RabbitMart Rabbit Supply Weblog » rabbit grooming

Caring for a Rabbit with Special Needs

WildBirds — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:08:26 +0000

Taking extra care ofÂ your rabbit with special needs is very important for helping your rabbit to live a long, healthy life.Â While this can be a big commitment for both you and your family, it is very rewarding to see your rabbit thrive and live a comfortable life.Â If you rabbit has a special medical condition or has become disabled due to an accident or old age, it is a good idea to access your rabbit’s current living conditions and look for ways to improve or make your rabbit’s life easier.Â For example, if your rabbit is having problems with his legs, consider all of the objects in his cage that make life more difficult.Â With fewer things to hop over or get to, your rabbit’s leg discomfort will be lessened.Â Here are some easy, generalÂ tips to follow to make your rabbit’s life more comfortable and enjoyable:

Provide your rabbit with a soft, warm resting place for times when his in pain.Â A heated pad, such as theÂ Small Animal Heated Pad and Cover, can make a great place for your rabbit to rest when in pain.Â This heated pad is thermostatically controlled to stay at a temperature that is perfect for your rabbit.Â The soothing heat helps to relieve any joint or muscle pain that your rabbit may have.
Help your rabbit with all aspects of grooming.Â It is important to maintain your rabbits grooming to help prevent other problems from occurring.Â Â Use a soft brush on your rabbit’sÂ coat to help keep any tangles or mats from occurring and keep your rabbit’s nails trim with a rabbit clipper like the Super Nail Clipper for Small Pets by Super Pet to help prevent sores from developing.Â
In addition, it is important to make sure that your rabbit’s food, water and litter box are all easily accessible.Â Choose items that are lower in height to avoid having your rabbit stretch or stand to get to them.Â If your rabbit is litter trained, use a litter box that has lower sides like theÂ Long John Hi-Corner Litter Pan.Â This rabbit litter box is lower in the front and much easier for your rabbit to get in and out of, while the high back still helps to keep the litter inside.

Making little changes in your rabbit’s living conditions can make a big difference in your rabbit’s daily life.Â For more great rabbit products that will make your rabbit’s life easier, check out RabbitMart.

Grooming Tools that Every Rabbit Owner Needs

WildBirds — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:43:54 +0000

Grooming your rabbitÂ on a regular basis is important for maintaining your rabbit’s health and insuring that your rabbit is always in theÂ best possible shape.Â In order to accomplish this, it is important to keepÂ a number of essential tools on hand to make your grooming experienceÂ quicker, convenient,Â and more enjoyable.Â It is a good idea to groom your rabbit about once week or more if needed.Â The main tools that you will need are brushes,Â combs, nail clippers, styptic powder, aÂ small flashlight, and cotton swabs.

Rabbit Brushes:Â for proper ofÂ brushing your rabbit, choose a pin brush and aÂ slicker brush, to helpÂ make your rabbit’s coat stand out and remove loose hair.Â AÂ pin brush is great for detangling your rabbit’s long hair and aÂ slicker brush, such as theÂ Tender Touch Slicker Wire Rabbit Brush, is great for short hair or finishing up your rabbit’s coat.
Rabbit Combs:Â a comb is ideal for helping to remove the dangles in your rabbit’s hair and helps to reduce matting.Â Use a comb like theÂ Adjustable 2 In 1 Pet Comb, after using a brushÂ to help remove the remainingÂ tangles for a smooth, finished look.Â In addition to a regular comb, a flea comb is a great investment for your rabbit’s grooming kit.Â A flea comb will help to trap the
Rabbit Nail Clippers:Â every rabbit owner needs a great pair of nail clippers to keep your rabbit’s nails trim and neat. Choose a pair of clippers, like theÂ Cat Guillotine Nail Trimmer, Styptic & File, to easily clip your rabbit’s nails.Â This clipper works quickly to smoothly remove your rabbit’s nails and includes styptic powder and small nail file to smooth out any rough edges.
Small Flashlight:Â a flashlight is great for making it easier to see where the quick is in your rabbit’s nails.Â It helps to take the guesswork out of where to clip the nail.
Styptic Powder:Â This powder is a necessity for any rabbit owner.Â Apply it to your rabbit’s nail if you cut the quick and the nail starts bleeding.
Cotton Swabs:Â a cotton swab has a variety of uses that will greatly benefit your rabbit.Â Use a cotton swab to gently clean out your rabbit’s ears or use the swab to apply styptic powder if necessary.
Wood orÂ MineralÂ Chew:Â You may want to give your rabbit a wood or minearal chew during your rabbit’s grooming ritual to help keep your rabbit entertained and content while grooming.

