Bunnies need grooming, whether they are long-haired breeds or short-haired breeds. Grooming should consist of brushing your rabbit, cutting their nails and plucking any loose fur. This is essential as bunnies shed a lot and a build up of fur inside their digestive system can be fatal.
How to brush your bunny
Before i got my bunnies i had no idea that bunnies shed so much and that you would have to brush them. I started off with a cheap comb but that really did nothing so recently i have upgraded to the HairBuster comb by Small Pet Select and it has been great. The comb has rubber along the top of the comb which helps collect loose fur and stops it from going everywhere as well as thin, dull tooths to better de-tangle and not hurt your bunny.
I would recommend brushing your bunny at least once a week and for those with long-haired bunnies, every other day to prevent matting. All bunnies go through major malts twice a year, usually in spring and autumn, during these malts, the rabbit will shed all of their fur to grow a winter or summer coat. During these times, your bunny will shed liked crazy and so i would recommend brushing them everyday to prevent them from digesting too much fur. During these times you can also pluck loose furs from their body as these will fall out anyway.
Young bunnies do not need grooming as much as older bunnies as they barely shed up to the age of 5-6 months. At 5-6 months is when they shed their baby fur and grow a transitional coat.
How to cut your bunnies’ nails
The first bit of equipment you will need are obviously the nail clippers, these can be found at any pet store or online, they do not have to be special just as long as they are for small animals.
There are two different ways to cut your bunnies nails;
- This option is for bunnies that are less squirmy, you will hold your bunnies up to your chest whilst being sat (preferably on a high stool so that your bunny doesnt feel able to jump) with their bum supported by your legs, you will then support your bunny under its front legs and hold tight. With your other free hand you should cut the nails – remember only cut up to the quick (the red blood vessels) so as not to cause any discomfort or pain.
2. This option is for those bunnies that are squirmers, you should get a blanket or towel and place your bunny upon it, you should then wrap them up, like how you would a burrito. You should support them with their bum on your lap and then your hand under their front legs supporting their chest. Pull their front hocks out of the blanket and trim the nails up to the quick with your free hand, you should then repeat the same procedure with the bottom hocks.
The Quick –
The quick is an area of soft tissue which contains contains blood vessels and nerves, this is found at the base of the nail. It is crucial that you do not cut into this when cutting your rabbits nails as it can cause pain and bleeding.
How to spot the Quick –
If your bunny is still young, their nails will probably be light coloured, making it easier to spot the quick, but if your rabbits nails are dark coloured it can be hard to spot. The solution to this is by holding a flashlight up to your rabbits nails so you can see where to cut up to so as not to cause injury.
What to do if I cut the Quick –
If you accidentally cut the quick, causing bleeding and discomfort to your bunny, you should apply gentle pressure with tissue or cotton wool.
What if my rabbits nail falls off or breaks-
Apply pressure to the nail, if the bleeding does not stop within 1 minute you can try to apply corn starch or styptic powder to help stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding stops, you can let your rabbit lick the wound. Surprisingly, letting them lick the wound actually prevents infections and helps clean it as their saliva contains antibacterial properties.
If the bleeding does not stop within at least 5 – 10 minutes, you should take them to the vets.
If the nail looks infected (the skin may be swollen or inflamed) then you should take them to the vet as they may require antibiotics.
If your bunny starts limping, you should be concerned and take them to the vets as this may point to a more serious issue.
Washing your bunny
You DO NOT and i repeat do not and should not need to wash your bunny. Bunnies groom and clean themselves and so washing your bunny is just adding un-needed stress. Bathing your bunny can cause stress (this can result in GI stasis), hypothermia and skin issues.
If in an unprecedented circumstance, your bunny needs to be bathed, then there is a proper way to go about it.
| METHOD 1 | METHOD 2 | METHOD 3 |
Method 1
This method is called Spot Cleaning
Spot cleaning is when there is only a small patch of your rabbits fur that is dirty or soiled. Most messes are usually on your rabbits rear end.
To spot clean your rabbit you should simply get a damp cloth and support your bunny so their bum is resting on your lap and gently rub the area that is soiled, this should get most messes out after a while of working the cloth through their fur. You can use a bit of soap if the stains are really tough.
This method works best if there is a small surface-level mess such as a small bit of a sticky substance in their fur. This method is a much better and safer option than giving your bunny a full bath as the outer layer of fur dries fast preventing any health conditions such as hypothermia from occurring.
Method 2
This method is giving your bunny a dry bath
A dry bath should only be done is your rabbit is completely soiled and you want to avoid getting them wet. This method includes corn starch or any corn starch based baby powder.
To give your rabbit a dry bath, you need to work the corn starch around any soiled or muddy patches until it forms clumps around the dirty parts of your rabbits fur, and then you should comb through the fur with a fine toothed comb, removing these clumps. Once your rabbit is clean, you should brush out as much of the corn starch as possible to ensure that your rabbit does not digest too much.
This method works best on bigger messes such as, your bunny rolling around in mud or their litter box. This method also works on urine stains but often on new stains rather than old stains.
Method 3
This method is called a butt bath
A butt bath should be done if your rabbit is suffering from a condition called, poopy-butt and is unable to clean their lower area, this can be common is disabled and elderly bunnies.
To give your bunny a butt bath, you should add a small amount of water into a bowl or pan and rest only your bunnies butt in the water. Make sure their butt is supported to prevent any back issues and you can gently massage your bunnies butt and any soiled bits of fur. After doing this, you have to thoroughly dry any wet areas as otherwise they can contract hypothermia. You can do this with a hairdryer on a low-heat setting.
This method is best for rabbits with health concerns who struggles to clean themselves. This kind of bath is necessary in this case but your rabbit should never have more than its butt fully in the water.
Remember these methods should not be done often and can be avoided by keeping your evironment clean and not creating messes that may transfer to your rabbit.
What not to do if you have to bathe your rabbit
- Never fully submerge them, only but a small area of their body in water at any time
- Never leave your rabbit wet as this can cause skin conditions or hypothermia
- Never unnecessarily bathe your rabbit – only bathe them in circumstances that call for it or if your rabbit cannot clean itself
- Avoid shampoo as most shampoos are made with chemicals that are toxic to a rabbits skin
- Never lay your rabbit on its back when bathing as this will scare them
- Avoid flea treatments as most of these contain doses that are too strong for a rabbit
How to avoid giving your rabbit a bath
You can avoid bathing your bunny by doing regular spot cleans if needed and for those with poopy butt, you can keep checking and the minute their rear end gets dirty just clean it using method 1 (the spot clean) instead of waiting till it gets bad and then having to put your rabbit through a stressful bath.
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