When to start brushing??

[caillou]

I have recently gotten a lionhead, it’s only been like 4 days or so, but I’ve noticed that the little guy has a decent amount of hair in his poop. I’ve heard that brushing can help keep fur out of his system, but I don’t want to traumatize him by brushing him. He’s gotten pretty comfortable, I hang out in his pen whenever he’s out of his cage and I hand feed him his pellets. He binkies around and I’ve sen him flop once or twice but he’s still not comfortable with me petting him. He’ll let me do it but he freezes when I pet him so I know that it’s not the best experience for him. How long should I wait to brush him? Should I just do it anyways? I’ve heard that if I put him on a high surface he shouldn’t give me too much trouble for it, I just don’t want to scare him!!

[Wick & Fable]

Generally speaking, especially when it’s a shedding period, daily is preferable so there’s as little hair going through his digestive system as possible. Some rabbits do better without a brush and the owner just using their hands to gently pull out fur instead. This is what I do with Wick and is so much more effective than any brush.

In terms of balancing his comfort and his health, maybe you can do a few pet/grooms, then feed him pellets afterwards, so he associates it with a good thing. This is the same process I use with Wick when he gets shots or medical treatments. He suffers through it, then he gets all happy and energetic after it’s done because he knows I have a treat for him.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Sirius&Luna]

While it’s not great to scare them, it is important to brush them as if he ends up injesting too much fur it will result in a blockage.

If you’re seeing string poops, then it means he is injesting some fur. It also means it’s coming out the way it should, so don’t be too concerned!

try giving him a short brush on a high surface, and make sure you give him a treat immediately after so soon he’ll work out brush = treat.

You could also try a lint roller, although i’m not sure how that will work with a lionhead. Those sticky lint rollers are absolutely amazing on my mini lops, you can see how much fur comes out in just one roll, and it’s super quick and painless so they don’t tend to mind. The loose fur just gets stuck to the sticker.

How old is he? If he’s an adult it might be worth giving him a little piece of pineapple, which some people (including me) believe helps break down the fur in the stomach. Some people think it’s an old wives tale though, so up to you! If he’s still a baby, then it’s probably best not to give him fruit yet.

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