The appearance of a playful little rabbit in the house is a great joy for all family members. But do not forget that a long-eared pet is not a plush toy, but a living creature that requires affection, love and proper care. To organize a proper life for an animal, you need to be aware of all the nuances of its maintenance. Hygiene procedures are a very important point.
It is worth noting that veterinarians do not recommend washing a rabbit and do not consider such a procedure mandatory. But sometimes it happens that you can’t do without swimming. This manipulation can be done at home, or you can immediately contact a professional groomer.
Is it possible to bathe a decorative rabbit?
A healthy rabbit does not need bathing at all. In nature, long-eared animals clean their fur themselves without immersion in water, and molting every six months allows them to get rid of heavily soiled areas. Experts cite a number of reasons why you should stop bathing your little ears:
- Bathing is stressful, which can negatively affect an already timid rabbit;
- Frequent contact with water harms the skin - it provokes an imbalance of the local flora, disrupts the water-salt metabolism of tissues;
- You can be injured during the procedure;
- Hard water and detergents wash away the natural shine of the coat, and regular bathing leads to baldness;
- There is a risk that the animal may freeze and catch a cold.
It is strictly forbidden to bathe pregnant females and rabbits.
When kept at home, there are times when animals are simply unable to clean their coats and they have to be helped to cope with this problem. It must be remembered that if your decorative pet still needs to be washed, then this must be done correctly and carefully.
How to wash a rabbit?
There are special shampoos on sale, but if you don’t find any, you can wash your rabbit at home with shampoo for cats or rodents. Hypoallergenic products are also suitable for small children. The main thing is that the composition contains natural ingredients. You should not buy products with paraben compounds or sodium laureth sulfate - they are harmful to the skin. Soap, especially laundry soap, is harmful to the skin of decorative rabbits, since the alkaline components included in its composition dissolve fat, which harms the coat.
In addition to shampoos, you can find special anti-tangle sprays on sale that make combing easier. They need to be applied to long-haired rabbits before bathing - if the hair is not untangled before washing, it will be even more difficult to comb after washing.
When is bathing really necessary?
Bathing a rabbit is justified only in certain cases:
- Heavy contamination of the animal after walking outside.
- Diarrhea.
- Getting harmful substances into the fur.
- The spread of urine or feces odor due to improper care of the rabbitry.
- In case of overheating (heat stroke).
- Contaminated fur that cannot be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Products that can be used for washing
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the room in which swimming will take place. Most often this is the bathroom, but you can bathe in other rooms, the main thing is that it is warm there and there are no drafts, for which you need to close all the windows. You can wash your pet in a sink, bathtub or large basin. You should also take rabbit shampoo and a large towel. If you don't have shampoo, good baby soap can replace it. Regular and especially laundry soap cannot be used. The bathing product must be natural, without any admixture of aggressive substances, fragrances, dyes and other harmful chemicals.
How to bathe a rabbit
If you decide to wash the animal, then you need to properly prepare for the procedure.
- Prepare a place for swimming - close the windows, eliminate drafts, remove foreign objects that may interfere.
- Prepare equipment (bathing container, towels for drying, specialized detergents, hair dryer).
- Decide on the method of procedure, taking into account the nature of the contamination - full or partial bathing.
It is worth remembering that when bathing, water or shampoo should not get into the rabbit’s nose or ears. And after washing, the animal should be well wrapped, wiped dry or blow-dried until completely dry.
What products can you use to wash your rabbit?
You need to bathe your rabbit in clean water. But if it cannot cope with contamination, then you should resort to using detergents. In pet stores you can buy special shampoos for bathing rabbits or shampoos for kittens, which are also suitable for eared ones.
Previously, it was advised to use regular baby soap, which does not contain parabens, fragrances, or fragrances. But cosmetics for people are not suitable for animals in terms of pH value - in humans it is 5.2-5.5, and in animals it is 7.0-7.52. This means that a rabbit can get burned from human soap.
How often can you bathe
All veterinarians are unanimous in their opinion - if there is no indication for washing a dwarf rabbit, then it is better not to wash it at all! You should resort to bathing only in extreme cases, when there is an urgent need for it.
How can you wash rabbits?
Depending on the degree of contamination, the washing method is selected:
- Full bathing in the basin.
