Rabbit Brushing Guide

Brushing your rabbit regularly is an essential part of their grooming routine and overall health care. Excess fur, especially during shedding season, can be ingested and may lead to GI Stasis, a serious digestive condition. To help prevent this, here’s how often and how best to brush your rabbit:

Brushing Frequency

* Every few weeks for most rabbits is sufficient to remove loose fur.

  • Weekly brushing is recommended for long-haired breeds like Lionheads or Angoras to prevent mats and tangles.

  • Rabbits experience a major shed about once a quarter (every 3 months)—during this time, more frequent brushing may be needed.

Recommended Tools by Fur Type

HairBuster Comb – Ideal for medium-length fur, effectively removes loose hair during shedding.

• HairBuster Comb – Ideal for medium-length fur, effectively removes loose hair during shedding.

LI’L PALS Slicker Brush – Works well for short fur and also gentle enough for long fur breeds like Lionheads.

• LI’L PALS Slicker Brush – Works well for short fur and also gentle enough for long fur breeds like Lionheads.

Hand brush – Best for rabbits with sensitive skin, such as Rex Rabbits.

• Hand brush – Best for rabbits with sensitive skin, such as Rex Rabbits.

Hand removal – Sometimes, mats or clumps of fur need to be gently removed by hand to avoid irritating the skin.

• Hand removal – Sometimes, mats or clumps of fur need to be gently removed by hand to avoid irritating the skin.

Regular grooming not only keeps your rabbit clean and comfortable but also gives you a chance to check for any skin issues or abnormalities.

Why Grooming Matters?

Rabbits are very clean animals and groom themselves much like cats. However, if they ingest too much fur, it can lead to issues like “string of pearls” droppings—a chain of droppings connected by strands of hair. This is a sign your rabbit is ingesting too much fur and needs to be brushed more frequently.This issue is also common in bonded pairs, where one bunny grooms the other. In such cases, be sure to brush both rabbits to reduce the risk of fur ingestion.

Rabbits are very clean animals and groom themselves much like cats. However, if they ingest too much fur, it can lead to issues like “string of pearls” droppings—a chain of droppings connected by strands of hair.

The Serious Risk: GI Stasis

Ingested fur can contribute to GI Stasis, a dangerous condition where the digestive system slows down or stops. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate veterinary care. Preventing fur ingestion through regular brushing is one of the way along with unlimited the hay (the most important) to reduce this risk.

We show 5 ways to groom your rabbit. The item used is based on the type of rabbit that you have (short fur to long fur) along with skin type (i.e. rex).