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kman43

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Hi All,

Our 10 week old lionhead is teaching us many things about her care. Several questions we have though are:

1. Is there a hair brush that is recommended for her? A very small slicker? Thoughts?

2. We are waiting to give her vegetables for another 4-6 weeks. Should she have access to pellets 24-7? Or should we remove the food dish, and only give access to hay through the night?

3. Nail trimming...our bunny is black in colour, so it is harder to gauge where to cut, any tips? I have experience cutting cat nails, so I know not to cut too close to the quick (pink part). We had our first experience last night, which she tolerated well, but we only cut a mm off, and we wnat to make sure that is enough.

Thanks for the help,

Ebony and her family
 
You might try a comb with the teeth close together for brushing, but it would be most effective on the mane. A bristle brush can work and some have a pin brush on the other side which can also be used. A Furminator is great for shedding, but it can cause bald spots and irritation if you are not careful.

Young rabbits should have unlimited pellets. However, if she is not eating a lot of hay, you could limit the pellets a bit or remove them for a few hours a couple times a day. I would fill the bowl (if its a big bowl, put about 1 cup in at a time) and once she eats it all, she won't get any more until the next day. 1 cup should be enough to satisfy her growing needs, but still leave her hungry enough for hay.

Some people use a flashlight to show the quick on dark nails. Brighter would be better and it could be helpful to have someone help you. I have found that the closer to the quick you get, the smoother the inside of the nail is. Just take a little bit off at a time and if you do get a bit of blood, you have gone too far, but should know how far to go with the other nails. I have seen nail clippers with a light attached, so you might want to try that.
 
hello! for nail clipping i use hubby's work torch - it's a really bright white light and you strap it round your head:p
leaves both hands free and shows up the quick (my rexes have black nails)

i use a lint roller for grooming - a personal choice but it works for my buns. it doesnt grab and pull too much fur out. several of our shops sell them very cheaply too.:bunnydance:
 
I use to use a soft brush on my lionhead until I read Donna's suggestion about a lint brush. I tried it and loved it. It works so well. I never had much luck with a hard bristle brush because my lionheads hair is so fine.

I hate cutting nails. One thing I would suggest is to have that powder there incase you cut to short to stop the bleeding. I can't think of the name of the powder but I use the same kind I use for my cats.

Here are some threads from the library that should give you more information:
Feeding http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12046&forum_id=17
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12160&forum_id=17
nail clipping http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12075&forum_id=17
Brushing http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=28114&forum_id=17
 
Amy27 wrote:
I use to use a soft brush on my lionhead until I read Donna's suggestion about a lint brush. I tried it and loved it. It works so well. I never had much luck with a hard bristle brush because my lionheads hair is so fine.
Click to expand...
:thanks:rexy fur is so fine too - when i used a brush it tended to puff all over me - makes me itch if it gets on my face/eyes:tears2: i also find it kinder on their skin. honestly! the things us bunny servants go thru:p
 
Nail clipping video:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/user/FastUpOnRabbitCare#p/u/4/cyyxQRoAhcw[/ame]
 
You can use a small slicker brush on a Lionhead...it'd use the one with little plastic dots on the end of the teeth. My favorites are the small cat sized furminator & a flea comb.
 
We have a black double mane lionhead girl...
we use a small cat slicker for her long coat and one of the small furminators on her short coat...the furminator isn't good for their woolies...it tends to pull them right out.
Just make sure you keep a firm hold on her coat if you use a furminator as they tend to tug and can tear the skin if you aren't careful!

We bought a small keychain LED flashlight (flat profile easier to hold while wrestling bunnies!) and it works super for black nails...you have to shine it on the nail up close and from the side...it makes the quick easier to see...actually we just finished doing Peppys nail trim last night...we trim her nails down to 1/8th of an inch above the quick...she tolerates it fine and seems much happier with her trimmed toes! :)

Since lionheads regularly shed and re-grow their coats we leave pellets in 24/7...they tend to need a bit more protein than a short coat bunny...we haven't had an issue with over eating...Peppy munches when she is hungry and eats her hay and veg when she wants...I guess it depends on your bunn...some tend to be fine while others tend to get too attached to their pellets...why not watch your bunn and see what her pellet consumption is like and then decide...although you should notice an increase in pellet consumption when she is getting ready to blow her coat! If she starts to put on too much weight and isn't eating her cecals then you can cut back her pellets...but otherwise it should be fine to leave them in and free feed!

Hope this helps!:)
Danielle
 
There is a type of styptic powder called Quik Stop that you can buy at the petstore for a few bucks...it is a styptic powder and it has Benzocaine in it to stop the pain if you cut the quick...thank gods I have only had to use it once when our girl tore her nail mostly off...but the effect was immediate and worked wonders! The last thing you want is a bunny with a cut quick that is ticked off and hurting kicking likea madman! And one container (about the size of a pill container) will last practically forever! I highly recommend it!

Danielle:)
 
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