My rabbit has poop stuck to its butt and dry, flaky skin. What to do?

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.

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?

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Snow white and including a picture. Washing/wiping the area with a clean, warm, wet wash cloth and maybe a little soap. Don't apply anything such as a topical antibiotic, because if Snow white ingests it, could cause gastrointestinal upset. If the damaged area becomes infected or enlarges, seek a veterinarian. Good luck.

It is hard to know what is going on with your rabbit without seeing it. But if these 'chunky bits' are dry and scaly and it could be the skin. Your rabbit could have dry skin or possibly a skin infection. If the coat seems abnormal or the flakiness is severe I would recommend taking him into your vet to be checked out.

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