Grooming Pet Rabbits
Your rabbit, like all cats, is by nature a very fastidious
animal, and she will be constantly grooming herself. However,
your rabbit still needs to be groomed regularly so that she
remains as clean and healthy as the day you brought her home.
It's also important that your rabbit's cage and surroundings are
as clean and disease-free as possible -- not only for her own
comfort and health but also to help keep odors and accidents at a
minimum.
How to Groom Your Pet Rabbit
A full grooming session with your pet rabbit should include the
following:
Combing and brushing of fur: Your rabbit needs to be brushed
on a
regular basis -- at least once a week: This is especially
important for long-haired rabbits such as Angoras. Also, because
she is so fastidious, she will ingest a lot of hair, which could
lead to hairballs; unlike cats, your rabbit cannot regurgitate
hairballs and this could eventually result in intestinal blockages.
The trick is to brush away loose and dead hair. Your
rabbit will shed every three months. During this shedding period,
you should brush her daily. You can also remove large masses of
old hair by simply pulling them out. If your rabbit is a
long-haired rabbit, you should trim the fur to one inch or so to
keep hairballs from occurring. At the same time, check your
rabbit for lumps, discharges, rashes, cuts, any other skin
abnormalities or evidence of fleas which may need to be brought
to your veterinarian's attention.
Checking paws and trimming nails: You should trim your rabbit's
nails every 10-14 days, depending on several factors such as: how
quickly the nails grow, and how active your rabbit is in keeping
her claws in good condition. If your rabbit has light-colored
nails, trimming is easy using a sharp cat clipper: You can see
where the quick ends and you should clip a little before that
point. For dark-colored nails, clip a little further before the
quick of the nail and simply perform clipping more often. Note:
Do NOT declaw your rabbit: She does not have retractable claws
and needs them all the time for traction.
Checking and cleaning ears: Take a few minutes on a daily basis
to check the condition of your rabbit's ears: Make sure they are
clean and clear. Clean your rabbit's ears every two weeks to
remove any dirt, wax and grime that has collected there. When
cleaning her ears, use a cotton swab and do NOT go deeper into
the ear than what is visible. If wax is deeply lodged or you can
see redness or black spots -- potentially indicating mites,
consult your veterinarian.
Checking and cleaning eyes: If your rabbit's eyes are constantly
watery or discharge continually, see your veterinarian. She may
prescribe medication or eye drops. You also need to keep your
pet's cheek area clean: use tissues to absorb wetness.
Checking growing teeth: Your rabbit's teeth never stop growing,
so you must check them on a regular basis to make sure they're
being worn down properly. If your rabbit has straight teeth,
chances are she'll keep her incisors worn down through daily
gnawing and chewing. If, however, your rabbit's teeth are not
properly aligned, they will have to be trimmed with clippers.
This is important as overgrown teeth can lead to your rabbit
being unable to eat -- which will lead to her eventual
starvation.
Bathing your rabbit: Ordinarily, a full bath is not recommended
for your rabbit as she will most likely find it very stressful.
Rabbits are also susceptible to chills and a thoroughly wet
rabbit takes a long time to dry. If you must bathe your rabbit,
try spot cleaning the affected area. DO NOT give a sick rabbit a
bath, as she may go into shock. If your rabbit has been badly
infested with fleas, check with your veterinarian first about the
type of medicated shampoo to use. Dry your rabbit as much as you
can with a towel, then place her in a very warm location -- or
use a hair dryer set to warm, not hot.
See Also:
Index of All Rabbit Care & Bunny
Fun Stuff
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