Bunny Bathing

[Lightchick]

Lizzy the Diva-Bunny has managed to get something on her glorious white fur right over her tail.  It looks like urine, and who knows how she got it there!  I’ve chased after her with a wet paper-towel for two days, and have gotten most of it, but not all of it.  (And oh, the nasty looks I get after scrubbing her butt with a papertowel!).  Any tips on what to use to spot-clean her Lizzy-ness?

[Beka27]

is it just a yellow stain or is there something actually sticky on her? if it’s just a stain, you can groom her like normal and it will eventually fade as she sheds. you could do a butt bath for her, but it’s really not recommended to give a full bath. it is very stressful on the bunny, and they can get sick easily. where do you groom her? i’ve found it’s easier to put them somewhere high that they’re not familiar with (like a kitchen counter or dining room table) and they will usually sit still long enough for you to do what you need to.

[Lightchick]

I’ve been on hands-and-knees on the floor after her…  I guess I should try the counter-top idea.  Although she flails an awful lot…I’d be afraid she’d flail herself onto the ground…

It’s not sticky, exactly, but it has matted up her fur a bit.  I know she shouldn’t get a full bath (and I have no desire to try!), so is just plain water the right answer for one spot?  Or is there a product of some sort I should use?

[Beka27]

i would just use plain water and her hairbrush to try and brush it out. if you have a carrier for her that comes apart (top and bottom) you could also try putting her in the bottom half on the counter so she’s a little more secure. and OF COURSE do not leave her unattended up there. block her in with your body. yeah, crawling after her on the ground will never get you anywhere. she’s much too quick like that!

[Lightchick]

Ooo, I like the carrier-idea!  That could work!  (I would never leave her unattended on a counter!  Even attended, she flails when put somewhere she doesn’t want to be, though!)

I don’t actually have a good brush for her.  I mentioned this in another thread somewhere…I have a useless brush I got in the “small pets” section of the big chain petstore, and it doesn’t do anything.  It has plastic bristles with the little plastic nibs on the end of the bristles, and it doesn’t remove shedding fur, or do much at all, other than annoy Lizzy, who hates it.  What kind of brush should I look for? 

[Beka27]

some people use a slicker brush (the ones with the little metal bristles) but you have to be so careful not to injure their skin. i have one of the plastic brushes like you said and i have a brush that’s more like a baby brush. i never had much of a problem b/c Meadow is a mini rex, but now that i have Max, i might have to get a better brush…

[MooBunnay]

Do you have someone that could help you clean her? If you could get someone to hold her you might be able to get at the stain better. For the ones that really flail, if you can cover their eyes it seems to help with the flailing. I’ve got a boy (and Sarita can attest to this) that goes NUTS when anyone tries to hold him to trim his nails. I have to bring him to the rabbit shelter just to get a professional to do his nails!

Sometimes pee is pretty hopeless to get out, if you want to try brushing it a bit to loosen it up, I’d recommend something like a flea comb where you can gently work parts of the stain out. I adopted a bunny that was absolutely COVERED in pee when I got him, and we actually had to trim some of it off because he couldn’t even groom, but if it doesn’t seem to be bothering her, she’ll probably shed it out soon!

[kralspace]

hi Lightchick,

I was trying to find an old thread where I asked the same question, there were lots of great suggestions. Mine is a beautiful white rex too and every now and then she gets a big pad of cecals stuck to her butt because she’s still a bit too round to reach around and clean good.

I went with putting a thick towel in the bathtub with maybe 2 inches of warm water. She only tried to jump up my chest once, then she sits and glares at me. She’s usually so interested in looking around she never notices me working the wads loose with my fingers and boy they can really be stuck. I’ve never gotten her entirely wet, just her behind, but she doesn’t seem to mind very much.

I sit on the couch with her wrapped in a towel and she runs back and forth while I try to dry her off.

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