How to Bathe a Rabbit

Can I Give My Rabbit a Bath ?

 
Many people have asked me this question over the years, and the answer is yes !!!  There are a few things to take into consideration before you start, but giving your New Pet Rabbit a bath on a regular basis is actually good for them... It helps to remo ve loose hair as well as urine and fecal matter that sometimes get on the underside of your new pet as they lounge around in their pen.
Preparing a bath in a sink or small basin of some type is very simple... Use luke warm water and just a touch of Johnson's Baby Shampoo mixed in with the water to bathe your rabbit. The baby shampoo will help to prevent any burning of the eyes should any of the bath water get in their eyes, and it leaves the coat with a shiny smooth luster when dried. By using a small amount of baby shampoo, there is really no need to rinse.

nt-size: small;">After the bath, towel dry your bunny and allow to dry naturally. Blow dryers can be used to speed up the process, but have a tendency to frighten the animal. Making this as pleasant an experience for the rabbit as possible will often lead to your New Pet Rabbit looking forward to these baths.
A few words of caution when bathing your pet in cooler temperatures... Keep the rabbit in a warm environment after bathing until it's coat is completely dry to avoid chills that may lead to sickness.
The more often you bath your rabbit, ( weekly or bi-monthly ) the more comfortable your pet will feel with the process. Many people don't realize it, but rabbits are capable of swimming much like a dog or a cat can... It comes to them naturally. If you have adapted your Pet Rabbit to water by bathing, it's not uncommon for them to enjoy a swim in the kiddy pool in the hot summer months to help cool them off.
If you want to allow you Pet Rabbit to swim in a kiddy pool in the hot summer months, prepare the pool by placing it on a small slope to create a shallow side where your pet will be able to stand and rest when it is tired. Swimming is great exercise for your Pet Rabbit, and the water will help keep it cool in the hot summer months.

General Grooming ...

Rabbits that stay in an outdoor environment on a year-round basis will grow a thicker pelt in the colder months as a natural defense against the cold weather... As the spring weather arrives with it's warmer temperatures, your pet rabbit will start to shed the extra fur it grew over the winter to help it stay a little cooler in the summer months... This is perfectly normal and to be expected, but it also creates a problem with the loose fur getting all over your clothing when you try to handle your pet.
There are hundreds of De Shedding tools available on the market today, and some can be very expensive. I recommend using a short, but stiff bristled brush to help remove the loose fur in the spring, but you may want to use this type of grooming on a regular basis if you like to handle your rabbit frequently to avoid unwanted hair from covering your clothing.
Trimming your rabbits toenails on a regular basis is also recommended to avoid getting scratches on your arms that occur frequently when you are handleing your pet. These scratches easily become infected because of the bacteria on your pet's toenails, and should be cleaned with a disinfectant to avoid infections.
Trimming the toenails of your pet rabbit is much like any other pet... You want to be careful not to cut the nail into the quick and causeing injury to your pet, but you want to take enough away that your pet's ability to scratch you easily will be avoided. Trimming your pet's toenails isn't absolutely necessary... Scratching at the flooring of their pen or pieces of wood often keep their front paws trimmed, and you will be trimming the nails as a convenience to you more than anything to avoid your pet injuring you.