How to groom extremely matted fur

[June Bloom]

I just adopted my neighbor’s severely neglected lop, who I have renamed Alfie. When I met him yesterday, his small cage was sparse with only a filthy litterbox in it. His previous owners were feeding him hamster food (corn, seeds, etc) and absolutely no hay. Alfie is extremely skittish (but very sweet) and obviously has not been shown much love or affection before. His nails were about an inch long and his joints pop every time he hops. He is about 2-3 years old… 

The question I have is: how do I clean and de-mat his bottom? I have attached a picture, which shows how there is poop matted into the fur and it is very pee-stained (he is a white rabbit). Is there a safe and widely available alternative to rabbit shampoo I can use? I live in a small town and the closest city is an hour and a half away. 

It’s hard to tell in the picture, but his butt is extremely red. Is there something I can do now to help relieve some discomfort? 

I am going to schedule an appointment with the vet tomorrow and hopefully can be seen as soon as possible, but I want to help him as much as I can beforehand, because he has to be so uncomfortable ):

[kurottabun]

Aw that looks awful But am glad that you have adopted him.

It looks quite bad to be salvaged. If it can’t be combed through and cleaned, a lot of people opt for shaving instead. Once the matted fur is shaved off, new fur will be able to grow in and you’ll have to manage it by brushing and grooming accordingly.

For now you can try giving him a butt bath first by soaking his butt in warm water and trying to brush out the dirt. You can have him in a standing position so that only his rear area touches the water. Make sure that he is dried thoroughly after that though – it’s not good for rabbits to be wet. Alternatively I’ve also seen people using pure corn starch for cleaning. The theory is that corn starch absorbs moisture so extra pee stuck in the fur will be absorbed and removed when you brush it out.

I’m not sure if any kind of shampoo can be used because of the irritation. If it’s really red then you’d probably need to consult a rabbit savvy vet and get something to apply over the irritated area.

[Sirius&Luna]

Poor little guy! Thank you for saving him!

I agree that just a warm water butt bath would help – I wouldn’t want to put any shampoo or soap on incase it irritates that red skin further.

Sudocrem is a good option (recommended by my vet) for sore hocks, and urine scalded legs and bums

I hope it goes well at the vet.

You might have a struggle to get him eating hay after such a poor diet for so long, so try lots of types and don’t give up!

[Muj Mom N Bun]

Oh, poor little babe! Thank you so much for saving him! He will love you dearly for this!

[Bam]

Thank you for saving Alfie! You have got good advice already from Kurotta and S&L. A butt bath with lukewarm water, then pat him dry. I’d cut off bad mats, but leave shaving to a vet tech. Don’t cut too close to the skin. Sudocream or diaper rash cream can be used.

Give him hay but make all other dietary changes slowly and gradually. His tummy is used to this unhealthy food, it needs time to adjust to healthy food. At first he will likely avoid healthy pellets, so you’ll have to mix them in gradually into his hamster mix.

We’d love updates about Alfie!

[tobyluv]

How wonderful for Alfie that you saved him from a bad situation and he will now be in a loving, caring home.

The few times I have given butt baths to one of my rabbits, I used a plastic dish tub on the floor, with an inch of so of warm water in it. That seems safer than putting a rabbit in a sink, where they could possibly fall, if they got away from your grip. I use a little piece of a natural, hypoallergenic soap in the water, like KIrk’s Castille, which comes in an unscented variety. But I agree with the others that for Alfie, plain warm water might be best since he is so irritated on his bottom.

I hope that the vet can easily help him with his problems, and that he checks out well otherwise.

[June Bloom]

Thank you all for the replies! I was able to cut of the worst bits before taking Alfie to the vet a few days ago. They gave him a bath there, but didn’t shave him yet because his skin is so irritated. He also has a UTI, but is getting better and doing great. Every time after I give him his antibiotics, I cuddle with him to help us bond. Alfie absolutely loves cuddling! 

[Bam]

It sounds like Alfie has hit the jackpot ?He must already love you. I hope his UTI will clear up soon. It was probably to a great extent the UTI that caused his wet and dirty butt, so it should all get a lot better with the antibiotics.

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