What grooming tool do you use?

[Butterscotch]

I need help finding a good grooming comb for my Netherland Dwarf rabbits. I've purchased a couple of them now but I don't really feel like they're very effective. I barely get any hair from my rabbits. What do you use to groom your rabbits?

Thank you!

 

[A & B]

What brushes do you have now?

I use a diy hairbuster. Here's the link to the video that shows how to make one. I plan on getting a furminator the next time they're on sale for Bugs because he's constantly molting.

 

[Blue eyes]

I only get alot of hair during a shedding. This is the comb I use...

 

[zuppa]

I have some fluffy rabbits like lionheads I use a simple baby comb for their maine also it works perfectly for all my rabbits when I need to remove dirt or there are matting hair or something. You won't get much of hair with it, that's why I use it for lionheads maines so they can keep them.

For actually getting hair and massage I use a long pin brush. But I'm curious about that comb with gums watched video some time ago and would like to try one day too.

My first brush was like this but I don't use it often to be honest, it is good for massage though.

Apart fluffy lionheads I have short hair lop rabbits and short hair dwarf they all love brushing but they only need it during molting, I use long pin brush then. My grandparents had a colly they used this type of brush for him it worked amazingly and he just loved brushing! It was much larger size though as colly is a very large dog, and very hairy, very pretty when brushed regularly

 

[Blue eyes]

I would be careful with any pin brushes. Some don't have rounded heads on the end of the pins which means bunny's sensitive skin could get scratched or tear. If there are protective rounded tips, then they should be okay -- just keep an eye on the tips of those pins as those tips can sometimes fall off.

 

[zuppa]

Mine has no rounded tips but I am very careful using it, I brush them against the growth and mainly in the areas where their fur is tickiest on hind legs for instance. There's kind of different type of hair underneath and pin brush works very well getting them. But I agree you need to be very careful with pins.

 

[Butterscotch]

What brushes do you have now?

I use a diy hairbuster. Here's the link to the video that shows how to make one. I plan on getting a furminator the next time they're on sale for Bugs because he's constantly molting.

Currently I'm using a double row flea comb. The furminator was next on my list! But apparently it sounds like it's normal to not get a lot of hair unless they're shedding so maybe the flea comb is working ok?

 

[Butterscotch]

Thanks so much for the suggestions everyone!! I've gotten some good ideas now.

 

[zuppa]

Thanks so much for the suggestions everyone!! I've gotten some good ideas now.

Hermelin has netherlands hopefully she'll see this thread and will share some experience too

 

[Hermelin]

I use the furminator for my bunnies, specially for my netherland dwarf because he have really short hair. But I brush carefully. I’m truly in love with my brush and I get most of the lose hair off, even though the molting seem to never end and fly everywhere.

Only problem for my neutered buck, it’s that he molt so much. So after I have brushed him with the furminator, he will have big naked patches without fur. So his fur will look like a Swiss cheese [emoji849]

The fur grow out again, but he never had the problem before he was neutered.

I also use a soft brush when my bunnies not molting heavily. But find it quite useless when it’s a lot molting specially for my neutered bucks that always have a heavy molting. I don’t get off that much lose hair and it take a longer time, which my bunnies won’t tolerate [emoji23]

 

[Orrin]

Pardon me for throwing this discussion off track; but, it is related. One of my buns doesn't like to be touched--never has. As soon as a brush gets close she moves aside. I don't want to play the role of pursuing predator, so leave it at that. (At one time she would tolerate a bit of petting when giving her treats; but, she started getting overweight and the treats had to stop!)

When she shed this summer, the fur hung on. She is terribly shaggy, the worst I've ever seen, and the extra hair must be making her very warm.

I've considered taking her to the vet and having the assistant--a bunny whisperer--brush her out. The vet's assistant can do anything with our buns and they don't mind one bit.

So, what do you recommend?

 

[Watermelons]

I use the furminator for my bunnies, specially for my netherland dwarf because he have really short hair. But I brush carefully. I’m truly in love with my brush and I get most of the lose hair off, even though the molting seem to never end and fly everywhere.

Only problem for my neutered buck, it’s that he molt so much. So after I have brushed him with the furminator, he will have big naked patches without fur. So his fur will look like a Swiss cheese [emoji849]

The fur grow out again, but he never had the problem before he was neutered.

Please don't use a furminator.
Its a blade. Its not pulling out loose hair it literally cuts out healthy hair with dead hair.
This is why he has naked patches.
It will always pull good hair out and it will always seem like its pulling dead stuff out but it will never stop. Because it physically cuts hair out.

 

[A & B]

Please don't use a furminator.
Its a blade. Its not pulling out loose hair it literally cuts out healthy hair with dead hair.
This is why he has naked patches.
It will always pull good hair out and it will always seem like its pulling dead stuff out but it will never stop. Because it physically cuts hair out.

So the hairbuster is best? Thanks for sharing this, I had no idea.

 

[Hermelin]

Please don't use a furminator.
Its a blade. Its not pulling out loose hair it literally cuts out healthy hair with dead hair.
This is why he has naked patches.
It will always pull good hair out and it will always seem like its pulling dead stuff out but it will never stop. Because it physically cuts hair out.

I used furminator before and it never happened until he was neutered. Even with the soft brush he will get naked patches where he’s molting, the same with just petting him with water.

And the furminator stops when it’s not the area where the molting occurs. At least so is it for me and when I brush my bunnies. Don’t know how other brushes, but the Swiss cheese look on my netherland dwarf occurs because of a heavy molting and not because of me brushing him with the furminator.

I first thought it was because of the furminator, so I switched brush and how I handled his molting. The same thing happened.

 

[Blue eyes]

I may be in the minority here, but I'll confess that it is very rare that I actually find my grooming comb and use it. If I see stringed poos, then I definitely start grooming, but honestly that is rare indeed.

I'll pet my buns and use my hands to wipe some of the loose fur chunks, but I'm hardly thorough about it, and certainly not consistent. I'm sure there are plenty of rabbits who enjoy being groomed regularly, and great for those who do that. I am just not in that camp. They've been healthy and do just fine-- even if they are a bit scruffy looking at times.

Case in point (from last night)...

 

[Butterscotch]

Pardon me for throwing this discussion off track; but, it is related. One of my buns doesn't like to be touched--never has. As soon as a brush gets close she moves aside. I don't want to play the role of pursuing predator, so leave it at that. (At one time she would tolerate a bit of petting when giving her treats; but, she started getting overweight and the treats had to stop!)

When she shed this summer, the fur hung on. She is terribly shaggy, the worst I've ever seen, and the extra hair must be making her very warm.

I've considered taking her to the vet and having the assistant--a bunny whisperer--brush her out. The vet's assistant can do anything with our buns and they don't mind one bit.

So, what do you recommend?

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking. What grooming tool do we recommend? Should you take her to the vet or not? I would say that yeah, if you think her fur is causing problems for her you should definitely take her to the vet. They may or may not groom her but you would at least have your answer.

 

[Butterscotch]

I may be in the minority here, but I'll confess that it is very rare that I actually find my grooming comb and use it. If I see stringed poos, then I definitely start grooming, but honestly that is rare indeed.

I'll pet my buns and use my hands to wipe some of the loose fur chunks, but I'm hardly thorough about it, and certainly not consistent. I'm sure there are plenty of rabbits who enjoy being groomed regularly, and great for those who do that. I am just not in that camp. They've been healthy and do just fine-- even if they are a bit scruffy looking at times.

Case in point (from last night)...

View attachment 42815

That is one adorably scruffy bunny!! Thank you for this answer, I feel a little better about my own lack of grooming. My bunnies, that is...