Female Rabbit injured

[luluteeti]

I accidentally injured my female rabbit while cutting the clumps of poop stick together, there is no bleeding however I see a pink area and worried. Should I take her to a vet or does it look minor and heal by itself

 

[Mileybun]

Honestly I would get a vet to have a look at it, just to be on the safe side. It's in an area which could get dirty quite easily, especially if she is getting poop stuck on her bum.
Its also worth addressing why she is getting mucky, having a think about her diet and exercise levels

 

[samoth]

It's in an area which could get dirty quite easily, especially if she is getting poop stuck on her bum.

This was my first thought.

Also, were you cutting with, like, actual scissors?

 

[luluteeti]

This was my first thought.

Also, were you cutting with, like, actual scissors?

Thank you so much, small scissors with safe pointing edges.

 

[samoth]

Thank you so much, small scissors with safe pointing edges.

My vet uses clippers, so maybe that could be a potential alternative for you. Clippers can cause damage, too, but I'd probably go that route before scissors. I've noticed, for my doe, the clippers clear off a larger area and prevent future tangles (until the fur grows back, of course).

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Clippers only--we have plastic guards that will select the length of the cut without the shears part making contact.

 

[luluteeti]

My vet uses clippers, so maybe that could be a potential alternative for you. Clippers can cause damage, too, but I'd probably go that route before scissors. I've noticed, for my doe, the clippers clear off a larger area and prevent future tangles (until the fur grows back, of course).

 

[luluteeti]

Yeah, that’s a great idea. Just placed an order. Thanks for the help

 

[JBun]

Like Mileybun mentioned, it's important to address why the poopy butt is occurring as well, if you aren't already working on that. Usually it's mushy cecotropes caused by too many carbs and insufficient fiber/hay in the diet, but occasionally there can be other causes like other dietary sensitivities, dental issues, obesity, arthritis, liver problems, etc. If all poop is runny or mushy, including fecal balls, that's true diarrhea and considered an emergency.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit_poop
https://rabbit.org/2012/06/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/
If in doubt about potential medical issues, it's best to consult with a knowledgeable rabbit vet. Near your location, Aidan Raftery at Ashleigh vets is supposed to be a very good rabbit vet. You can also check the list for other recommended rabbit vets.

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/recommended-rabbit-friendly-vets/

 

[TammyP]

I accidentally injured my female rabbit while cutting the clumps of poop stick together, there is no bleeding however I see a pink area and worried. Should I take her to a vet or does it look minor and heal by itself

I would clean the area and put triple antibiotic ointment on it. I have done this with my fluffy baby who is unable to get to her bottom to clean it well. I have since shaved her bottom area to avoid future clumps of dump. I have also soaked her bottom to remove the clumps since cutting her because I felt so bad. This actually worked better than cutting it away. I just put some warm soapy water (using pet shampoo) in a shoe box plastic container filled to about 3 inches. I let her soak for a few minutes, emptied the soiled water after pulling off what would easily come off and repeating the process until clean. She actually seemed to enjoy the butt bath...lol. I towel dried her then blow dried her on warm setting and kept her in the bathroom with a small heater to ensure she didn't get cold. I also didn't let it get too hot in the room and would turn the heat off and on...this method worked much better for us...I hope this helps.

 

[Kleb06]

Just adding my experience…. I keep a bottle of colloidal silver and have successfully healed many cuts and minor skin irritation in my rabbits, cat, chickens and ducks. I have even used a drop several times in one of my chickens eyes and it cleared up irritation. I’m not sure if bunnies are the same however one of my ducks was attacked and I put triple cream on her wound and she ended up dying of what I think was a heart attack. Apparently one of the components ( I think pain killer) interacts with their heart. I was told you can find some of the cream without the painkiller and that’s safer but I now choose the silver.