Bunny Grooming Head-to-Toe!

Your bunny has specific grooming needs that you have to fulfill every month. To start, put your bunny on a table and get ready to groom!

Get a Head Start

Your bunny's face and head is very important. Eyes and ears catch build-up, and teeth need to be checked for overgrowth. 

Eyes

Carefully look at eyes. Get a dry washcloth and gently wipe away any crusty "sleep" that had built up in their eyes. Yellow or white is normal, but dry blood or black, brown, or green ooze is very bad. Immediately contact the vet.

Test the eyes by pretending to poke the eye. If the rabbit blinks, he has good eyesight. But if he does not blink, you should probably know that this means blindness.

Nose and Ears

Gently look up the nose and into the ears. With a cotton swab, CAREFULLY swipe out any "earwax" into view. This means only the area you can see. NEVER, and I mean never, put the cotton swab into the base of the ear. This could fall down and get stuck, cause irritation, or burst the eardrum.

Mouth

Most rabbits don't like for their mouth to be opened by someone else, but it has to be done. Pull the lips aside gently to see the teeth. Examine them for decay, chipping, overgrowth, bleeding, and then see the other set of teeth. Check the gums for abscesses(they look like white bumps with fleshy spots) and cuts obviously caused by long teeth. Be sure to reward your pet with a treat for good behavior.

Best Foot Forward

Feet on a rabbit can be very delicate. Toes and nails should be checked with care.

Nails

Nails on rabbits grow quickly. Rabbits with curled-in nails cannot walk and will get arthritis. Lay the rabbit in a cradling position. If he feels more comfortable curled in a towel, this is also fine. (Daisy does better sitting for her front paws and I simply lift each paw! This probably won't work for your bunny) Start by trimming each toenail. Remember to avoid the quick(The pink/dark vein in the nail.) since it hurts them if it is exposed. Styptic powder helps this problem. Since Daisy's nails are dark, a flashlight really helps to see the quick! When you are done, carefully file the nails to make them less rough and then, if you like, use a wet cotton ball or swab to clean off any debris.

Toes and paws

Check toes to make sure there are not any cuts. Front and back paws need a special amount of steps. First, check for baldness on the feet. Make sure there is no Sore Hocks(A minor foot disease caused by rubbing against wire bars and sitting in urine). You can determine this by baldness, dried blood, and/or purplish-red bumps all on the back feet. Treat this with Neosporin and contact the vet to give tips and possible treatments for the feet. Use a wet cotton ball to clean off the feet if there is dirt and/or dry feces and urine.

Just Fur You

Time to brush the fur! You will need most of these combs and brushes on hand: (Ask vet about long-haired rabbits) Tip: Rabbit's tummies do not need to be brushed. It is a sensitive area that can hurt them. Plus, most "belly fur" comes off during normal activities.

• Rubber Comb
• Slicker Brush
• Flea Comb(optional)
• Cat Brush
• Bristle Brush
• FURminator (optional)
• Blunt Scissors(for long fur)

First of all, start by using the bristle brush. Skim the fur with this brush. Use this brush to carefully groom the head. 

Next, use the rubber comb to stroke down the back. Do this for a while until it seems to have gotten cleaned up.

Use the flea comb to search through the fur for any parasites.

Use the slicker brush to brush the fur.

Now use the cat brush(usually curved) to comb out all the fur.

Use your hand to slide down the rabbits back to make sure you have combed and brushed the fur well. 

REMEMBER TO NEVER BATHE YOUR BUNNY! THIS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO YOU AND YOUR RABBIT.

The End

Finally you have to check the tail. 

Tail

Urine and feces can get stained in the fur on and around the tail. Use a wipe to remove major stains in the fur.

Scent Glands

The scent glands under a rabbit's chin don't need to be cleaned, but there are two that do. They are located near the tail, close to the genitals. There can be a build-up here, so it is recommended they should be cleaned every time you do your daily grooming routine. Rabbit's scent glands look like a pocket in the skin. When clogged up, they have dark residue stuck in them. Sometimes bits of dried urine and feces can get in here too, so it's and added bonus to clean these out. Get a cotton swab and put warm water on it. With your rabbit cradled between your knees, loosen the debris by gently holding it open between two fingers. Rabbits normally don't like this,(who would?) so remember to give him a special snack or treat when you are done. He probably deserves it!!

