Make sure bunny has soft mats to rest on in her house and clean litter. Eyes should be clear. Eye discharge needs to be checked out by a vet. Runny eyes can make cheeks sticky and matted. Use a tissue to absorb the liquid. A bit of saline solution for contact lenses can be used on bunny cheeks to crystallize tears, which can then be brushed out with a clean flea comb. Bunny teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. Maloccluded, overgrown teeth keep bunny from eating properly or at all— and bunny can become anemic or starve to death.
Check ears at each grooming. They should be clean and smooth, with no obvious odor or redness. A cotton swab can be used to remove wax from the outer canal and ear tip the long part.
Take care not the put swap in too deep, as it could push wax in deeper, or cause other problems. If ears are scaly, red or sore, your bunny may have mites. A topical mite solution can be used, or in severe cases your vet may prescribe Ivermectin. Most bunnies learn to love grooming time.
Eventually your friend will learn to like this time, or at the very least to trust you and allow you to care for her. Your email:. Search Zooh Corner. FEET Like dogs and cats, bunnies sometimes need to get their toenails trimmed. EYES Eyes should be clear. For fecal matter and urine staining , you can give rabbits a spot bath. Spot baths only introduce water to the areas of the fur where it is needed.
Instead of giving your rabbit a bath, plenty of care should be taken to avoid allowing the accumulation of dirt.
Regular grooming will avoid matted fur, as well as removing much of the build-up of dirt. Rabbits should never be bathed in water. In fact, rabbits should not get their fur wet if it can be helped , as rabbit fur takes an extremely long time to dry. Wet fur has been linked to many causes of death in rabbits. Among other things, wet fur can cause hypothermia and skin infections.
Other than the inherent risk that water poses to rabbits, bathing itself can be harmful. For a start, most rabbits are unfamiliar with water. Submerging a rabbit in a bath will upset the rabbit, and its natural instinct is to leave the bath. Forcing it to stay in water cause, at best, will cause stress and anxiety. At worst, it can lead to injury and death.
Rabbits are self-cleaning animals and do not need to be bathed. Much like cats, rabbits do the cleaning all on their own. Their owners need very minimal intervention in terms of hygiene. The few circumstances that owners would need to give their rabbits a bath is when their fur is matted and cannot be easily removed.
The most common reason for this is when rabbits have built up excrement on their bottom. Rabbits have not evolved in water. Rabbit fur is made specifically to keep in the heat.
In fact, a single strip of fur can insulate a rabbit better than a full cotton jacket. When fur loses its ability to insulate, it becomes a problem. While there are some rabbits that are comfortable in the water, wet baths can cause unnecessary danger to your rabbits.
Here are some risks that wet baths can pose to rabbits:. While rabbits cannot be bathed with water, there are still ways to clean your rabbit. The key to washing your rabbit is to use the least amount of water. Ideally, water would not be used at all. However, when water is necessary, it should only be applied in areas where it is necessary.
Do not force your rabbit to take a bath if it is uncomfortable. Doing so can injure your rabbit and will cause undue stress. If your rabbit begins struggling in the middle of the bath, quickly finish off the bath and allow the rabbit to roam.
Should you need to continue, give some space between one session and the next so as not to stress your rabbit. Cleaning rabbit fur is done in parts, but there is no need to do one immediately after the other. In fact, it is better to provide a buffer in between baths. It would be less stressful for you and your rabbit and promote a safer and more comfortable environment.
A dry bath should be the first choice when it comes to cleaning your rabbit. Ideally, water should not be used when cleaning rabbits. With a dry bath, you are removing the dirt and grime that could be removed without using water, therefore lessening the chances of harm. When done right, dry baths do not cause stress to rabbits.
In fact, dry baths can be a soothing experience. Additionally, it can also be a good way to bond with your pet rabbit. Instead of water, dry baths use baby cornstarch to remove dirt and debris. This ensures a comfortable experience, all while keeping your rabbit clean. Baby cornstarch is the ideal solution for cleaning out dirt and debris without introducing moisture. Many rabbits loved to be brushed, and it's a great way to help them keep their fur clean.
