How do I safely clean matted or soiled fur from my rabbit's bottom?

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

Hi there, Sorry your bunny is having trouble. There are two main concerns that cause this. One is that an incorrect diet with too many carbs, treats, pellets and not enough hay, fiber, good veggies make for excess cecal pellets or loose stool. I suggest follow the www.rabbit.org guidelines. This is the House Rabbit Society, which is a good source of info. Parasites would be another possilbity and a fecal check is a good idea. Last, if your bunny has some arthritis with his age, he may be able to clean his self as well or get down to eat his cecal pellets (the soft night droppings) as well. I suggest a good exam by a vet to rule out arthritis and health problems and making sure diet is optimal.

Take the mats between your fingers and carefully and gently pull them apart. Then take a comb and gently comb them out. If that does not work you can cut them off with scissors (make sure you do not cut into the skin, it suffices to cut about 1/8th inch above the skin). Regularly brush or comb your rabbit to keep new mats from forming. Make sure you have someone hold your rabbit comfortably when you try to cut the mats

With the majority of the changes to the skin occurring around the back legs, this could have started with some kind of a urinary issue. Urine that gets onto the skin can be very irritating, can smell badly, and the hair can fall out. You didn't mention what the skin under the fur looked like, but often the skin can become painful, red, and infected. I would recommend that you take Willie in for evaluation by a veterinarian. They can evaluate the skin and may take a few samples to evaluate under the microscope. If your veterinarian suspects that there may be a urinary issue, they may recommend collecting a urine sample to evaluate (a urinalysis), and blood work to evaluate systemic health. Depending on the veterinary clinic, they may also be able to bathe Willie for you, as this can be stressful for rabbits. Please don't give Willie any human medications, or apply any medications to his skin, as these can be harmful for our rabbit friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck!

The poop that is getting stuck is very common in rabbits, especially overweight rabbits that cannot reach that area, cleaning it under warmish running water is the best technique. regarding the dandruff that could be a phase but that could also be due to fur mites, i would recommend seeing a vet in order to get it checked.

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

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.