Brushing Your Bunny
Brushing your rabbit is one of the most important ways to prevent health problems. Not only can you feel for bumps, you are removing loose hair that would otherwise end up in their stomach. Rabbits groom themselves constantly, they tend to ingest lots of hair when they do. This hair leads to blockages in the GI tract, which can be fatal. Brushing your rabbit at least once per week helps prevent this problem. Do not ever give them laxatives or any supplement that purports to cure hair blockages by dissolving them--they do not work and are full of unhealthy sugar.
Here are some shed lines on Moneypenny, note the color change in the fur.
At our shelter, we sell Furminators, an expensive, but very well made shedding tool. Be careful when using it, the metal teeth can tear a rabbit's very sensitive skin quite easily. For fluffier rabbits like Angoras, you may want to use a slicker brush, again be careful with your rabbit's skin. Even a regular brush can tear the skin.
Breeds like Angoras and Lionheads will need more than just simple brushing, their thick coats might require regular trimming. At our shelter, we provide this service for a small fee. Angoras especially are prone to mats.
Rabbits shed throughout the year, but during seasonal changes, it tends to be worse. This time is when you may see shed lines on your rabbit--nothing to worry about, it's just the pattern in which the hair falls out. See the above photo of Moneypenny for an example.
These are some of the brushes and combs that we sell and use at the shelter that work well on rabbit fur.