Use if the animal is completely dirty. Fill the basin with water (36-40°C) 3-4 cm from the bottom, add one cap of shampoo, stir. The rabbit is placed in this container, its entire body is moistened with soapy water (except for the head), rinsed, the remaining detergent is washed off with clean water, wiped and dried.
- Bathing under the tap.
Unlike the first method, water is poured into the basin and shampoo is not added. The animal is placed in it, the fur is moistened with tap water, soaped, and then washed off with clean water. Wipe with a towel and dry.
- Partial wash.
If the animal is slightly dirty, wash only the dirty areas with soap. Typically, such manipulations are carried out with running water under a tap. This method, according to veterinarians, is more gentle and justified for regular care of eared animals.
- Dry technique.
In this case, a specialized waterless shampoo for rabbits, spray or powder is used, which is sprayed onto the fur, rubbed with a towel, and then simply combed out with a comb. They are often used before exhibitions or in the absence of water. It is worth noting that this method is not recommended for constant use, and it only helps if the animal is partially dirty.
Video Is it possible to bathe decorative rabbits at home?
Do I need to rinse my eyes?
While bathing, it is prohibited to wash your nose, ears and eyes, especially using detergent shampoos. On the contrary, it is recommended not to wet your head and protect it from water. Water and detergents can cause eye irritation, and if they get into the nose or ears, they can provoke the development of rhinitis, otitis media and other complications in the ENT organs.
But after washing, for prevention, the ears and eyes are wiped with cotton pads soaked in special veterinary lotions, which are intended for the preventive treatment of these organs. Their range in veterinary pharmacies is quite wide - they are selected individually for the animal.
General washing recommendations
If you are not confident in your own abilities, use the services of a groomer who bathes the rabbit without your participation. In other cases, follow the advice of experienced rabbit breeders:
- wash the animal together, since due to fear of water it can jump out, scratch and even bite;
- get used to bathing from an early age and gradually - first wash only the paws, then wet the back, but not with a large stream of water, but with a small stream;
- do not wet your ears or eyes with water, do not pour water on your face; when using the shower, check the nozzle to ensure that there are no unnecessary splashes on the sides (drops will get into your eyes and ears);
- if the rabbit has long hair and has formed tangles, then first they need to be trimmed and only after that water procedures are carried out, since wet clumps of wool are difficult to comb;
- immediately after washing, clean your ears with a cotton pad and a special lotion - movements should be light, do the same with your eyes;
- do not wash rabbits that are bearing offspring - stress and temperature changes lead to miscarriage;
- temporarily avoid water activities until the age of 1-1.5 months - babies still have weakened immunity, and their skin is too tender and sensitive;
- take into account the state of health - if the animal is sick, do not bathe it, wait until it recovers completely (otherwise the condition will worsen);
- Clean the cage in a timely manner - you won’t need to bathe it often.
Try to bathe your rabbit less often - it always creates a stressful situation for him, which is bad for his health. To do this, do not let him outside during bad weather, keep the room in which he lives clean, consult a veterinarian more often and get vaccinated, which is especially important on farms.
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How to dry your coat after bathing
After bathing the rabbit, it is necessary to dry it thoroughly. If this is not done, then there is a risk that the animal will catch a cold and may even die. To dry the eared fish, wrap it in a towel and then wipe it with dry sheets. In practice, it is permissible to use a hairdryer - it will help dry the animal faster and warm the chilled skin.
But we must not forget that the noise of an electrical appliance is additional stress for the animal. The hairdryer is usually turned on to the lowest setting and directed at the eared animal from a distance of more than 0.5 m, so as not to burn the animal’s delicate skin. When drying, you need to comb the fur using special brushes - this will prevent the formation of tangles.
Can rabbits swim?
Rabbits live on land and run well. But they are not inferior in swimming. Rabbits do not need to jump into water, although they may well do so if there is danger.
You shouldn't teach a rabbit to swim either. This fun can turn into tragedy if water suddenly gets into your ears, nose or mouth.
By itself, the rabbit swims like a dog, and can stop and drift through the water without moving because... fluff (especially in females) easily keeps them afloat.
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Can a rabbit swim?
