Rabbit grooming comes with its own vocabulary, and some of the terms can be unfamiliar to new rabbit owners. This glossary explains common grooming, coat, anatomy, and care terms you may see throughout the Orlando Rabbit Grooming website.
These definitions are intended to help rabbit owners better understand routine grooming and what they may observe at home. They are educational only and are not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.
Cecotropes
Cecotropes are soft, nutrient-rich droppings produced by a rabbit’s digestive system. Unlike normal round fecal pellets, cecotropes are normally eaten directly by the rabbit as part of the digestive process.
When cecotropes are repeatedly left uneaten, they may become stuck in the fur around the bottom and contribute to messy or matted areas. Mobility problems, weight, diet, dental issues, and other factors may affect a rabbit’s ability to consume them normally.
Guard Hairs
Guard hairs are the longer, stronger hairs that form the outer portion of many rabbit coats. They help protect the softer fur underneath and contribute to the coat’s texture, appearance, and resistance to moisture and debris.
The length, density, and feel of guard hairs vary by breed and coat type.
Undercoat
The undercoat is the softer, finer fur beneath the outer guard hairs. It provides insulation and can become especially dense in some breeds.
During a molt, loose undercoat can remain trapped in the coat and may require careful brushing or combing to remove.
Molting
Molting is the natural process of shedding and replacing fur. Rabbits may experience light molts as well as much heavier seasonal molts where large amounts of loose fur are released over a relatively short period.
Regular grooming during a heavy molt can help remove loose fur before the rabbit ingests excessive amounts while grooming itself.
Flyback Coat
A flyback coat is a type of rabbit fur that quickly returns to its normal position when stroked from the tail toward the head. It generally lies relatively close to the body and is seen in a number of short-coated rabbit breeds.
Rollback Coat
A rollback coat returns more slowly to its original position after being stroked backward. These coats often feel slightly denser or softer than a typical flyback coat.
Wool Coat
Wool-coated rabbits have longer, softer fiber that requires more frequent grooming than most short-haired rabbits. Wool can tangle, compact, and mat if it is not maintained regularly.
Breeds and varieties with wool or wool-like coats often need more intensive grooming during molts.
Dewlap
A dewlap is a fold of skin and fur beneath the chin and along the upper chest. It is especially noticeable in some adult female rabbits and certain breeds.
Because of its location and density, the dewlap can sometimes collect loose fur, moisture, food, or debris and may require extra attention during grooming.
Skirt
The skirt refers to longer or fuller fur around the lower sides and hindquarters of a rabbit. The term is commonly used when discussing rabbits with fuller coats or areas where loose fur and debris may collect.
Skirts can require additional brushing during heavy molts.
Sore Hocks
Sore hocks refers to irritation, thinning fur, inflammation, or sores that can develop on the underside of a rabbit’s rear feet. The veterinary term is pododermatitis.
Flooring, body weight, moisture, cleanliness, mobility, genetics, and other factors may contribute. Any redness, open sores, swelling, or persistent irritation should be evaluated by a rabbit-experienced veterinarian.
Scent Glands
Rabbits have scent glands in several areas of the body. During grooming, the glands most often discussed are located near the genital area.
These glands can sometimes accumulate waxy or strongly scented material. Some rabbits keep them clean on their own, while others may occasionally need gentle assistance.
Matting
Matting occurs when loose or tangled fur becomes tightly compressed together. Mats can develop from shedding, moisture, friction, debris, or a rabbit being unable to groom a particular area.
Rabbit skin is extremely delicate, so tight mats should never be pulled aggressively or cut with scissors unless the person handling the rabbit has the experience to do so safely.
Compacted Coat
A compacted coat contains loose fur that has become trapped within the surrounding coat rather than falling away naturally. It may feel unusually thick, dense, or uneven.
Careful combing can help separate and remove the loose coat without pulling excessively on healthy fur.
Hindquarter Weakness
Hindquarter weakness refers to reduced strength, stability, or mobility in a rabbit’s rear legs and lower body. It is more common in some senior rabbits but can occur for many reasons.
Rabbits with reduced hind-end mobility may have difficulty positioning themselves normally when using the bathroom or reaching their underside during self-grooming. This can lead to increased grooming needs around the bottom, feet, and ankles.
Flystrike
Flystrike is a serious emergency that occurs when flies lay eggs on a rabbit, often around damp or soiled fur, and the resulting larvae begin feeding on the rabbit’s tissue.
A rabbit suspected of having flystrike requires immediate veterinary attention. Regularly checking the underside of rabbits who are elderly, overweight, immobile, or prone to messy bottoms is especially important.
Rabbit-Experienced Veterinarian
A rabbit-experienced veterinarian is a veterinarian who regularly treats rabbits and understands their specialized anatomy, digestion, medications, behavior, and medical needs.
Rabbits differ significantly from dogs and cats, so veterinary experience with rabbits is especially important when illness or injury is suspected.
Nail Quick
The quick is the blood vessel and nerve inside a rabbit’s nail. Cutting into the quick during a nail trim can cause pain and bleeding.
The quick is easier to see in light-colored nails and may be difficult to identify in dark nails. Frequent, conservative nail trims can help keep nails at a manageable length.
Resting Mat
A resting mat is a solid or perforated surface placed within a rabbit’s enclosure to give the rabbit an alternative to standing or resting directly on wire flooring.
Light-colored removable mats can also make it easier to notice urine, soft stool, uneaten cecotropes, or other debris that may indicate a rabbit’s underside needs to be checked.
Have a Grooming Question?
If you notice a grooming issue with your rabbit and are unsure whether it is something you can safely manage at home, Orlando Rabbit Grooming can help.
We provide gentle, in-home rabbit grooming for rabbits throughout the Orlando area, including senior rabbits, heavy shedders, long-coated rabbits, and rabbits that need additional help staying clean.
Text us at 407-223-9989 for an appointment
This glossary is provided for general educational purposes only. Grooming services do not replace veterinary diagnosis or treatment. Rabbits showing signs of illness, injury, pain, infection, digestive problems, or significant changes in mobility should be evaluated by a rabbit-experienced veterinarian.