How to Groom Your Pet Rabbit

Grooming your rabbit is a very important part of caring for them. It is your responsibility to make sure your rabbit is cared for and healthy. Rabbit in the wild are able to care for themselves but rabbits that spend a large portion of their time in a cage depend on the owners to groom them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rabbit
• soft bristled brush
• comb
• unmedicated shampoo

1. Brushing:
   Rabbits are like cats in the fact that they will groom their coats until they are nice and clean. This can lead to hair balls which are hard for a rabbit to digest. To help avoid this you should brush your rabbit with a good animal brush at least once a week. Rabbits with longer hair like angoras should be brushed more often.

2. Shedding:
   Rabbits that are shedding a lot should be brushed daily. You should always brush your rabbit with the natural direction of his hair growth. Going against the hair growth can actually damage the hair. Rabbits shed every three months ranging from a light unnoticeable shed one time to a very heavy shed the next. Rabbits going through a heavy shed may develop bald spots. The amount of time a rabbit sheds can vary from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

3. 
   Rabbit brush

   Brushes:
   Rabbits have very delicate skin under all that fur so you should choose a brush with soft bristles instead of hard wire brushes like you would use on a dog. Combs are also a good way to get the small fine hair that may be missed by the large brush.

4. Baths:
   Only bath your rabbit if it is extremely necessary. You should use unmediated shampoo approved for dogs and cats. Never use human shampoo as this will dry out there delicate skin. Make sure your rabbit is dried well and does not catch a chill! Also use extreme caution if you must wash your rabbits face to avoid getting any shampoo in your rabbits eyes.
   
   The best shampoo to use is a hypo allergenic non soap shampoo with moisturizer or conditioners.

5. 
   Rabbit Ears

   Ears:
   You should examine your rabbits ears for excess wax buildup, debris or a foul smell. Never attempt to stick objects into your rabbits ears to clean them, instead purchase an ear was approved by your veterinarian or have your veterinarian clean their ears for your. It is very important to pay close attention to rabbits with long ears that fold over as they are more acceptable to ear problems and moisture build up in the ear canol which could lead to an infection.

6. 
   Rabbit Nail Clippers

   Nails:
   Nails should be examined weekly and trimmed as needed to ensure they are not getting to long.
   
   For help with this refer to: How to Trim your Rabbits Nails (link available in the reference section)

7. Fleas:
   Rabbits are just as susceptible to fleas as dogs and cats. Make sure you are checking them regularly for signs of fleas. If you notice fleas on your rabbit consult a veterinarian to determine the best way to ride your rabbit of the fleas with a chemical that will not be too strong for your rabbit.

8. Mites and infection:
   While grooming your rabbit you should be on the look out for crusty areas this is an indication there could be mites or a sore that is not healing properly and could be infected. Also observe your rabbits eyes for discharge and the bottoms of their feet for sores. The scent glands under their chin should not be swollen. If you find signs of these problems consult a veterinarian to help with a plan to get cure your rabbit of them.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt consult a veterinarian better to be safe than let your rabbit suffer.

Resources

• How to Trim your Rabbits Nails

[kittycooks]

on 9/17/2009 Great tips for rabbit care. Thanks!