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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Messy bottom help with wash

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    • Squishy
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      19 posts Send Private Message

        G’day mates!

        Squish recently was unwell (GI stasis) in hospital but made a full recovery. During his time being very unwell he wasn’t able to make it to the litter box and as a result has a messy bottom/hind legs area. Hair is slightly matted with some dried runny poos and wee smells. Some chunks I could remove. But all in all I would love to wash it. Perhaps use clippers as well to remove the hair.

        Some advice on what is the best way to tackle this little problem would be much welcomed. Perhaps safe products and practices.

        My initial plan is to use a new litter tray as a shallow bath. Full of warm water.
        I will make sure it is a warm/hot day so he can be safe not to get a chill.
        I’ll ask my local vet for a shampoo product safe to use and I will only wash the affected area as he is otherwise very clean as bunnies are.

        Any advice on wether I should use clippers to trim the hair around the area?
        Or should I not do this?
        He is super easy going with me and doesn’t get too startled around some noises so thinking he might be ok with allowing me to use clippers.

        The other reason I’d like to shave the fur around there is even tho I change his litter every day and even top it up with hay to make it dry, he tends to get damp with wee around his hind legs/bottom area. So if the fur was minimum around there it might be kept dry. I don’t want him to get itchy or a rash from having damp wee fur.

        Thank you for listening and I hope to discuss about this issue with my fellow bunny lovers!
        -Jacob and Squish ???


      • Bam
        Moderator
        16838 posts Send Private Message

          You can give a bunny a butt-bath and you can clip the hair, although never ever the hair under the feet, they need that because they don’t have foot-pads. If you cut his fur you need to be very very careful not to nick his skin.
          The bath-water should be lukewarm and you should pat the area dry after with s soft towel, micro-fiber is the best. You can use a hair-dryer but make sure it doesn’t get too hot for him.


        • Cinnabunn the bunny
          Participant
          134 posts Send Private Message

            I would suggest trying the butt bath first before you clip the hair. sometimes its just the dry feces holding it all together. I also wanted to know a little more about your rabbits wet butt problem. is his butt wet because his poo is still that runny or is it wet because he sits on his wet litter? If the latter is the case, may I inquire what kind of litter box you use? You can try a wire bottomed litter box. I know some people are against wire bottomed anything but if its just for the litter box it should be alright. wired bottom litter boxes are what I use for my bun.


          • Squishy
            Participant
            19 posts Send Private Message

              Thanks for the help guys.

              His poos are solid. The wet ones that are dried are from when he was ill.
              He has a normal litter box with an absorbent litter and hay on top. He tends to do a lot of wees so I try and top the wet hay with dry hay for him to sit on.

              He seems to wee on himself a bit. As in when he squats and does his business I’ve checked and he is a tad damp. Even when it’s fresh dry litter.

              Thanks again


            • tobyluv
              Participant
              3310 posts Send Private Message

                Here are the instructions for a dry and a wet bunny butt bath from Dana Krempels:

                http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

                The few times when I have had to give an elderly or sick bunny a butt bath, I used the bar soap that I use for myself – Clearly Natural. It is hypoallergenic, cruelty free and comes in a few scents, plus fragrance free. I used to only find it in natural food stores, but regular grocery stores have it now.


              • Squishy
                Participant
                19 posts Send Private Message

                  Ok cool. Thanks for that suggestion.


                • blubudgie
                  Participant
                  178 posts Send Private Message

                    Personally, if I wanted to shave my bunny, I would go to a vet/vet tech to get it done. Especially around the tail/butt area. I watched a vet tech shave a severely matted rabbit once, and the tail was one of the hardest parts. I imagine it is more difficult for someone who isn’t trained at restraining and clipping. Clippers can also get hot quickly, which can hurt delicate bunny skin.

                    As for bathing my friend and I bathed her bunny before. He also had mats and poop stuck to his bum. We put him in a shallow, lukewarm bath with water that was only high enough to soak his butt in. We tried to wash as much of the poop/mats out as possible then used some child safe scissors to clip the rest out (not cutting close to the skin). Then made sure to dry him very well (i think you can gently blowdry if your bunny is not afraid of the sound)


                  • Kokaneeandkahlua
                    Participant
                    12067 posts Send Private Message

                      Butt baths are pretty easy-I run the water so it’s warm from the tap, and hold my bunny and angle the bum/dirty area under running water. I rarely use shampoo but you can use any gentle shampoo/dog shampoo. Make sure it’s rinsed, they have very fine hair so you’ll need to rinse heavily. But water is just fine and does the trick. AS you are working keep your hand massaging the fur to loosen the gross stuff AND more importantly ensure the water isn’t too hot or too chilly.

                      I use a few towels to press the water out, and keep an eye for 24 hours for signs of your bunny being cold. You may have to blow dry (on cool/low using your hand to again make sure it’s not too hot) or put a space heater on. It’s like you getting out of the shower and sitting in wet clothese for hours, it’s chilly so make sure they stay warm while drying.


                    • Mimsy
                      Participant
                      271 posts Send Private Message

                        I don’t know if this is safe for a bunny (so hopefully someone with knowledge will say one way or another), but our skunk, Elliot when he got to be about 10 years old became very incontinent due to some kidney issues. He was double coated and had a ton of hair and I didn’t like using soap on it. I would do a butt wash with vinegar and warm water in the sink Vinegar helps get out urine/poo pretty well and kills bacteria naturally so helps with the skin if it’s getting urine on it. Rinsing out vinegar is not as stressful as trying to get soap out of fur. It doesn’t have the drying effect on the skin that soaps can have.

                        Over the years we’ve had poopy butt issues with our layer chickens as well. We do a vinegar/warm water soak with them as well.


                      • Squishy
                        Participant
                        19 posts Send Private Message

                          Thanks again everyone!

                          Clean bottom now with scissors doing the trick. I would have to ask a professional vet to do a shave. To scary.

                          Again. Thank you! ???


                        • Bam
                          Moderator
                          16838 posts Send Private Message

                            I’m glad you got it sorted! =)

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                        Forum DIET & CARE Messy bottom help with wash