Why is my bunny's bottom dirty? Should I take her to the vet?

Hi and thank you for the question, This is not normal and usually happens when a rabbit cannot clean himself (e.g. due to obesity, spinal pain etc.) and/or because of diarrhea. I recommend that you have him checked. As to local care, It is best to wash the area well with water, possibly shave it and it may require systemic antibiotics if it is inflamed. Again, these things are best done by a vet. I don't recommend diaper cream. Regards

Thanks for reaching out about Bambi. Moist stool can be the result of intestinal problems (dietary, parasites, bacterial), metabolic (liver, kidney), stress, inappropriate nutrition, reproductive disease (uterine infection, neoplasia), spondylosis, and other problems. Reduce diet to hay only, no vegetables for now, no pellets. A veterinary visit is recommended to assist with a diagnostic and treatment plan. Good luck.

Infection and inflammation of the skin around the vulva in female rabbits can be fairly common. So far, you did the right thing by gently cleansing the area. Your veterinarian will likely need to clip and clean the area of inflammed skin and will probably prescribe some antibiotics and possibly a topical ointment to help the skin heal. Try to keep the area as clean and dry as possible. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

In most of the similar cases I had in the past, the problem was related to excessive weight and presence of big dewlap. Weight loss can easily achieved initially by cutting pellets from diet. A good balance would be 80-85% hay, 5%pellets, 10-15% greens. Dietary change must be done slowly and progressively over a couple of weeks. May this be Roux case?

Hello. There are just too many questions that need to be answered in order to offer any advice. The best thing is to have your bunny examined by a veterinarian who can check Laddu for intestinal parasites, discuss the diet you are feeding her & possibly start her on a Critical Care diet & possibly antibiotics. There is no way for me to know if this is infectious, parasitic or a dysbiosis, so a good evaluation is imperative. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These are always quite concerning signs in rabbits. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Speckles is very cute. My concern would be why is the rectum dirty. If Speckles is having diarrhea that can be fatal. It is important that speckles eats a small part of her feces to keep her intestines working normally. If rabbits get diarrhea they are not able to eat their feces and can cause intestinal issues. If speckles rectum is just dirty i would recommen just warm water and towel. since they doingest material fromt he rectum i wold nto recommend soap. i hope that helps