Newbie, thumping cleaning and dominance questions!

[marneyron]

Hi,

Hoping someone can offer me some advice.

I have two german lop rabbits, and have heard that they sometimes need help to clean their bottoms as the larger rabbits find this area hard to reach. My female (Marney) has a beautiful coat but a really wee stained bottom which smells pretty strong!

I have tried to clean her with just water but this does not remove the stains or the smell, just hoping someone could suggest a “nice ” smelling safe alternative.

The male (Ron) has started thumping his feet whenever I am around. Is this aggression , being dominant or just a sign to tell me to get lost?

I have spoken to the lady who runs the rescue about a bonding issue and thought I would just check it out with you guys too.

Marney and Ron seem to be getting on really well now, although I still do not leave them unattended. They will often sit shoulder to shoulder and all seems to be fine until Ron begins sniffing Marneys back end. At this point she just hops of and runs away from him,he will pursue until they get tired out and he tries it again. I have been told that this is normal behaviour and as Ron is neutered and past the “safe” date not to worry.

I was advised it is because he has not mounted her yet so he is still trying to be boss. I dont think she is ever going to let him, so will he stop this after a time? Should I intervene as I do not want her to be bullied or become stressed?

 

Thanks for your time

Shelley

[Sarita]

You might consider getting a sanitary shave for your buns from your vet – I do this alot with my rabbits with this problem and it helps quite a bit.

Ron could be thumping because he hears something and is warning you. I cannot always figure out why my rabbits are thumping, I just try to calm them down.

I agree with the rescue about the normal behavior (sniffing and chasing). I would only intervene if there is aggression or if it is going on so long, the rabbit underneath is looking stressed.

[rabbitsmba]

Is Marney spayed? If not, she needs to be – it will help with aggression, bonding, litter training and pee smells.

As for the smelly bums, are they not able to reach behind to clean? Are they a bit overweight? Best thing to do is alter their diet so they lose a few pounds and will be able to take care of this job themselves. What do you feed them? Their diet could also be the cause of a poopy bum.

How long have you had them? The thumping could be that Ron is still nervous around you. It’s more a warning than aggression I’d say. Also, have they had a check up recently? The only reason I ask is because sometimes bunns with hearing loss or sight issues tend to startle more easily and this could be why he is thumping – so it would be a good thing to check out.

Other than that, your bonding behaviour descriptions do sound normal to me. A huge part of bonding is the dominance issue, there is a lot of humping that goes on by both parties, but once they get that settled, it shouldn’t be a problem.

[marneyron]

Marney has not been spayed yet, after learning the cancer statistics on this site I have decided to have her spayed in a few weeks once she is settled in. Thanks for the shaving suggestion will have this done at the same time too.

I have had Ron for about three weeks now, so you may be right about him being startled, although it seems to be if I get in anywhere near him at all! He was examined and neutered by the vet about 5 weeks ago.

Marney is a very large rabbit, (she is a german french X) but as far as I am aware not overweight. She does have a very large chest bit (probably is a correct bunny name for this) that makes cleaning more difficult I think.

[Tracy]

I have large Satin rabbits and have to brush out their behind area cause they have trouble reaching it to but this helps alot. They have gotin use to me doing this and I find it easy to do if I put them on the washer on a non-slip rug, pull them close to me and just lift the back leg and brush…and also pull out all lose hair. They have come to like this….must feel good…like groming…lol

[RabbitPam]

You could also pat her bottom with corn starch. If she’s wet, it will absorb the moisture. I’m not sure but it may absorb odor as well.

I’ve seen bunny shampoo for sale at stores like Petco, but I don’t know if they should be recommended. My vet also sold some shampoo she had luck with using on rabbits, so you might ask your vet if they have any to try. Just adding a safe soap to a butt bath with a washcloth might make the difference. After the corn starch the brushing may be easier.

[Gravehearted]

hi there welcome to binky bunny! it sounds like you’ve gotten some great advice!
I would also recommend the cornstarch method. I am very happy to hear you’re going to get her spayed, that’s wonderful. She also may have an easier time with the bonding once she’s spayed and her hormones have calmed down.

[rabbitsmba]

Just a bit of a warning – with Ron only being neutered 5 weeks ago, he may still be able to impregnate Marney. I would tend to play it safe and keep him from her for 3 months, but of course, once she is spayed and has recovered, they’ll be okay.

And once she is spayed, you will see a good change in her. This could also be why Ron is constantly wanting to mount her – her pheromones are driving him nutty!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Sorry I’m late-Welcome to binkybunny!! Can’t wait to see pics of your cuties!!

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