Tattooing Your Rabbits If
you plan to show your rabbit, the rabbit needs a
tattoo identifier on the inside of
his/her ear. A tattoo also makes it easier for you
to differentiate between rabbits in your rabbitry,
particularly if you specialize in one breed. Most
exhibitors tattoo their rabbits themselves because
it's not too difficult to do.
There are many ways of tattooing your rabbits. I've
used clamp-style tattooing for about 10 years and find
it very easy, although I've come to prefer the electric
or battery-operated tattooer. The cost of a clamp-style
tattooer ranges between $20 and $60, depending on the
brand. The electric or battery-operated tattooer ranges
from $130 to $249, depending on the brand and whether
it's electric or battery-operated. Because clamp-style
equipment is less expensive, I'll cover how to tattoo
your rabbit using that type of equipment in this article.
I've found that tattooing rabbits by myself is the
easiest way to do it, but I suggest that you have a
person present who's experienced with tattooing rabbits
the first couple of times that you try it.
Developing a Numbering or Lettering System
The first thing that you need to do is to decide on
a numbering/lettering system that you'd like to use
when you tattoo. For each rabbit, we use the first
letter of the sire's name, followed by the first letter
of the dam's name, and then the number in which the
rabbit was born in the litter. For example, a rabbit
whose sire, Karl, was bred to Daisey, the dam, and
who was the third kit in litter would have the tatoo
KD3. Think through the system that you want to use:
consider your breeds, the size of the ears of your
rabbit, and what will work best in your record-keeping.
Please keep in mind that most tattoo pliers will hold
only five digits.
Equipment You'll Need
Now that you have your system of tattooing down, it's
time to get your equipment ready. You'll need the following:
- tattoo pliers
- tattoo numbers/letters
- tattoo ink
- ink applicator (Q-tips work well)
- Preparation H
- styptic powder (just in case)
- tissues or wet wipes
- soft-bristled toothbrush
- rubbing alcohol
After you have all your supplies ready to go, put
your numbers and letters place securely into the tattoo
pliers. Test the tattoo on a piece of paper to make
sure that the letters/numbers are in the correct position.
By doing this, you can save yourself from making a
mistake.
Getting Your Rabbit Ready
It's now time to get your rabbit out of the cage and
place him/her on a sturdy, flat surface. I have a permanent
grooming area in our rabbitry--a table with a carpet
square glued on--which works nicely. Once your rabbit
is in position, give him/her a quick look over for
anything that should be taken care of first, such as
long toenails that need to be clipped, ear mites, fur
mites, etc.
Once your rabbit passes inspection, check your rabbit's
ear for a good place to put the tattoo. Make sure that
the area you pick for the tattoo doesn't have lots
of blood vessels an is not in the fur area of the ear.
It is a good idea to clean the ear surface with some
rubbing alcohol to rid the ear of any surface dirt
and germs before you tattoo. By the way, you're going
to put the tattoo in the left ear. If you show
your rabbits, the American Rabbit Breeders Association
(A.R.B.A.), which sponsors most rabbit shows, requires
a tattoo in a rabbit's left ear for identification
purposes.
Creating the Tattoo
Once you know exactly where you want the tattoo to
go, put a dab of ink directly on the interior of the
ear with the Q-tip or whatever applicator you're using.
This way, when you clamp the pliers, you can get a
basic idea of how the tattoo is going to look. Now
squeeze the pliers--with your numbers and letters in
place--firmly against the ear area where you applied
the ink. Hold the pliers closed for a second or two
and then release. If you go all the way through the
ear with the tattoo, that's okay. I actually prefer
it if I do go all the way through because it helps
create a lasting tattoo.
Make sure that the tattoo looks good. If it doesn't,
don't apply any more ink at this point--it won't improve
the appearance of the tattoo. Instead, put some styptic
powder on the tattoo and retry your tattoo in a few
days.
If all went well with the tattoo--and it should have--then
rub more ink into the tattoo holes with the toothbrush.
Don't rub too hard, or you can make the ear bleed more
than usual. Make sure that you get the ink in there
really good. I would rather use too much ink than not
enough and have to redo the whole process.
Controlling Any Bleeding
Next, apply a dab of Preparation H to the tattoo area--both
on the front and the back of ear--to help seal the
holes. You're probably thinking, Isn't Preparation
H for hemorrhoids? Why, yes it is, but it also
reduces the size of blood vessels. If you use it after
you tattoo your rabbit, the ink is less likely to be
lost through bleeding. It'll also keep the ear from
bleeding too much if you nicked a blood vessel. Preparation-H
also has a soothing feel to it, which will be welcomed
by your rabbit.
Wow, you're almost done. Now take a piece of tissue
or a wet wipe and carefully wipe away the excess ink
and Preparation H so that you can see the tattoo. If
the ear starts to bleed a bit after you wipe, just
sprinkle some styptic powder on the area and leave
it alone.
Now that you're done, pour some rubbing alcohol in
a container and let your tattoo equipment soak for
a few minutes. This will help clean your equipment
as well as disinfect it so that it's ready for the
next time you tattoo.
Congratulations! You just did your first tattoo, and
it looks great.
Some Helpful Hints
- Keep your ink container away from the rabbit. Sometimes
your rabbit will jump up or lunge forward. If your
ink is in his/her way, you'll end up with an inked
rabbit.
- Tattoo your rabbits at a young age. I like to tattoo
our rabbits the day that I wean them. This helps
me to identify them easier, especially when they
may all be the same color.
- If you're tattooing your rabbits in the summer,
then do it in the cool part of the day. The blood
isn't as thin as it is during the hot part of the
day, and the rabbit will normally be less stressed
if he/she is cooler.
- If you're tattooing more than one rabbit, wash
your hands and arms throughly after you finish with
each rabbit. You want to make sure you're not spreading
germs or getting any ink on the next rabbit.