How to clean off bum

[VelvetLopBunz]

My bunny has been out of digestive tablets for a day before we could get more. Because of soft poo, you can imagine how smelly and dirty his bottom is. He hasn’t had much soft poo, but he for some reason always seems to have a stinky bottom anyway. His litter box and cage are changed once a day, so unless he poops in a spot out of his litter box why would this be happening typically? Since its hard and in a hard to reach spot, how do I clean it? He won’t sit in an inch of water more than literally 3 seconds and I’ve tried a foaming soap that requires no bath but it doesn’t do a whole lot in this case. Any quick tips?

[tobyluv]

You can use baby cornstarch powder for a dry butt bath. Make sure that it doesn’t contain talc.

I’ve had to give an elderly rabbit a butt bath a few times in the past and it’s very helpful if you have someone to help you. I use a dishpan on the floor, instead of using the sink or tub. Have someone hold the bunny in the small amount of water, while the other person splashes water on his bottom. I use a tiny bit of hypoallergenic soap, like Kirk’s Castille.

Usually the cause of soft poop and a messy bottom is a diet that’s not quite right. Too many pellets and not enough hay can be the culprit. Is your rabbit a good hay eater? If not, try other varieties and brands and see if you can find some that is more appealing to him. How much does he weigh and how many pellets is he getting each day? You may have to cut back on pellets to encourage more hay eating.

Here is the article on the bunny butt bath, the dry and the wet version.

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

[VelvetLopBunz]

He is a pretty good hay eater. I refill his two hay racks every night and he has some in litter boxes in his play space. He gets 1/4 cup of pellets every morning and he weighs 6.5 lbs.

[Chelsea]

Ugh, poopy bum syndrome. I hate it so much, and so does Silas. That said, it appears that switching him to Sherwood Forest pellets is really helping. I’m not trying to promote one brand, I just wish I had considered the possibility of him being sensitive to one of the ingredients in Oxbow pellets a long time ago. It hasn’t been an easy switch because he doesn’t like them much, but I think he’s finally coming around. And eating more hay in the process.

As far as cleaning tips, our vet did a “hygiene trim.” Didn’t fix the problem, but it did make it a bit easier to deal with.

[vanessa]

I like Sherwood too. Does yoru bun get any starchy/sugary.fruity treats? I give Lancelot a butt/leg/foot bath every weekend. I fill the bathroom sink about 2 inches with water. I use chlorahexadine shampoo for it’s antibacterial properties. I put a facecloth over the edge of the sink, rest hi front paws ont he cloth, and only his butt and back feet are in the water I swirl the water around his submerged parts for about 5 minutes, then I hold him on each side and rub shampoo over the dirty fur. He is really good about being bathed and handled. Then I rinse him and pat him dry in a towel, and use a hair dryer. I always trim his hair after each bath, or before if there is messy poop. Trimming the hair helps him dry easier, and limits the next mess.

[VelvetLopBunz]

I wish I could do that smoothly, but he won’t stay still because it’s not anything he’s experienced frequently before. I’ve done it once and it sort of worked a bit better because he didn’t completely freak out. How could I get him to stay and how do you clip fur? I’ve tried that a bit but he won’t let me flip him upwards more than straight up and down before he jumps. I’m a bit scared I’d get his skin if he fidgets suddenly.

[VelvetLopBunz]

He usually gets 1/5 of a banana every night. Is that too much sugar? I switch it up a few times a week with a blueberry or two or an orange piece. He also gets leafy greens or something else small. What should a nightly snack look like if that’s not a great choice?

[Bam]

I give Bam butt baths in a plastic storage box. 1-2 inches of lukewarm water. As a rule I don’t have to use any schampoo, I can get the mess off with just the water. I put the storage box on the floor in the shower, so if he’d jump out, nothing bad can happen. He actually seems to like it though. He doesn’t get poopy butt very often these days, but there was a time when he needed them twice a week.

I think I’d cut out the banana or give just a thin slice. You could save a little bit of his morning pellets and give that as a night snack + some leafy greens. He won’t starve since he’s a good hay eater.

[vanessa]

I would cut the fruit all together untill the poopy butt clears up, and then add smaller pieces, like one slice. My bunnies like bell pepper as a treat. Or radishes. Their favorite veggies are their treats. Lancelot and Guin get Oxbow Natural Science herbal tablets as treats. Lancelot thinks his vitamin B/digestive support tablet is a treat. Reason I say I would cut the fruit – it’s the same theory as with determining what you are allergic to. You cut all the suspects, then add them back one at a time, in small amounts. With Lancelot, he can’t handle dark fruits like blueberries, blackberries, dark grapes, etc, but he tolerates light colored fruits – in tiny amounts. I don’t give him more than 1/2 cubic inch of fruit a day – and not everyday. Only when I’m cutting apples and strawberries for myself, as an example, then the 4 bunnies share the apple cores and strawberry tops. Otherwise – he gets a poopy butt. They don’t need sugary starchy snacks every day – just like we don’t need deep fried twinkies every day. What are your bunnie’s favorite veggies?

[VelvetLopBunz]

Where can I buy Sherwood food?

[Chelsea]

http://store.sherwoodpethealth.com/adult-rabbit-food/ or on amazon. But if you are not in the US, maybe there is another local brand that would work? I think what makes Sherwood different is it has very few ingredients, and no added sugar. Also no soy or wheat.

[vanessa]

Most other pellets have molasses as a binding agent – and it adds the sugar that males our bunnies prefer those pellets to sherwood. That’s why it is sometimes difficult to make the switch. If I were to try to bath my other feisty bunnies, I’d start with a rubber mat in the bath sinc/container, Unfortunately my Lancelot is so good about being handled that I don’t have any advice for you on that. I can hold him on his side balanced on one hand/arm, then flop him over onto hsi other side on my other hand/arm to rinse his other side. For fur trimming – when I was asking my vet if he woudl do ti for me, he asked hiw good Lancelot is at lying still, or would he need to restrain him… yikes. I guess I’m lucky here too. I place Lancelot on his back on my lap. He knows what I”m doing and doesn’t really like it, so I pet him and wipe his eyes while I’m triming. He likes having his eyes wiped. If one spot is irritating him and he starts to flinch, I move on to another spot. I can stretch his legs out to tri the fur on hsi thighs, and really give him a good sanitary cut. But I go slowly. Probably slower than a vets assistant would, so it takes me a few sessions to get hsi hair as short as I woudl like it I can flip him over to get each side, he’s really good. After about 2 hours, he will start chattering his teeth, so I don’t go that long. For your bunny, I would get him in a bunny burrito, put him on his back on your lap, and maybe have someone help you hold him. Be quick, pet him, and treat him as soon as you are done..

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