Wet N' Wild

When your pet is dirty from another fun-filled day, the last thing he wants to do is take a bath, and he might just get what he wants. Why is this? Although bathing your dog has its benefits, bathing a rabbit, hamster, chinchilla or bird may be a very bad idea. 


It May Be Soft Now

Your chinchilla probably has extremely soft and cuddly fur, right? If you think he needs a bath and you plop him into the tub, that fur will get all oily and crusty. Kind of like when you put a super-soft fleecy blanket or pair of pajamas in the dryer and you put it on HIGH instead of LOW. That's what it'll be like for poor old Dusty once his fur dries. Chinchillas get those bath benefits from sand, or self-grooming. So if you are thinking about putting your chinchilla in the tub, think again. He will put matters into his own paws, or to be more exact, his own tongue.


Birds of a Feather Bathe Together

Ever see a flock of birds bathing in a puddle from last rainfall? Believe it or not, those birds are substituting the puddle for a birdbath. Your pet parakeet, finch, or other pet bird bathes in this way too. However, they don't need to be bathed in the way you would bathe a dog. (Have you ever seen Bird Shampoo in the store?) Some birds like to sit under a gentle slowly-running faucet, probably because it is like the splashes of water from a water-fall. Others don't like water at all.


Hare today, gone tomorrow.....

Bunnies may have the ability to swim, but they can get way too cold. Besides, who needs water when you have a built-in personal grooming machine--your tongue! There is no need to bathe your rabbit, much less let him swim around in a bathtub or pool. Rabbits' fur don't trap heat like other animals, because wild rabbits would stay in warrens during the winter cold. The fur also does a bad job of avoiding wet liquid to seep into the fur--so wild rabbits would instinctively stay away from any deep water sites*. Even if you see the "Bunny Bath" shampoo in pet stores, you should not get this. Domestic rabbits have to let their owners do most of the things they would do in the wild by themselves; and that includes food, water, and most importantly, shelter. So, if you were a rabbit and you trusted your owner to take care of you, do you think you would like it if someone plunged you into deep water? Probably not. Plus, your pet could get pneumonia, and that explains the title "Hare today, gone tomorrow...."! (just kidding)
Tip: If your [senior] bunny does have grooming problems because of arthritis and his lower body is getting soiled badly, causing infection, give him a "bottom bath"(see 'In Certain Circumstances...)


Hammie Help


Hamsters are sensitive animals in more ways then one.  Their skin have special oils that hamsters in the desert used to mark their territory. When meeting other hamsters, you may notice your pet's sides have wet, blotchy stains that are clear. These disappear within a few hours. Back to the subject, though: If you bathe your hamster at all, these scent gland areas could get infected and crusty! Hamsters either clean themselves using dust baths or self-grooming, but remember, do NOT use any water if your hamster is dirty. Use a dry, new toothbrush and a soft cloth to gently rub off dirt or any food stains. Be careful around the underbelly and face area.


In Certain Circumstances....

In medical conditions, usually during your pet's senior years, you run into situations that bend the rules a little bit. Senior "Buns" (Bunnies) can get arthritis and it becomes difficult to reach vital areas when grooming, if you know what I mean. If it gets so bad your bunny is suffering, then turn on the faucet halfway and pick up your bunny, supporting its hindquarters and laying his head and neck against your chest. Place his bottom under the warm-water faucet until all the gross stuff looks gone. If it isn't clean yet, take a warm washcloth that has been squeezed out until there is hardly any water there. Gently clean the rest with the washcloth until it is completely clean and then dry him off. The good thing is that senior bunnies don't kick or wiggle like the younger ones would.

Some vets use water to clean out wounds too, and that's okay. Just remember that that is only when it is your pet's last chance to live, and it's for a good reason!



































* Swamp rabbits are the only kind of wild rabbits that live near the swamps. When faced with a predator, they simply jump into the water and swim as fast as their webbed feet can take them. Fascinating, huh?