Rescue rabbit does not groom itself

[Neuroscigirl]

Here's the short version of Latke's story:

I found him on the side of the road two weeks ago and immediately brought him to the vet because he was in terrible shape. He is recovering well and is social, friendly, eats, uses his litter box, and generally seems quite content.

He was EXTREMELY matted when I first found him (see the photos) and thankfully I was able to get him all sorted out without shaving him. However... He does not seem to groom himself at all. I brush him daily and just as quickly as I work the mats out, they start to form again by the next day because he doesn't groom himself.

I am reasonably sure this bunny is on the younger side, he only weighs 3 lbs and looks and acts quite young.

Any advice would be welcome. He is tolerant of the brushing but I do think he is starting to get a bit impatient with it so I would love to get him back to grooming himself.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Have you talked to the vet about this?
Have you had rabbits before?
Are you bathing him?
What's up with his eye?
What are you using to groom him?
Is the cage in the picture where he stays?
Is poo getting stuck to his bum?

Hay and litter could be getting stuck in his fur.

Often times rabbit cannot groom themselves if they are overweight, but that is not the case.

The best thing to do is to talk to your vet about this.

 

[Neuroscigirl]

Have you talked to the vet about this?
Have you had rabbits before?
Are you bathing him?
What's up with his eye?
What are you using to groom him?
Is the cage in the picture where he stays?
Is poo getting stuck to his bum?

Hay and litter could be getting stuck in his fur.

Often times rabbit cannot groom themselves if they are overweight, but that is not the case.

The best thing to do is to talk to your vet about this.

Thanks for the reply! He is under the care of a vet and this photo was taken before the treatment for his eye and ear infections.

I did bathe him and I've been brushing him daily with a wire slicker brush. It seems to work well and he doesn't have poop stuck to him bum thankfully.

I got him a larger cage but it has a flat bottom, no wire. Yes, I have had a rabbit before. She just never had any health issues like this.

I'm at a loss

 

[EverythingDucks]

Thanks for the reply! He is under the care of a vet and this photo was taken before the treatment for his eye and ear infections.

I did bathe him and I've been brushing him daily with a wire slicker brush. It seems to work well and he doesn't have poop stuck to him bum thankfully.

I got him a larger cage but it has a flat bottom, no wire. Yes, I have had a rabbit before. She just never had any health issues like this.

I'm at a loss

Ok

I wouldn't recommend bathing him though. He can go into shock and die.
Instead, I would use a warm, damp washcloth to wipe him off.

Instead of having bedding on the bottom of his cage I would switch to a wire dog playpen (much larger and even cheaper) and lay some blanket or a rug down.
Not only will this provide much more space and make him happier, but its easier to clean and stuff won't get stuck to his fur.


Is it getting tangled close to his skin or at the ends of his hair, or just all over?

I also recommend getting a Bunny Hair Buster. You can get it from Amazon.
It's like the best comb for bunnies. Works miracles.

Is his hair getting any less tangled now?

 

[Neuroscigirl]

Ok

I wouldn't recommend bathing him though. He can go into shock and die.
Instead, I would use a warm, damp washcloth to wipe him off.

Instead of having bedding on the bottom of his cage I would switch to a wire dog playpen (much larger and even cheaper) and lay some blanket or a rug down.
Not only will this provide much more space and make him happier, but its easier to clean and stuff won't get stuck to his fur.


Is it getting tangled close to his skin or at the ends of his hair, or just all over?

I also recommend getting a Bunny Hair Buster. You can get it from Amazon.
It's like the best comb for bunnies. Works miracles.

Is his hair getting any less tangled now?

He still is not improving but I'm in contact with the vet and I have another appointment coming up shortly. Thanks for the brush suggestion! I'm going to order that straightaway.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Are you sure this is a domesticated rabbit?

 

[EverythingDucks]

Are you sure this is a domesticated rabbit?

That's what I was wondering too.
It's hard to tell. Some domestic rabbits have the agouti coloring though.
But maybe it is and he's just in shock so he seems like a socialized domestic rabbit.


Can we get some more pictures?

 

[cluckmecoop7]

That's what I was wondering too.
It's hard to tell. Some domestic rabbits have the agouti coloring though.
But maybe it is and he's just in shock so he seems like a socialized domestic rabbit.


Can we get some more pictures?

The first pictures really look like a wild rabbit, to me at least.

 

[Neuroscigirl]

Are you sure this is a domesticated rabbit?

Definitely. He is extremely tame and social and he saw our vet who specializes in rabbits and agreed he was domestic.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Definitely. He is extremely tame and social and he saw our vet who specializes in rabbits and agreed he was domestic.

Cool
The agouti coloring is so pretty.
Do you know what breed he is?