Bunny Grooming Tips
General Grooming
Bathing
Baths are generally not recommended for rabbits. Especially with elderly or sick rabbits, if they are unused to being submerged into water it can cause them to go into shock. Unless your rabbit has a medical condition that requires bathing it is best to only spot clean. If you must bathe your rabbit use a non-drying, soap-free shampoo or a medicated shampoo recommended by your vet.
Nail Trimming
Your rabbits nails should be trimmed regularly once a month. If your rabbit's nails are extremely long only trim off a small amount then wait a week to trim the nails again. This will cause the quick to retreat back into the nail. After that, trimming your rabbits nails once a month should keep your rabbit's nails in check. If you notice your rabbits nails growing excessively long within that period of time trim them again. Some rabbits need trimming as much as twice a month.
Tip: In order to see the quick in a dark toenail, use flashlight to aid your sight.
Scent Glands
Don't forget to clean your rabbit's scent glands! The scent glands are located on either side of your rabbits vent and typically contain waxy excrement that has been described as smelling “skunky”. Hydrogen peroxide or baby oil will soften any waxy debris in this delicate area. The debris can then be gently removed with a cotton swab. I personally use baby oil or warm water on my rabbits for this procedure. This should be done just as often as you trim your rabbit’s nails.
Ears
Your rabbit's ears should not require cleaning unless you have a lop-eared breed. Dirty ears are typically a sign of a medical condition such as ear mites or an infection. But if for some reason your rabbit’s ears should require cleaning, take a cotton swab dampened with warm water or baby oil and swab out their ear, do not go deep into the ear canal. This can cause major medical problems including hearing loss and severe infection.
Baths are generally not recommended for rabbits. Especially with elderly or sick rabbits, if they are unused to being submerged into water it can cause them to go into shock. Unless your rabbit has a medical condition that requires bathing it is best to only spot clean. If you must bathe your rabbit use a non-drying, soap-free shampoo or a medicated shampoo recommended by your vet.
Nail Trimming
Your rabbits nails should be trimmed regularly once a month. If your rabbit's nails are extremely long only trim off a small amount then wait a week to trim the nails again. This will cause the quick to retreat back into the nail. After that, trimming your rabbits nails once a month should keep your rabbit's nails in check. If you notice your rabbits nails growing excessively long within that period of time trim them again. Some rabbits need trimming as much as twice a month.
Tip: In order to see the quick in a dark toenail, use flashlight to aid your sight.
Scent Glands
Don't forget to clean your rabbit's scent glands! The scent glands are located on either side of your rabbits vent and typically contain waxy excrement that has been described as smelling “skunky”. Hydrogen peroxide or baby oil will soften any waxy debris in this delicate area. The debris can then be gently removed with a cotton swab. I personally use baby oil or warm water on my rabbits for this procedure. This should be done just as often as you trim your rabbit’s nails.
Ears
Your rabbit's ears should not require cleaning unless you have a lop-eared breed. Dirty ears are typically a sign of a medical condition such as ear mites or an infection. But if for some reason your rabbit’s ears should require cleaning, take a cotton swab dampened with warm water or baby oil and swab out their ear, do not go deep into the ear canal. This can cause major medical problems including hearing loss and severe infection.
Special Grooming for Wooly Breeds.
Angoras with long, flowing coats:
Make sure to layer the hair by parting it into sections. Brush one section at a time in long gentle strokes that continue beyond the ends of the hair to prevent breaking the hair. For easy maintenance, keep coat trimmed to a finger-width (between 1/4 and 1 in.) using ball-tipped grooming scissors. You can also keep your angora shaved down if you prefer not to care for wool. When caring for wool, take your time and work with your rabbit. Groom coats often by brushing and/or blowing the coat out. I personally have found that it is best to shave baby coats between eight and twelve weeks of age and allow the junior coat to grow in. Once the junior coat has grown and expired your rabbit will go into molt again. It is at this time that i pluck or brush the wool in order to remove it. I will do this again with the senior coat. If you do not have time to pluck your rabbit completely, which may take a few grooming sessions, i would recommend shaving the rabbit when you notice 1/4-1/2" of new coat growth. If you find this confusing, please feel free to contact us with any questions, we are always happy to help.
Jersey Woolies with wooly undercoats:
The sheer volume of hair on these rabbits definitely makes matting and tangling more prevalent.
Make sure to brush the coat at least once a week. When doing so, work on a small area at a time and part the hair as you go. Brush in the direction of which the hair grows, taking care to brush gently so that not too much of the undercoat is removed. Be sure to pay close attention to where the hair mats: under the legs and around the tail.
American Fuzzy Lops:
Because fuzzies have very fluffy coats in which dead hairs can be trapped and matted, they need to be brushed more frequently than other breeds. Brush gently from the skin to the tips of the hairs and part the hair as you brush. Be sure to brush the coat twice; once, in the direction the hair grows and once gently in the opposite direction to fluff the hair.
Lionheads:
While Lionheads require less grooming than the breeds above they still require grooming. You must blow or brush out their manes and skirts in direction of the fur flow.
Note: all of the breeds listed above can also be blows out with a rabbit blower or a hair dryer that is set on cool. This will help to prevent matting and hair loss along with keeping them at maximum fluff.
Make sure to layer the hair by parting it into sections. Brush one section at a time in long gentle strokes that continue beyond the ends of the hair to prevent breaking the hair. For easy maintenance, keep coat trimmed to a finger-width (between 1/4 and 1 in.) using ball-tipped grooming scissors. You can also keep your angora shaved down if you prefer not to care for wool. When caring for wool, take your time and work with your rabbit. Groom coats often by brushing and/or blowing the coat out. I personally have found that it is best to shave baby coats between eight and twelve weeks of age and allow the junior coat to grow in. Once the junior coat has grown and expired your rabbit will go into molt again. It is at this time that i pluck or brush the wool in order to remove it. I will do this again with the senior coat. If you do not have time to pluck your rabbit completely, which may take a few grooming sessions, i would recommend shaving the rabbit when you notice 1/4-1/2" of new coat growth. If you find this confusing, please feel free to contact us with any questions, we are always happy to help.
Jersey Woolies with wooly undercoats:
The sheer volume of hair on these rabbits definitely makes matting and tangling more prevalent.
Make sure to brush the coat at least once a week. When doing so, work on a small area at a time and part the hair as you go. Brush in the direction of which the hair grows, taking care to brush gently so that not too much of the undercoat is removed. Be sure to pay close attention to where the hair mats: under the legs and around the tail.
American Fuzzy Lops:
Because fuzzies have very fluffy coats in which dead hairs can be trapped and matted, they need to be brushed more frequently than other breeds. Brush gently from the skin to the tips of the hairs and part the hair as you brush. Be sure to brush the coat twice; once, in the direction the hair grows and once gently in the opposite direction to fluff the hair.
Lionheads:
While Lionheads require less grooming than the breeds above they still require grooming. You must blow or brush out their manes and skirts in direction of the fur flow.
Note: all of the breeds listed above can also be blows out with a rabbit blower or a hair dryer that is set on cool. This will help to prevent matting and hair loss along with keeping them at maximum fluff.