How to Groom Your Rabbit

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Grooming your pet rabbit is a great way to bond with him or her. Before you begin grooming, it is a good idea to have all of your grooming tools ready to go. Since rabbits are clean animals and do not get very dirty, you will spend most of your grooming time brushing his or her fur. You may want to keep your rabbit occupied during the grooming session with a little hay or alfalfa or have another person assist you.

Brush your rabbitï¿½s fur on a regular basis to help with shedding and choose a soft brush for grooming fur. If your rabbit spends more time outdoors than in the house, you will probably need to brush your rabbit once a day. If your rabbit is not shedding much, once a week will be ok. Always be sure to use a brush designed for small animals with sensitive skin. A good brush to use is a soft slicker brush. The Tender Touch Slicker Wire Rabbit Brush is designed especially for use on rabbits and is ideal for removing loose fur and getting out any tangles.

Baths are not recommended for rabbits because it frightens them very easily. If you have to wash your rabbit because he or she is dirty, spot cleaning works best. Use a shampoo that is sensitive on the skin and designed for use on rabbits. The Squeaky Clean Critter Shampoo is very gentle on rabbit skin. Use a little shampoo on the dirty spot and gently rinse the shampoo out. To rinse out the shampoo, use a little cup of warm water. Never place your rabbit in a tub of water or pour a lot of water on your rabbit!

Next, use an ear cleaner on your rabbitï¿½s ear if they appear to be dirty on the external part of the ear. The Clean Ear Cleanser is great for small animals and easy to use. Squirt the ear cleaner on a soft cotton ball and rub the cleaner on the external part of the ear. Do not put the ear cleaner inside the ear with the cotton ball or squirt it directly in the ear.

Lastly, trim your rabbitï¿½s nails as needed. It is a good idea to check the nail length regularly and trim your rabbitï¿½s nails when necessary. Use a trimmer designed especially for clipping rabbit nails to avoid injury. The Clip & Trim Bunny Nail Trimmers are great for clipping your rabbitï¿½s nails and attach to your rabbitï¿½s cage with a magnet for convenience.

Cleaning your Rabbit’s Ears

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Cleaning your rabbit’s ears is an especially delicate operation because you need to earn the rabbit’s trust first.

This is no small task for rabbits that frighten easy. Before tackling the ear cleaning job, spend a few weeks cuddling and stroking your rabbit, so that he or she trusts you and doesn’t mind being handled.

You will need to regularly check inside your rabbit’s ears to make sure there isn’t any build up of ear wax.

The golden rule is: don’t stick anything in your rabbit’s ear that could hurt them, poke or go into the ear canal. It may have taken along time to earn your rabbit’s trust, so be gentle in the actual cleaning of the ear! Try using a gentle ear-wash like Four Paws Anti-itch ear cleaner. Four Paws Ear Wash Anti-Itch Cleaner is used by veterinarians and groomers to remove odor causing ear wax. Formulated with only the highest quality ingredients for maximum effectiveness. Soothes and cools will not sting.

Rabbit ears should be cleaned every two weeks, but you should run an ear check daily for wax build up. Any black discharge or soreness in the ear could indicate mites of other infections that require the attention of a veterinarian or rabbit ear mite medication.

Use a soft cotton ball or cotton-tipped swab and clean areas that are visible. You don’t need to go into the ear canal or anywhere that you cannot clearly see. Leave the ear canal to the veterinarian if a condition develops.

Gently rub the cotton ball or swab, remove any wax or grime that has collected in the ear and you are finished. Tell your rabbit what a good boy or girl they are and gently release them.

Cleaning your rabbit’s ears should be a welcome process and not cause them any anxiety or stress. Gentle, Consistent and trust development are the keys.