Thick fur causing issues...

Hi there,

Not sure if anyone can help but for a short time now my rabbit seems to have grown a really thick grey undercoat, I of course would usually put this down to moulting and did think this was what it was as he is shedding like he does when he's in moult, however its been a good few months now and even with grooming this doesn't seem to be going away. It's causing matts in his fur and I cant seem to control it even with regular grooming, I'm just concerned as I don't want him to end up with matts close to the skin. With it being the undercoat that's causing the issues grooming doesn't necessarily seem to be sorting the issue..I've spent a good amount of time each day trying to brush through each section.

I thought maybe this could be due to his age as he's been slowing turning grey from black over the years but his fur has never been like this before.

Thanks.

bs189 said:

Hi there,

Not sure if anyone can help but for a short time now my rabbit seems to have grown a really thick grey undercoat, I of course would usually put this down to moulting and did think this was what it was as he is shedding like he does when he's in moult, however its been a good few months now and even with grooming this doesn't seem to be going away. It's causing matts in his fur and I cant seem to control it even with regular grooming, I'm just concerned as I don't want him to end up with matts close to the skin. With it being the undercoat that's causing the issues grooming doesn't necessarily seem to be sorting the issue..I've spent a good amount of time each day trying to brush through each section.

I thought maybe this could be due to his age as he's been slowing turning grey from black over the years but his fur has never been like this before.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Does he have any signs of fur mites ?

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/furmite/fur_mite.htm

If he is not grooming himself it may be assoociated with a mobility problem such as arthritis. Has this been considered and ruled out by a thorough examination by a Vet ?

You say you are brushing him - a good metal dog comb will get right down to skin level and remove a lot more loose fur. You don't have to do it all at once - choose a quarter, do that thoroughly, then another quarter on another day. It also helps if you can sort of layer it - so use one hand to hold fur out of the way and let it feed down into the combing area. I work from one front leg armpit up to the shoulder, for instance. The front end is usually easier to start. The trouser and tail areas tend to produce much more loose fur and animals tend to get less patient when you are doing those areas. You need to be able to get right in to the base of the fur at skin level. Brushing the top layers leaves it prone to matting underneath.

I use a double sided dog comb. The wide teeth are useful for really thick or slightly matted / knotted fur. I aim to be able to use the regular side through the whole coat.
Mats and knots are usually better snipped out - you can cut into them to loosen the mass, then tease it out, rather than cut across it if it is close to the skin.

Something like this (Don't get the cheapest - it does make a difference with the prongs):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deshedding...ild=1&keywords=dog+comb&qid=1589794154&sr=8-8

This is the way I’ve been doing it also using the metal comb linked below, I have ordered an undercoat comb so hoping this will help too.

I can’t see any symptoms that would indicate fur mites. He also had a vet check before lockdown with no issues so I’m not sure there’s a problem with his grooming.

All I can suggest is grooming him more frequently. Rabbits often have a thick undercoat, particularly if they live outside - they need it for winter. I do mine weekly (lionhead crosses) but when in full moult they need doing twice a week for maybe a month. I can get huge piles of fur out at peak moulting season.