Holland Lop Grooming ?

Question
I recently rescued a male neutered Holland Lop rabbit from the Humane Society. I've read differing opinions online so I was wondering if you could tell me:

1) How often/How can you tell if a bunnies nails need trimmed?

2) Should I be routinely using a cotton ball to clean his ears? And if not, what are the signs that they need cleaning?

Answer
Dear Allison,

Bunnies need their nails trimmed when they extend more than about 3mm beyond the quick (the pink, living tissue inside the nail).  The time this takes to grow depends on the bunny, and on the surface he's living on.  Bunnies living on carpet or other soft surface will need their nails trimmed more often than those living on tile (grout keeps things short) or other friction surface.  Here's a good place to learn how to safely trim bunny nails:

http://www.mnhouserabbit.org/rabbit/care/grooming/nailtrimming.html

A cotton ball is okay for cleaning the external pinna (long part of the ear).  But to get the ear canals clean if they have wax buildup, a cotton swab is needed. This can be a delicate procedure, as the canals are small.  If you don't do it right, you could end up pushing wax deeper into the ear canal.  So be sure to have your vet or an experienced rabbit person show you how to do this before you attempt it.

Hope this helps.

Dana