LOOKING AFTER YOUR RABBIT

Rabbits groom themselves all the time and as a result they do swallow large quantities of fur. This does not necessarily cause a problem unless it is accompanied by a poor diet. A low fibre or low moisture diet can end up causing undigested food in the stomach. Mixed with the hair, this can caused a compacted blob and this blob can eventually kill your rabbit. Rabbits who have long hair such as Angoras need to be brushed more frequently. If mats and tangles do appear in your rabbits coat, very gently cut them out but please, be very careful as a rabbits skin is like tissue paper and will cut very easily if caught with the scissor blades.

CLIPPING NAILS - It is very important that your rabbits nails are kept short as this will protect you from being badly scratched and protect the rabbit from getting its nails stuck and being ripped out. Clipping nails can be a bit awkward but once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple. I find the easiest way is to sit down and turn the rabbit over so that its head is handing down over my knees, stroking its head until it almost goes into a trance. You could also try wrapping a towel or old blanket around the rabbit to meet it feel more secure. Using people nail clippers or dog/cat nail clippers, cut the nail a little after the quick ut being very careful not to cut the vein. If your rabbit has dark nails, use a torch to see where the vein is. If by accident you do cut your rabbits vein, use some flour or stop n bleed spray to stop the bleeding.

EAR CLEANING - Your rabbits ears should also be checked and regularly cleaned with a soft tissue to ensure there is not a build up of wax or debris. This especially applies to rabbits with lop ears.

CHECKING TEETH - Rabbits teeth constantly grow so they do not need to be checked regularly.  Gently pull back your rabbits cheeks and check the front teeth are nice and sharp and are wearing away evenly. The back teeth are harder to check and you will need to ask your vet to take a look at these for you. The top front teeth should overlap the bottom front teeth slightly.  Make sure your rabbit has plenty of hay as part of their everyday diet as this is the most abrasive part of a rabbits diet. Sometimes though, through bad genetics or a poor diet, a rabbits teeth can overgrow and will need to be treated. This should not be attempted by yourself, please take your rabbit along to the vet who will then burr the teeth. 

A grooming and nail clipping service is available at Bunnies Barn - please check the Price List page for further details.