Grooming Your Lionhead Rabbit

Different lionhead rabbit breeds have different coat lengths and textures so take the time to explore your rabbit’s coat in order to determine what his grooming needs might be.

Grooming your lionhead rabbit helps to distribute its natural body oils to keep his skin healthy, shiny, and soft. No matter what kind of coat your lionhead rabbit has, it is your job to groom it properly so it remains in good health.

In here you will learn the basics about grooming your lionhead rabbit – this includes brushing and bathing your rabbit as well as trimming his nails, cleaning his ears, and brushing his teeth.

Recommended Tools for Grooming a Rabbit

In order to keep your rabbit’s coat clean and in good condition you will need to have a few grooming tools on hand.

The most important thing you are going to need is a good brush. The type of brush you need will depend on which kind of lionhead rabbit you have and which type of coat he has either single mane or double mane.

Slicker brush for small animals
Slicker brush for small animals

Here are some of the grooming tools that may come in handy when it comes to grooming your lionhead rabbit. Click on the links to see our best picks currently available from Amazon.

Learning how to groom your rabbit effectively is a task that takes time to learn. If you have no idea where to start, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to talk to a fellow rabbit owner or take your rabbit to a professional groomer so they can show you what to do.

Tips for Bathing and Grooming Lionhead Rabbits

Most rabbits shed every three months and many rabbits go through a light shed alternating with a heavier shed. Rabbits are clean animals that groom themselves, but they will need your help to keep shedding under control and to remove mats and tangles.

In addition to brushing your lionhead rabbit on a regular basis, there are some other simple grooming tasks you should be prepared to perform fairly often. These include trimming your rabbit’s nails, cleaning his ears, and taking care of his teeth.

Grooming sessions are a great way for you to bond with your furry pet so make it fun for you and your pet!

Brushing your rabbit

Lionhead rabbits need to be groomed regularly or else their wooly fur can become matted. Another reason why you need to regularly brush them is because rabbits can swallow their own fur which will cause wool blocks in their intestines. With the right kind of brush, you will reduce the risk by removing excessive hairs.

Plan to brush your lionhead rabbit at least once a week – this is sufficient for short-coated breeds, though lionhead rabbits with longer coats may need to be brushed daily or at least a few times a week. You will get a feel for how often to brush your rabbit as you see how much he sheds on a regular basis.

Dealing with tangles

If your rabbit’s fur gets matted or tangled, you might need to cut out the knot.

Use scissors with rounded tips to prevent injuries to your pet. This is important as your rabbit might squirm and wiggle while you are grooming it and won’t necessarily sit still. So you need to prevent injuries by avoiding sharp tipped scissors.

Should You Wash a Rabbit?

While brushing your lionhead rabbit is highly recommended, bathing him is not.

You may be surprised to learn that most rabbits hate getting wet and giving your rabbit a bath could actually be extremely stressful for him. The only time where a bath could be beneficial for your rabbit is if he has a high fever and your vet recommends a coo

ling bath to bring down his body temperature.

It takes a rabbit a very long time to dry, so bathing could actually put your rabbit at risk for pneumonia. You are better off spot-cleaning his coat as needed with a damp cloth.

If for some reason your rabbit really needs a bathe, do so very gently, and use a shampoo that is pH balanced for rabbits.

Trimming Your Rabbit’s Nails

When trimming your rabbit’s nails you need to be very careful.

Your rabbit’s nails each contain a quick – that is the pink part at the base of the nail that contains the blood vessel and nerves for that nail.

If your clip your rabbit’s nails too short, you could sever the quick – not only will that be painful for your rabbit, but it could lead to profuse bleeding as well.

When trimming your rabbit’s nails, use a pair of nail trimmers suitable for small animals, and remember it is best to just trim off the sharp tip.

Always keep some styptic powder handy to stop the bleeding in case you cut the nail too short.

 

Cleaning Your Rabbit’s Ears

Since lionhead rabbits naturally have erect ears, he may not be prone to ear infections than rabbits with low-lying ears. If your rabbit’s ears get wet, they could harbor bacteria growth which could lead to an infection. Rabbits with erect ears have a lower risk for infection because their ears are open and get plenty of air flow.

If you need to clean your rabbit’s ears, dip a cotton ball in a mild antiseptic solution, or use antiseptic wipes, and squeeze out any excess liquid. Use the cotton ball to wipe any ear wax or debris from your rabbit’s ears then let them air dry.

 

Caring for Your Rabbit’s Teeth

Many rabbit owners do not realize that their rabbit’s teeth grow continuously. It is entirely possible for your rabbit’s teeth to become overgrown which could cause him difficulty with eating.

Your rabbit has four large incisors at the front of his mouth which are used to slice through vegetation – there are two upper and two lower. There is also a pair of smaller incisors called peg teeth which are located just behind the upper incisors. Your rabbit also has eight cheek teeth further back in his mouth which is used to grind food into smaller pieces.

Your rabbit’s teeth grow continuously, that’s why you need to make sure he gets the right kind of food that will wear his teeth down, preventing overgrowth. If you feed your rabbit a pellet-only diet, you shouldn’t be surprised if he your pet developed dental problems such as malocclusion.

Malocclusion is when the teeth don’t meet properly. Making sure your rabbit gets plenty of dietary fiber is the key to keeping his teeth properly worn down. You should also have your rabbit’s teeth checked by a veterinarian twice a year – he can trim your rabbit’s teeth if necessary.

What else?

Grooming your lionhead rabbit is part of keeping it clean and healthy. Keeping its enclosure clean and well maintained will contribute to keeping your rabbit clean too.

Also remember, to look it’s best any animal needs to be healthy! Feeding your rabbit healthy food to meet its nutritional needs will also help to keep it looking good. Follow the tips above for general grooming, and remember to also take your pet to the vet for regular checkups.

Book - Lionhead Rabbits: The Ultimate Guide for Lionhead RabbitsIf you’re still looking for more detail on grooming your lionhood rabbit, I’d recommend reading “Lionhead Rabbits: The Ultimate Guide for Lionhead Rabbits”. You can find it on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle.