yellow feet!

[Kbana]

My lop/lionhead mix has yellow feet. They do have some mats which I am trying to take care of.  I have had him for about 3 weeks and he came to me this way.  The vet made grooming him look so easy but I am still struggling with it. The only time my mister will sit still is when he is getting his evening massages. But even then, when I try to move into the hind area he will hop away.   I don’t want him to struggle or feel unsafe but his yellow feet are killing me! I just ordered some new litter pans online so I am hoping those will help so he doesn’t continue to sit in his box and get dirty…even when I layer it with a ton of hay….

 

Any tips on how to clean his feet would be appreciated.  I can wrap him in a bunny burrito but if I uncover his hinds will he kick? I want to make sure he feels secure.

I don’t want to trance him and stress him out either. 

 

Thanks!!

[MoveDiagonally]

How often do you clean your litter boxes and what kind of litter do you use? You may need to clean more often or change to a more absorbent litter.

I have a white rabbit and I use horse stall pellets with some hay on top. If I clean the boxes every other day his feet don’t get yellow at all and he even sleeps in his litter box. You don’t want to discourage rabbits from spending time in their litter boxes as it only discourages good litter habits. It’s normal and perfectly okay for him to hang out in there. I wouldn’t  put him and yourself through all that stress just to clean his feet. It’s not going to hurt him for them to be yellow right now and he’ll clean them on his own.

[Kbana]

I am in the process of switching litters. Just ordered it in bulk online. (Vet recommended)
I clean it every day, fully since the litter I am using now isn’t super absorbent and he tries to eat it. I use mostly hay because of this. (which means I’m going through tons of hay!) I also ordered the jumbo scatterless litter boxes too so hopefully that will help. I’d like to get the mats out though…

[MoveDiagonally]

Ah, the reason his feet are yellow is because of the lack of absorbent litter then. Once you get something better in there his feet should be fine. Working on the mats is fine, I missed that part, I was saying I wouldn’t go through all that for his feet only. They’ll just keep getting stained until the litter situation is resolved. What litter are you switching to? Do you have anyone that can help you hold your bunny while you groom?

[Kbana]

I’m switching to Oxbow eco straw litter. Will his feet eventually become not yellow? Will he be able to clean them enough on his own? I don’t know how long they’ve been stained as like I said, I got him this way.

I don’t know anyone that has a bunny or that I would feel comfortable with just yet. I think I’ll just have to keep building his trust. Front paws are no problem, just hinds. He hates it LOL
Worst case I can wait until he is under for his neuter. But that is a month away.

[Beka27]

My mini rex has white feet and hers are pristine. My lop (who passed in June) came to me from a rescue that allowed the rabbits playtime in an outdoor area. His white feet were very badly stained when we brought him home. My rabbits were never allowed outside (we live in a wooded area with too many predators and fleas so it’s just not an option here.) It took about two to three months of proper litter and no outside access for his the fur on his feet to shed out. After that time, his feet were just as perfectly white as my other rabbit’s feet.

So yes, it is possible for your bun’s feet to return to “normal”. You definitely need an absorbent litter. I use woodstove pellets. I don’t have experience with the Oxbow litter so I can’t comment on that.

Stained feet are just that… Stained. You won’t be able to clean them, so don’t stress him with it. Within a few months, the stained fur will shed out.

[Kbana]

Thank you All! Glad to know he won’t have yucky feet forever. LOL.

[Nelli]

Our bunnies are the same mix like yours, and I know what you mean when you say they have mats under their feet! It happens very easily, even with these buns I have who have pretty clean feet. What I do with the mats under the feet is I clip them with the nail clipper. The same one I use for their nails. It cuts very little fur at a time and I don’t have to be afraid of cutting their feet. For me, it’s impossible to find the skin under their feet, the fur is so thick, so I try to keep their feet clean and as mat-free as I can to hopefully prevent any infections etc.

About how to do this, well, at least our bunnies hate it if their feet are caught while they sit or lay down somewhere and they just run. What we do is one of my daughters will hold the bunny securely against her chest so that the bunny’s feet are facing outward and the bunny’s butt is supported both by my daughter’s hand and lap (she sits on the chair or on the bed) The bunnies don’t like this much but they are used to it by now. (They are not in trance)  Anyway, this is when I clip the mats off the feet and gently brush the fur (sometimes there are, for example, pieces of hay stuck in there so deep that you can’t see or feel them until you brush).

Of course, we give treats to the little princesses afterwards… usually they just flop after eating their treats, so I don’t believe it’s such a terrible ordeal for them.

[LongEaredLions]

I used to use the oxbow litter and if I remember right, it was a great litter, very absorbent.

[Elrohwen]

Some bunnies always have yellow feet, and sometimes it goes away with changes to their environment (like no longer having to sit on wet litter, or in wet hay).

There’s really no way to clean it, but it will shed out on its own with time. One of mine is prone to yellow feet, while the other always has perfectly white feet and they live in the same habitat, so sometimes there’s nothing you can do.

[Kbana]

Thank you!!

You have provided some great feedback and some strategies to try. I appreciate it!

 

Now I think I’m more addicted to this site than I am to Facebook! LOL

[LongEaredLions]

I am way more addicted to bb than Facebook too… I go on binky bunny about twice a day and Facebook twice a year!

[Author]

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