Grooming your bunny friends is essential for their well-being and health. Although rabbits are quite adept at keeping themselves clean, you can help with their grooming by carrying out a few check-ups and activities regularly.
Brushing
Brushing your rabbit is not only a soothing exercise it is also a crucial part of their upkeep.
Brushing helps remove dust, dead fur, and dander from your rabbit’s hair. This will help them stay clean. Importantly, brushing also helps prevent rabbits from the dirt they accidentally tend to consume from their fur. This is extremely important because rabbits cannot get rid of fur by swallowing furballs like cats.
Keep in mind that rabbits have very delicate skin and are very sensitive. Be extremely gentle while brushing your bunny. If your bunny has long hair (eg. Angora), make sure to brush them every day.
Ears
Your bunnies’ ear wax can be removed using a cotton swab. While removing it, take care not to push wax back into the ear canal. Alternatively, you can use a light ear cleanser containing Chlorhexidine, such as Nolvasan Otic. Apply a topical medicine such as Mitox to treat ear mite infestation. Ivermectin may also be prescribed by the veterinarian.
Moults
When your rabbit sheds a few times a year, it will moult its entire coat. Be prepared for this and brush them daily during moults. It would be a good idea to wear an apron to keep the hair off your clothes while brushing.
Teeth
The teeth of your rabbit continue to develop throughout its lifetime. Their teeth will often be worn down by a roughage-rich diet such as hay and grasses. Make sure that they can access hard, chewable materials to prevent tooth wear and overgrown incisors.
The teeth of a rabbit should be examined regularly. Dental issues caused by enlarged or misplaced teeth can impair a rabbit’s ability to feed and be uncomfortable. Poor eating and drooling are common symptoms of oral disorders, and veterinarian care should be sought as soon as possible. A veterinarian should treat overgrown or misplaced teeth.
Nails
Due to rabbits’ habits of digging in the wild, their nails grow rapidly. Despite all the scratching that house rabbits do, they cannot wear down their claws. You will need to carefully clip your rabbit’s nails regularly. Wrap your rabbit in a cosy towel and then trim their nail without clipping the quick.
Eyes
A veterinarian must diagnose watery eyes or ocular discharge. Aside from any medications or eye drops, the cheek must be kept dry and clean so that the region does not become chafed. Use clean tissues to absorb light moisture. Ophthalmic saline solution can be delicately poured across the cheek to crystallize the tears, and then remove with a clean flea comb. If there are painful lesions, you may consider using a pinch of prescription anaesthetic powder.
Grooming your rabbit can help keep it in good health and maintain its fur quality. Ensure that you understand these basics and treat your rabbits with care as they are delicate creatures.
