Grooming Conti’s

Continental’s are among the easiest of rabbits to groom. Their gentle nature only increases this fact, as they love to be fussed over and the more attention they get, the happier they are.

Weekly brushings are required to maintain healthy fur, and more importantly, to help prevent wool-block. If molting is occuring, however, brushing would need to be done daily to remove excess fur. This is because rabbits are constantly licking themselves; contrary to what some may believe, they are clean animals! The results of their own self-grooming methods though will likely end up with a wool-blockage in the intestines of the rabbit. If that happens, GI Statis will occur and that can quickly become *deadly*.

Next, always make sure to check your Conti’s ears and skin for any signs of mites or other parasites. The inside of the ears can be gently wiped off with a baby-wipe, or more preferably would be a clean cloth with a bit of pure oil on it, such as veggie or mineral oil. This only needs to be done once in a while, unless a problem has been discovered. Furthermore, this light dabbing of oil can also help enhance the luster of the fur; just be cautious to not over-do it.

Make sure to clean the corners of the eyes if there are any sort of what, in the human population, we call “sleepies” (the white dry stuff that sometimes gunks up at the inner-corners). This can be done by careful wiping the area with a clean cloth lightly dabbed with a Saline Solution.

Finally, on the average of once a month, be sure to trim toenails. If toenails are allowed to grow, they will cause lots of foot problems, such as sore hocks, and it makes walking and hopping painful.