How to Keep a Rabbit Clean
Brush your rabbit regularly., Trim the rabbit’s nails., Clean your rabbit’s eyes., Clean the ears., Clean out the scent glands.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Brush your rabbit regularly.
Use a soft brush to run through your rabbit’s fur to remove loose hairs as well as dirt and other debris.
This will help keep your rabbit’s coat looking shiny and new.
Plus, rabbits love being brushed, so it can be pleasant bonding time with your pet.After brushing, you may notice small tufts of fur sticking out of the coat.
Go ahead and pull them out, your rabbit will not mind.
Rabbits will groom themselves regularly, though they cannot vomit like cats, so they are susceptible to hairballs if they swallow too much hair.
Removing loose hairs will help prevent your rabbit from choking.Brush more frequently during shedding times, which occur about every 3 months. -
Step 2: Trim the rabbit’s nails.
Your rabbit’s nails will keep growing, so check them once a week to see if they need trimming.
They will probably need to be clipped about every month.
Nails that are too long become uncomfortable for the rabbit, and can cause toe, nail, or foot injuries, or gait issues.You can do this on your own with a pair of rabbit nail clippers.
Make sure your rabbit is lying on its back with the feet up so they are easy for you to get to, and gently clip the nails on one foot at a time.
Make sure your rabbit is secure so it can’t kick or scurry away.
Once you are finished, you can give your rabbit a treat as a reward.
When cutting, a good rule of thumb is to trim the nail to the same length as the fur.
Hold up the rabbit’s foot, and trim off the edge in one motion.
You shouldn’t cut a nail more than once.
If your rabbit has sensitive nails, and struggles some, lightly close the clippers on the area you wish to cut.
If your rabbit reacts, move a little further down the nail and away from the skin.
It can be helpful to shine a light underneath the nail so you can see where you are cutting.
You don’t want to clip the blood vessel at the base of the nail.
Baby rabbits will have very sharp, but very small nails.
These are probably best trimmed with a emery board instead of the full-size clippers. , Watch your rabbit’s eyes to keep an eye out for watery eyes or eye discharge.
In addition to being a sign of other problems, discharge on your rabbit’s cheeks can cause the skin there to become chafed and have the skin peel off.
If you notice anything, a clean tissue should be enough wipe this away.
Just be careful not to touch your rabbit’s actual eye.If there is a lot of gunk, or it seems like your rabbit has a lot of tears, take it to the vet to make sure there isn’t a more serious problem. , Check your rabbit’s ears for waxy buildup.
If you notice any, you can remove it by softly rubbing the ear with a cotton swab.
Make sure you don’t push the wax into the ear, and do not reach into the ear canal.If you have a problem with wax in the ears, your vet may also recommend some wax removal products that you can apply.Make sure you use a cotton ball and not a smaller swab like a q-tip.
If your bunny twitches or jumps during cleaning, you can accidentally push it into the ear, puncturing an eardrum and causing your rabbit to go deaf., Rabbits mark their territory using scent glands under their chin and around their anus.
The ones on the rear can get some buildup, which can be uncomfortable for your rabbit, and smell.
Lay your rabbit on its back to get a clear look at its rear area.
Dip a cotton swap into mineral oil or warm water, and gently dab around the gland to loosen the buildup. -
Step 3: Clean your rabbit’s eyes.
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Step 4: Clean the ears.
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Step 5: Clean out the scent glands.
Detailed Guide
Use a soft brush to run through your rabbit’s fur to remove loose hairs as well as dirt and other debris.
This will help keep your rabbit’s coat looking shiny and new.
Plus, rabbits love being brushed, so it can be pleasant bonding time with your pet.After brushing, you may notice small tufts of fur sticking out of the coat.
Go ahead and pull them out, your rabbit will not mind.
Rabbits will groom themselves regularly, though they cannot vomit like cats, so they are susceptible to hairballs if they swallow too much hair.
Removing loose hairs will help prevent your rabbit from choking.Brush more frequently during shedding times, which occur about every 3 months.
Your rabbit’s nails will keep growing, so check them once a week to see if they need trimming.
They will probably need to be clipped about every month.
Nails that are too long become uncomfortable for the rabbit, and can cause toe, nail, or foot injuries, or gait issues.You can do this on your own with a pair of rabbit nail clippers.
Make sure your rabbit is lying on its back with the feet up so they are easy for you to get to, and gently clip the nails on one foot at a time.
Make sure your rabbit is secure so it can’t kick or scurry away.
Once you are finished, you can give your rabbit a treat as a reward.
When cutting, a good rule of thumb is to trim the nail to the same length as the fur.
Hold up the rabbit’s foot, and trim off the edge in one motion.
You shouldn’t cut a nail more than once.
If your rabbit has sensitive nails, and struggles some, lightly close the clippers on the area you wish to cut.
If your rabbit reacts, move a little further down the nail and away from the skin.
It can be helpful to shine a light underneath the nail so you can see where you are cutting.
You don’t want to clip the blood vessel at the base of the nail.
Baby rabbits will have very sharp, but very small nails.
These are probably best trimmed with a emery board instead of the full-size clippers. , Watch your rabbit’s eyes to keep an eye out for watery eyes or eye discharge.
In addition to being a sign of other problems, discharge on your rabbit’s cheeks can cause the skin there to become chafed and have the skin peel off.
If you notice anything, a clean tissue should be enough wipe this away.
Just be careful not to touch your rabbit’s actual eye.If there is a lot of gunk, or it seems like your rabbit has a lot of tears, take it to the vet to make sure there isn’t a more serious problem. , Check your rabbit’s ears for waxy buildup.
If you notice any, you can remove it by softly rubbing the ear with a cotton swab.
Make sure you don’t push the wax into the ear, and do not reach into the ear canal.If you have a problem with wax in the ears, your vet may also recommend some wax removal products that you can apply.Make sure you use a cotton ball and not a smaller swab like a q-tip.
If your bunny twitches or jumps during cleaning, you can accidentally push it into the ear, puncturing an eardrum and causing your rabbit to go deaf., Rabbits mark their territory using scent glands under their chin and around their anus.
The ones on the rear can get some buildup, which can be uncomfortable for your rabbit, and smell.
Lay your rabbit on its back to get a clear look at its rear area.
Dip a cotton swap into mineral oil or warm water, and gently dab around the gland to loosen the buildup.
About the Author
Jean Moore
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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