot astroturf can get should we have any proper Summer weather.

https://www.easigrass.com/news/take-it-easi-on-your-artificial-lawn-this-summer/

 

[Shimmer]

I would also be looking for a different vet. They should have been able to remove the mats and apply Rearguard (if really needed) in one appointment. I would also want them to investigate why she has stopped grooming herself properly. If she is moulting, she may need you to do additional grooming for a while. Longhaired rabbits need additional grooming anyway.

I would also want a rabbit-savvy vet to check her teeth - back teeth can be difficult to assess properly, but dental issues may stop her grooming properly. Also get her checked over for other physical reasons - maybe she's had a fall, arthritis, spinal damage, etc, which may stop her reaching properly. A full physical exam would be useful to rule out these.

Astroturf is going to be tougher on her feet than earth / grass, and may affect her moving around as much as usual, and I would be worried about her chewing it. She may be better on a hard surface (eg. slabs). Is this a temporary move?