Grooming: Looking & Feeling Good!

Rabbit Vaccinations - The Hay Experts Guide

Grooming: Looking Good, Feeling Fine!

Rabbits come in all shapes and sizes - and their fur is just as variable too! From the very short lengthed fur to the unbelievable fur ball, all fur need attention - and some rabbits' fur needs some serious taming!

Why Grooming is So Important

There are a number of areas that regular grooming will help with:

  1. Keeping fur under control - knot and tangle prevention

  2. Hygiene and health - matted fur can become soiled and contain all sorts of things!

  3. Helps prevent Digestive Issues

  4. Helps improve bonding with your little ones

Grooming is essential to help remove loose fur, prevent knots and to minimise the amount of fur entering the digestive system - excess ingested fur can lead to the dangerous gut stasis. And it can help with binding with your little ones too!

A bit About Fur..

Just like cats, rabbits love to be clean and they can spend many hours grooming. Their fur can be long, short or dense, depending on breed, and some furs are harder work than others. Angora breeds, for example, will require daily brushing, and sometimes clipping too - to help them keep cool in the summer months and to help prevent hygiene issues too.

Grooming must be carried out carefully, however, as their skin is quite thin and can be easily damaged.

Tools of the Trade

Before you start grooming you'll need to decide which brushes and combs you'll require. Looking just at our own range of grooming accessories, there are a wide range of products available. It may take a little trial and error to find the right brushes and combs for your little ones - do get in touch with us if you'd like any advice on selection.

Before you start grooming you'll need to decide which brushes and combs you'll require. Looking just at our own range of grooming accessories, there are a wide range of products available. It may take a little trial and error to find the right brushes and combs that work for your little ones - do get in touch with us if you'd like any advice on selection.
Slicker style brushes are good for shorter fur, but they can also help in localised knot removal. Good slicker brushes will have rounded or covered tips to ensure the delicate skin is not scratched.
There's also the FURminator, designed especially to help remove loose fur from the undercoat. The small animal version of the FURminator is ideal for rabbits, guinea pigs and others, and comes complete with a skin guard to ensure the delicate skin of your little one is not damaged.
A comb, preferably with both fine and wider teeth will be useful if your little one is long furred as it can be great for teasing out knots and combing through tangles.
To compliment the comb, depending on your little ones’ fur length, you may find a small pair of safety scissors useful too. These are the ones sold for babies with a rounded tip. They are great for cutting out stubborn knots, or cutting the ‘top’ off a knot to help combing.
And a soft bristle brush is ideal for the short furred - these are the easiest to groom!
Pet grooming clippers can also work well on the seriously furry (aka angoras and others), though even the battery operated clippers can be quite noisy, causing stress to those a bit nervy. If you need to use clippers, start with short clipping sessions and increase as the little ones allow.

A Good Place

To ensure the grooming session is a success and as stressless as possible, it’s best to work on a table at a comfortable height - ensuring, of course, your little one can’t escape or jump off. A towel can offer grip and the feeling of security (and be useful if you need to wrap an escapee!). An extra pair of hands is always useful if possible, and working off the floor can also work well.

Slow and Steady

There’s nothing wrong with splitting grooming into several sessions - or simply ‘grooming on the go’ … it’s amazing what can be achieved with a few treat distractions and some fur-teasing strokes!

Add in the Essentials!

Lovely hay and fresh water go hand in hand with grooming, as all together they go a long way to help prevent digestive issues and fur-related stasis. Any ingested fur will be helped through the gut with good hydration and lots of fibre!

 

     

 

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