Brushing tummy's, weepy eyes and chin rubbing?

Three questions actually - I will always have a hundred questions, but you guys really seem to know what you're talking about so I hope you don't mind my asking so many!

Firstly - I'm struggling to brush my bunnies tummy's. They will sit still while I groom their back and the fluff above their bum - I can't turn them over because they won't have any of it and I don't want to hurt them. I've kind of tried to brush at it from the sides but I don't think that's good enough as their both lion lops and one looks like she might be a double mane so she's really fluffy and needs brushing. They're only 8 weeks old so I want to start good habits, but they've only been with me since Sunday so I don't want to scare them, although they seem pretty comfortable around me.

Second - The fluffy bunny has lots of hair around her eyes and the bits underneath are like, wet, where it's dried - almost like we get sleep in our eyes. Is it anything to be concerned about?

And lastly! - I hear about bunnies rubbing their chins on things to mark their territory, but these two seem to rub their chins on each other. They're both girls, sisters; is this a good sign that they are well bonded?

Thanks so much everyone!!! :wave:

Hi there :wave:

I don't know about brushing, someone else might know.

I would get a vet to check out the weepy eye, it can be a blocked tear duct which needs drops or a flushout. Might be nothing, but best to be sure.

Pics soon?

:wave:

Hi sorry cannot gve advice on your buns eye. Just wanted to say after 12 years of having bunnies, never brushed their tummies. I think they maybe like cats and not really like it, but could be totally wrong. I know some people here do without problems.

Good luck with the advise. :wave:

Thanks guys - I'm going to try and find a decent vet and pop in just in case. She's got really long hair on her face and I think it might just be the hair catching on her eye, but better be safe and checked out.

They're getting a little better at being groomed :-s I guess I'll have to stick with it and hopefully they'll succumb to having their bellies done.

Any tips on getting them to 'flip' over, so to speak, so I can get to their tummy? They don't like it and just flip back haha I don't want to stress them!

For long haired buns tummies I find having them sideways against your tummy works well. The hate being on their backs so much and it is so stressful it is best to avoid it at all costs.

I gently lift their head and front legs so they are held securely against me and their bottom is resting on my lap. This gives good access ton their tum. If they don't like it still, ask someone to hod their feet and do it quickly.

If your buns have short hair then I wouldn't bother. The long haired ones I have i tend to keep their tummy hair short using round ended scissors so they don't need done very often.

aliduncan1 said:

For long haired buns tummies I find having them sideways against your tummy works well. The hate being on their backs so much and it is so stressful it is best to avoid it at all costs.

I gently lift their head and front legs so they are held securely against me and their bottom is resting on my lap. This gives good access ton their tum. If they don't like it still, ask someone to hod their feet and do it quickly.

If your buns have short hair then I wouldn't bother. The long haired ones I have i tend to keep their tummy hair short using round ended scissors so they don't need done very often.

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Great - thanks! They're lion lops so do have longish hair. They're actually getting quite good - I lift up their fronts and stand them on their back legs and do their belly. They stand there really well. The bellies aren't too bad, it's the bum area that's not easy! Binky isn't too bad, but Bailey has got such long hair!

That's fab, glad you're managing without either of them getting too stressed!

If the eyes are weeping a lot I would get this checked out by a vet, might be a small infection.

Rubbing on each other - i gues some do more than others and maybe is a family trait! I supposed it means they like each other so I wouldnt about it.

Brushing tummies - mine are short haired and I dont regularly brush them as such but do check for things stuck in their fur and crispy bits etc. Barney's needs a little dont about once a week. To do this I have him upright on my chest, sitting down on a chair, then bring my knees up to support him, then lean him back slowly onto my lap, supporting his head and allowing his feet to rest on my tummy as it bends over (they dont like having their feet in the air), he just needs to feel safe and supported. I hold his front paws with one hand so he doesnt try and twist and hurt himself, the use a small but wide toothed comb to sort out the problem areas. He doesnt like it but its never that bad so doesn take that long and he always gets a big fuss after. The other way you can do it, is to get them on their back in your arms like a baby, but they have to be cradled well so they feel safe and dont twist, then you can comb the fur. totally depends on how tolerant the rabbit is though !

Thanks Roseberry.

They both have longish hair - fluffy - one moreso, on her face, like giant mutton chops (is that what they're called? what men had in the old days all the hair on their cheeks?!) and I think the hair is getting stuck in her eyes and is damp when it comes out. But she gets lots of stuff stuck to it and it's hard to get out - I don't want to hurt her, with it being so close to her eye.

I'm stil struggling to clean Bailey's bum - Binky's doesn't get too bad, but Baileys hair is long there and her poo gets stuck in the fur - it's just normal pellets, but stuck there. She will stand still for a while, but I don't want to tug at it as her skin must be delicate.

I think I hurt her a little today trying to clean her, as she went mental when I put her down, biting the towl she was on like mad!!!

Any tips for the pooey bum?

Thanks again everyone!

I would use a damp flannel to wipe the bottom, or damp kitchen towel. Some people use baby wipes. This will loosen the hard bits. I squeeze the hard bits between the 2 bits of kitchen towel between my fingers and wiggle until they come loose. this seems to work quite well.

You could trim the around their eyes with some safe round ended scissors if they will let you? I have trimmed Barney's a bit when it has been getting really gunky. You wont be able to get right up to their eyes but it might help.