How to prevent a dirty butt?

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This topic has 2sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 6 months ago by Karrakov.

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- 10/21/2018 at 2:58 PM
  Karrakov
  Participant
  41 posts
  I’ve been having to clean (brush out) Benny’s bum a lot recently. He got sick a while ago and wouldn’t groom down there so I had to take over. It got so bad that he was loosing hair but thankfully that’s gotten better. He’s healthy now and grooming but still can’t seem to keep it completely clean down there so every few weeks or so I have to help him out. I have a litter box with a grate on it so he doesn’t sit directly on the wet litter, but after a day or two there’s mess ontop of the grate too so he eventually does sit on some yucky stuff. I try to keep it as clean as possibly but we all know how much bunnies go to the bathroom! Does anyone have any tips on how I can keep him cleaner down there or maybe why he isn’t getting it completely clean? He’s always been a really good groomer and it wasn’t until he got sick that this started. Bailey has the same problem but she’s always been a lazy groomer so I understand why she’s like that. Would trimming hair down there help keep it cleaner? He’s a holland lop and has some long fluffy hair.
- 10/21/2018 at 6:24 PM
  tobyluv
  Participant
  3310 posts
  Sometimes when a rabbit gets a dirty/poopy butt, it’s diet related. It can happen when a rabbit eats too many pellets and not enough hay, and it gets better when the quantity of pellets is cut, which usually results in more hay being consumed. Is it possible that diet could be the cause of Benny’s problem? If so, you can try reducing the amount of his pellets.
  
  A vet can perform a hygiene clip or shave on a rabbit, which should help, but it would be good if you could find out the cause of his dirty butt.
- 10/22/2018 at 7:57 AM
  Karrakov
  Participant
  41 posts
  That does make sense! Since he’s been sick he’s been on pellets more. My vet said free choice but I’ve been giving him about 3/4 a day. For about a month while he was really sick he wasn’t eating any hay so totally lines up! For the last few weeks he’s been eating a ton more hay, pretty much back to normal so maybe his messy butt will be fixed soon? The vet doesn’t want me to cut out pellets because he needs to keep his weight up, he’s just not a healthy guy. I’m trying to cut back to 1/2 cup but I need to make sure his weight won’t drop again (I cut them out completely a few months ago and his weight dropped a ton)
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