To keep your ferret smelling pretty and your rabbits coat as lovely and soft as it was as a baby, from shampoo and conditioner to brushes to rid fleas or to stop matting, Kellyville pets has all your small animal grooming needs available in store and online.

Bathing small animals-

When bathing small animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice) it is important to use a gentle, soap free shampoo. Bathing rabbits is very enjoyable as most will enjoy standing in an inch or so of luke warm water and even guinea pigs will enjoy a bath as long as it is calm and relaxing. Some rabbits can become over excited or slightly stressed during bathing so staying as calm and quiet as possible during the bathing possess is a must.

It is best to have 2 people to help when bathing any pet.

What you need to bath a small pet:

-soap free, PH balanced shampoo

-small jug or cup

-a small tub (laundry sinks work best)

-bench space

-3x towels

-access to clean, running, warm water

-a rabbit brush

How to bath a rabbit-

Get all equipment ready before getting rabbit out of hutch
Put 1x towel out flat on bench
Put enough luke warm water in tub to cover the pets feet
Place rabbit on bench and give the rabbit a quick brush to remove any large debris from coat
Place rabbit in water
Use cup to wet rabbits coat right to the skin
DO NOT wet rabbits head, ears or face unless advised by vet
Place a small amount of shampoo on rabbits back
Work shampoo into a lather using your fingers to get right down to the rabbits skin
Make sure not to miss the rabbits tail, belly and legs
Using fresh warm water, rinse all shampoo off the rabbit
When there is no shampoo left on rabbit remove the rabbit from the bath and place the pet on a clean towel
Lightly rub the rabbit with a second clean towel
Continue to rub the rabbit with the dry towel until the rabbits fur is completely dry
Once dry, brush rabbit to smooth out coat and remove any knots created by drying

When finished bathing your rabbit, place rabbit back in its hutch in a warm place and allow it have food and water as well as a sleep to relax.

Bathe guinea pigs using the same above technique.

When bathing a rat, mouse, rabbit or guinea pig it is important that the small animals feet are always touching the bottom of the tub, do not fill tub with too much water or force the animal to swim to keep its head above water.

Ferret grooming-

Ferrets have a very unique musky odour, some people who are very sensitive cannot stand “ferret smell”. It is a smell unique to ferrets but their amazing personality makes up for a slight smell.

Why do ferrets smell?

The reason ferrets smell is because they secrete oils from glads in their skin. The oil secretion increases during breeding season. Ferrets also release oils from their anal glands when over excited or nervous.

How to stop ferrets smelling?

There is no way to completely stop a ferret from having a smell. There are however ways to make a ferret smell less. Firstly keeping the ferret’s cage free of urine or feces and regularly cleaning your ferret’s cage will make the biggest difference. You can bath your ferret, bathing a ferret should be done randomly as to not strip the coat of too much natural oil as this will increase oil production. A last resort option is to have the ferrets anal glands surgically removed by a specialized vet.

Bathing ferrets-

At Kellyville pets we have great quality ferret shampoo and conditioner available to buy online or in store. Fancy Ferret Protein Lanolin Shampoo is a coconut oil based shampoo that conditions as it cleans, with added lanolin to prevent dryness. The absorbable protein is essential for any damaged coat, highlighting all colours, making white sparkle and keeping that beautiful coat shine. It is non-irritating and will not strip natural oils from skin and coat. Fancy Ferret Protein Lanolin Shampoo will also help control ferret body odours.

Fancy Ferret Crème Rinse contains chamomile, nature's own stimulating coat and skin conditioner. Leaves the ferrets coat with exceptional shine and silky feel. Ferret conditioner rinses out film free, is PH balanced and bio-degradable.

Ferrets love the water so bathing a ferret is a very fun and enjoyable experience. Please be sure to dry your ferret thoroughly as they can easily contract respiratory infections if left to dry naturally.

Small animal brushes-

It is very important to regularly brush any small animal with fur, regular brushing increases healthy fur growth by stimulating the skin and removing dead or damaged coat. Regular brushing will reduce fur shedding.

What brush is appropriate for small animals?

With so many breeds of rabbits, Guinea pigs, rats, mice and ferrets it is important to find a brush appropriate for your pets specific needs. Some breeds of rabbits and guinea pigs such as cashmere or Angora rabbit or Texel’s and alpaca guinea pigs need to be brushed many times a day to maintain a long, healthy, thick coat.

FURminator Small Animal DE Shedding Tool-

A perfect sized tool for guinea pigs, rabbits or ferrets grooming and DE Shedding needs. Reduces shedding and helps prevent hairballs in rabbits, ferrets and other small animals.

The FURminator is recommended by veterinarians to help prevent life-threatening hairballs from developing. FURminator for rabbits effectively reduces excess shedding without harming sensitive skin

Stainless steel DE Shedding edge of a FURminator brush for guinea pigs reaches deep beneath your pet’s topcoat to gently remove undercoat and loose hair

FURminator used on Ferrets feature a shorter ergonomic handle for added versatility when grooming small pets. Guaranteed to reduce shedding better than any brush, rake or comb.

Slicker brush-

A wire slicker brush is a great grooming tool for small animals. A slicker brush can be used daily to remove dead coat and encourage healthy fur to grow in its place.

Using a slicker brushes for rabbits or guinea pigs is a great way to bond with your pet, they are easy for children to use and allow the pet to feel safe and comfortable while they are being groomed.

Slicker brushes are perfect for small animals competing in shows as they help to smooth the coat and tame unruly coats.

Comb-

A coarse comb with the large steel teeth with a wide gap between each tooth.

Coarse coats are great for long haired rabbits that tend to get bits of grass or shavings stuck in their fur or for long coated Guinea pigs if their fur drags on the ground and gets tangled up.

Flea comb-

A flea comb is appropriate for any removal of fleas from the fur of your small animal.

Flea combs are wire teeth very close together so that live or dead fleas get stuck in the comb as it passes through the fur.

Small Animal Grooming

Available Courses

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