Messy Bunny - Help!

[ams1786]

Sorry for asking several questions in the past few days - hopefully last one

I'm exhausted and don't know what to do about a messy bun. So I'm in the Northeast where it has been obscenely freezing the past several days, so I was bad and postponed the full cage cleaning a few days - partly because standing outside with a hose in 10 degree weather is miserable, and partly because the bun doesn't have anywhere to hang out unsupervised while I'm cleaning - her pen's outside and the bunny proof room isn't heated.

It's warmer today but when I took her out to clean I noticed she was a bit messy - with gross stuff. She seems fine otherwise and is going fine so I thought maybe this was a sign of my terrible ownership and she just picked somewhere messy to sit (if that can happen). It wasn't anything horrid - just distinctly messy. I figured I should take her outside and try to clean her off, with the paper towels/warm water method. Problem is, she can't be tranced, and was having none of it. The few seconds I had her still I couldn't get much off, and then she promptly started kicking. I ended up bleeding, soaked, and covered in mud - and other stuff. She then started zooming around her pen (/me) - and as it had just rained, is now very muddy as well. I put her inside to get her out of the mud, left her alone for a sec, and came back to find her sitting on the couch...

So, question is, can I just trust her to clean herself up and stop trying to do it for her? Only other option is a bath and as she's a bit stressed I really don't feel comfortable doing that. I mean, they can clean themselves up right - particularly in the backfeet/tail region? It's nothing horrid or unsafe - just wouldn't want her sitting on my lap And maybe a tiny bit smelly I don't know what the protocol is in this case.

Any help - please! I'm very frustrated

 

[DUSTBUNNY-CLYDE]

I read from other posts that you should never bathe a bunny! My boys are so messy and smelly also!! We live in pa too!! I would just brush her real well and maybe get those baby wipes that are designed for bunnies at petsmart!! I also bought an apron to wear when I hold them and cuddle them so my clothes don't get stinky!! Good Luck!!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We don't bathe them, just use a brush.

 

[JBun]

When you say messy, do you mean poop stuck to her butt? Soft poops sticking to them usually means that they need their diet adjusted to put a stop to the soft poops. Sometimes veggies can be the culprit, but most often it is that your rabbit is getting too many pellets in the diet. So you would want to decrease the pellet amount and always have unlimited grass hay available. You don't want to be getting your rabbit wet unless you can keep her inside to dry off completely. You will need to check the bum every day to make sure the soft poops aren't sticking to the genitalia or anus openings, as that can dry out there and create an obstruction, which can create a serious problem for your rabbit. If you feel like you need to bathe her bottom, I would bring her inside and do it in your bathtub. You would put a shallow amount of lukewarm water in the bottom, maybe an inch or so. Just enough that you can use your hand to help moisten the bottom area and work out the dried in poop. Another option is to do a bunny burrito with a towel, and just gently work out the dried poop pieces with your hands. You can use scissors but you would need to be really careful that your rabbit doesn't struggle, and that you don't cut too close to the skin. If the poop is soft, unscented baby wipes may work too.