Grooming Help & Advice.

Hi all,

Now that Willow is much healthier, her fur is out of control!
It seems her coat has responded to this lovely, healthy new diet and weight gain by becoming very long and very thick. It's quite incredible, I've never seen anything like it!

I brushed her today (a good, thorough brush) and actually decided to give her a trim. Not all over, just 'around the sides'. Her fur hangs so long now that is drags along on the ground. So I trimmed those parts so they no longer drag, and also trimmed around her bottom as she had some poop tangled in there!

How often should I brush her?

Also, I have heard lots about how to prevent fur balls.. any suggestions? I've heard about papaya tablets, about pineapple juice.. I would hate Willow to become clogged up with fur from grooming herself, so any other insights would be great.

Does she mind being brushed? If not, I'd be inclined to brush her a bit every day to keep on top of it, rather than leaving it and needing a longer, more stressful session

There are different schools of thought on the pineapple juice etc. There seems to be a valid scientific claim that the enzyme which breaks down hair is only present in fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple juice, not any of the processed stuff. So giving canned juice would be pointless. On the other hand, many people do use processed juice and say that is does have a benefit to their buns. This might simply be because buns like the taste and drink it for that, not because they are thirsty, and so end up well hydrated and better able to pass fur through the gut. Like most things, a little probably wouldn't do any harm even if it does not really do much good.

Everyone knows I'm a firm believer in pineapple. How it really works, I'll let the researchers decide. But when they are dehydrated anything that isn't bad for them that they will eat is good. It still has good vitamins nutrients and fiber.

Hmm interesting.. I've read about a lot of people who praise pineapple. And I've also read many people who claim rabbits don't get fur balls, but I think they can?

She doesn't mind a brush at all! She just sits there while I brush her back and sides, then I hold her like a baby and brush her tummy and check for matts around her bottom. She's so relaxed! That also surprised me! Harley would kick up quite a stink being picked up.

After her grooming session, she hops off, does a few binkies then gets a small piece of banana for being such a great client at the salon, so it's all a bit of a good time for her it seems!

Alot of care sheets and websites state rabbits cant vomit but on forums etc I have came accross loads saying watch for them being sick or might make them vomit. It shows that even tho there is much research on bunnies there is still things that are not fully understood.
On the grooming note, I want do trim bellas nails as she doesnt have her own run there wee bit long for my liking, the other 3 run about so wear them down fine, I have small dog safety nail scissors for doing bonnies but not needed to do them, would they be suitable for bella, just taking tiny mm or 2 off each 1 carefully is what was going to do, may take a while but safer than cutting a chunk off and hurting her.