The Basics of Rabbit Grooming

Rabbits are one of the cutest animals you can own. With their chubby bodies, soft fur and long ears, you’d want to hug them all the time. It is not surprising that they are featured in lovable movies, like Bambi, Hop, The Velveteen Rabbit, Presto, Alice in Wonderland, and many more. People are used to seeing them all cute and always adorable.

What do you need to know about these cute animals?

What a lot of people don’t know is that your long-eared friends need grooming too. Like any other pets, they need you to take care of them, not only by providing them house and food, but also by making sure they maintain good hygiene. Not matter how cute they are, if they no longer smell that good, you may not want to hug them anymore. You may also think that they are resilient; but the truth is, they have a very delicate system. To keep them in good health, they need to be groomed regularly.

Like dogs and cats, these companions need to have their own litter boxes, and in many instances, they have to be neutered. You’d be surprised with the number of people wanting to let go of them because of the smell. Although they are clean animals, they produce odors that can test your patience.

So first, they have to have a litter box where they can poop and pee, and that the materials in the box should prevent the odor from escaping. And second, rabbits that are sexually mature will emit a musky smell. You can solve this problem by having them neutered.

Groom your bunnies on your own because they are sensitive and they can be easily shocked when handled by other people. If you have cats and dogs however, feel free to get them a Petsmart Grooming and see the difference it could make.

What can you do to take care of these pets?

Regular brushing – Similar to cats, they shed fur and they like to clean themselves. They lick their fur to keep them tidy and clean. This makes them ingest hair, which can become dangerous because they cannot vomit the ingested hair. The hairballs in their stomachs can grow big and hard as the water and food they intake cause the hair to stick together. If this goes on, the hair will become a blockage in the stomach, which may lead to death.

Brush them at least twice a week. This will remove loose hair, as well as prepare them for the days you will have to brush them multiple times a day, when they start their normal heavy shedding. Take note that rabbits don’t shed fur the same way. Some may only take days, while some may take two weeks to remove their old coat. If your pet can discard its old coat in just one day, this means that you can remove a lot of hair by pulling them out. And since you don’t want your bunnies to groom themselves, you will need to remove the fur as soon as possible.

Removing fleas and mites – It is important to note that bathing is not suitable for bunnies. It can cause a lot of stress, which may even kill your pets. They are more delicate than dogs and cats, so you may want to bring them to a veterinarian who has a good understanding of bunny care. But in general, the safe treatments to kill and prevent fleas are Revolution (selamectin), Program (lufenuron), and Advantage (imidocloprid).

Your bunny will also enjoy the brushing using a flea comb, which will be both psychologically and physically rewarding for the animal. You can also buy a flea and tick spray from Petsmart, which you can use after combing your pet.

To guarantee that they will not attract parasites, you have to ensure that their environment is always clean, which is necessary no matter what kind of pet you have. This will dispel the bad odor and keep your four-legged friends healthy.

Cleaning the ears, eyes, teeth, and anus – These are basic practices for keeping your pets clean and free of unpleasant smell:

• Ears. To clean the wax buildup, lift the wax using a cotton swab. Ensure that you are not pushing the wax deeper in the canal. An ear cleaner you can try is Nolvasan Otic.
• The mild wetness around their eyes can be absorbed by clean tissue papers. However, if they have eye discharge or watery eyes, the vet needs to diagnose them.
• Teeth. Their teeth can be kept worn down by daily chewing and gnawing. If they become too long, they need to be clipped.
• Anus. Using a cotton swab and warm water, remove the brown buildup on the two slits on both sides of your bunny’s genitals.