Grooming the bootay

[Nora]

Hi guys, I am so full of questions! Most people I know don’t even realize that keeping bunnies as a pet is a thing, it’s so nice to have knowledgeable people to ask about stuff.

Pippin is good about letting me brush him. My last comb barely got any hairs at all, but he was sending clouds of fur all over, so I knew it basically sucked. I just got a new one that does a good job of actually getting the hair. This was from like a 5 minute brush:

But I can’t get his very backside. I can see a couple little bits of matted fur on his hind feet when he is hopping around or has his legs flopped out, but if I get close he tucks his feet underneath or jumps away. There is also a section of fur by his tail that I can’t reach when I am combing him. There’s a pretty clear line between where I have been able to comb him and where not:

Any tips/tricks for getting to that area? Or should I just accept that I won’t be able to groom all of him? (If I can get him into the carrier, I will probably take him to get a mini-groom next weekend because I haven’t been able to get him to let me do his nails yet either. But I’d like to be able to do it on my own.)

[LongEaredLions]

So sorry that nobody has gotten to your post!
Have you tried a ‘bunny burrito’? Wrap him tightly in a towel and hold him against your chest. Then move the towel around to access the areas you need.
For his nails, I find it easiest to place bunny between your legs, with the head facing outwards, and bend over them. Gently lick up a foot and start trimming.
Be very careful grooming the feet.

[Nora]

I did manage to get the nails clipped, but I still can’t get any grooming done down there. I’ve been trying to clean his scent glands and it’s a total no go. Even if I manage to hold him in a position where I could get to it, as soon as I even barely touch him he would kick frantically. I finally gave up and I think I’ll take him to the HRS next Saturday to see if the magic lady there can help.

[LongEaredLions]

Perhaps you could ask the lady if she would show you how to do it properly?

[Nora]

Yeah last time I was there she said she would. I just couldn’t get Pippin into the carrier to get him there. But I ordered a new carrier that I think I will have more success with so I can get him up there.

[LongEaredLions]

If you leave the carrier out for a few days before you go, he will become a bit more comfortable with it and more willing to go in. Treats help too.

[Nora]

Nope and nope. Not with the current carrier I have. It’s small enough that he can reach all the way to the back without getting his hind legs all the way in (he’s a long boy when he stretches), so he’ll just steal the treat and run away. And I leave it out all the time, he hops in and hangs out in it (there is some hay inside), but if I try to shut the door he’ll be gone in a flash. Anyway I got a slightly bigger one that is top-loading so that I can actually pick him up and put him in if necessary. Hopefully it gets here before Saturday!

[Nora]

So I got a new carrier that I could actually get Pippin into, and I took him to the HRS today. The lady was able to groom his butt! There was lots of little mats and it definitely needed to be done. Definitely worth $10!

I watched the lady groom several other rabbits, and Pippin was by far the squirmiest and required the most wrangling. That made me feel a little better, like I’m not totally crap for not being able to corral him myself. I will keep trying to do what I can on my own, but if I have to take him back there every few weeks that is fine by me. So nice to see his fluffy back feet and tail and underside all clean!

[LongEaredLions]

Glad he’s all clean now.
If you can’t figure it out, don’t feel bad. Bunnies are wiggly!

[Author]

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