Buy a brush made specifically for rabbit fur often finer-toothed than brushes intended for dogs. Every few days, gently hold your rabbit while brushing its fur. Focus on areas that have bits of bedding or dirt. When you're finished, wash the brush and dry it. Be sure to handle the rabbit very gently. Not all rabbits enjoy the experience of being brushed. If yours seems startled or upset by brushing, stop the process and try again later. Long-haired rabbits require a little extra fur care.
Keep your rabbit's fur trimmed to an inch or so so that it won't become tangled. This will help cut back on shedding and keep the fur clean.
Spot clean the rabbit when necessary. If your rabbit hops into a mud puddle, you might want to help it get clean by doing a little spot cleaning. Luckily you can spot clean your rabbit without using water. This is highly advisable, since many rabbits go into shock when they get wet. Sprinkle some cornstarch over the dirty spot and use a fur comb to work out the dirt. Keep going until the fur is clean. Even if your rabbit is completely covered in mud, it's better to use this dry cleaning method than to dip your rabbit in water.
Working section by section, carefully break up the mud clumps, comb out the fur, and use cornstarch to work out the smaller bits of dirt.
If absolutely necessary, use water to clean small areas of fur. Dampen a washcloth with warm water and use it to moisten the fur; try not to let the water reach the rabbit's skin. When the patch of fur is clean, use a hair dryer on the coolest setting to gently blow the fur dry. Normal rabbit body temperature ranges from F — F. Use a mat splitter for clumped fur. If your rabbit has mats in its fur, the best tool for the job is a mat splitter. This breaks up the mat gently without harming the rabbit.
Avoid using a scissors; rabbits are jumpy, and it would be easily to accidentally cut your rabbit while you work. Trim your rabbit's nails. This grooming task is necessary for rabbits that spend most of their time indoors.
When rabbits don't have the chance to wear down their nails by digging around outside, the nails can grow long and sharp. Use a rabbit nail trimmer to take care of your rabbit's nails, or ask your veterinarian to do it for you at your next appointment.
Do not have your rabbit declawed. Rabbits are highly prone to infection, and declawing leaves their paws open to bacteria.
Do not submerge the rabbit in water. It bears repeating that dousing a rabbit with water can cause it to get hypothermia or go into shock, both of which can be fatal. Some unique rabbits don't mind getting wet; a few rabbit owners have even been surprised that their beloved bunnies like to swim. However, if your rabbit has not exhibited an affinity for water, it's best not to risk getting it wet.
Rabbits are very sensitive and even one water bath can cause permanent damage. Method 2. Cleanse around the anus with a cotton ball dipped in water. Rabbits have scent glands around their anus, and the excretion can build up and begin to smell after awhile. To clean this area, simply dip a cotton ball or cotton swab into warm water. Swab the area to remove all traces of excretion.
If you repeat this often enough, no further cleansing should be necessary. Have a partner help you by holding and stroking the rabbit while you cleanse the scent gland area.
Rabbits also have scent glands under their chins, but these do not produce a bad smell and do not need to be cleaned. Purchase a rabbit-safe shampoo at a pet store. These are safe for rabbits and is much safer than using regular soap. Use soap only if absolutely necessary. If the excretion has been left to build up for a long time, you may need more than water to clean it.
Fill a small bowl with warm water and add a few drops of gentle baby shampoo or castile soap. Dip a cotton ball in the solution and gently cleanse around the rabbit's anus, taking care to wet only the area that needs to be cleaned.
Repeat until the area no longer has traces of excretion. This can cause skin irritation. Do not use cold water; make sure it is sufficiently warm.
Otherwise the rabbit may get cold and go into shock. Blow dry the fur on the lowest setting. It's not a good idea to let the rabbit's body air dry, since the longer the rabbit is wet, the higher the risk of a problem developing.
Use a hair dryer on a warm, low setting not the cool or hot setting and make a few passes over the wet part of the rabbit's behind. Continue until the fur there is completely dry.
Realize that your rabbit may get scared very easily of the sound of a blow dryer. If this is the case, make sure you have a super absorbent towel on hand that is soft. Use this method for cleansing dried urine urine scald as well. Some rabbits experience incontinence, the inability to hold their urine properly. Older rabbits or rabbits with an underlying medical problem commonly experience this issue. Dried urine can build up on the fur, causing a bad smell and leaving the rabbit uncomfortable.
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