Some rabbits even enjoy swimming. They throw themselves into the lake/sea/bath/basin of water. Such rabbits can be trained to do this as a team. But if the rabbit shows fear and fear, you shouldn’t do this!
Keeping at home
This fluffy creature does not need any super complex care. But in order for him to feel comfortable in your home, you need to adhere to certain rules. To create the proper conditions for keeping decorative rabbits, it is important to take care in advance of purchasing a spacious cage. These animals grow quite quickly, so it is advisable to get a large house once. Its size should allow an adult animal not only to rise on its hind legs, but also to stretch out to its full length.
For those who want to figure out whether it is possible to bathe a decorative rabbit, it will be useful to know that a cage intended for a furry pet should have a water bottle, a tray and a manger for hay. It is advisable to choose a home with a plastic tray so that the animal feels comfortable in it.
Despite the fact that these animals tolerate twenty-degree frost well, they must be protected from stuffiness, overheating and direct sunlight. They feel most comfortable at 18-20 degrees Celsius.
Hygiene products for rabbits
You should not use your own shampoo, because our hair and animal fur differ not only in their natural pH, but also in different densities. This means that human shampoo can not only dry out the skin, but also be difficult to wash out of the fur. Even when you use special products for animals, you do not need to apply them directly to the fur: lather well in your hands or in a ladle with a small amount of water - this will not negatively affect the cleaning properties, but will make rinsing much easier. Shampoo for rabbits “Vitamin” from Veda is suitable.
How to dry your pet properly
Drying a bathed rabbit should be done correctly. First, the animal is dried with a soft towel, wrapped in a second one and left to sit alone for a few minutes.
Next, you can use a warm air stream from a hair dryer to dry. The device must be placed no closer than 5–6 cm from the animal and turned on at minimum power. As the animal dries, you can slowly comb it. A bristle comb is ideal for a short-haired pet; a slicker brush or a comb with sparse teeth is ideal for a long-haired pet.
Important! A hairdryer can only be used if the animal reacts calmly to the sound of the device operating.
If the rabbit begins to worry when the hair dryer is on, it is better to stop using the device. The animal can lick itself perfectly well on its own. But you can’t put it down on the floor; a wet pet can get hypothermic.
Afterwards, be sure to treat the rabbit’s ears with a special lotion. This is very easy to do: apply a little product to the sponge, distribute evenly and clean the ears. You can also clean your rabbit's eyes in the same way.
How much does a rabbit cage cost?
29237 rub. Ranch rabbit cages are real houses for rodents, made from high quality wood. RUR 32,614
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Gentle cleaning only
So how to bathe a rabbit so that the procedure does not harm the pet? First you need to calm him down, pet him and treat him with his favorite treat. Also, you should not bathe the animal alone; it is better to ask someone to help, as the pet will break free and try to escape. The assistant will ensure that water does not get into the rabbit's ears during bathing.
To wash your pet at home, you will need:
- basin;
- special shampoo for animals;
- 2-3 towels.
Bathing is carried out in special conditions. First, you should close all the windows in the house to prevent drafts. You cannot wash your rabbit in the shower; you need to use a basin: a shower can scare it, and water drops can get into its ears. It is important to ensure that the rabbit is not cold; the water temperature should be 36-40°C. The pet should be placed in a basin, soap the stain and massage it a little.
It is forbidden to wet the rabbit's eyes, ears and nose. It is also important to ensure that the detergent does not remain on the pet’s hairs, because the animal will lick itself and may eat chemicals. After the procedure, the baby should be wrapped in a towel.
Is it possible to blow dry a rabbit?
To protect your animal from diseases and dry it faster after bathing, you can use a hairdryer. It is turned on to the minimum setting, the distance between the hair dryer and the pet should not exceed 50 cm.
Important! During drying, you can use special brushes to comb the fur.
Owners of decorative breeds should, whenever possible, do without using a hair dryer. This tool makes a lot of noise, which can only increase the animal’s stress from being in the water.
In addition, rabbit skin is very sensitive to high temperatures, so when you turn on the hair dryer at maximum power, your pet can get burned.
Note! After washing your rabbit for several hours, it is important to avoid drafts. After visiting the bath, the animal is several times more likely to catch a cold. You should not swim in winter.
