Dirty bottom

Fanta is a almost three years old mini lop with a permanently dirty bottom. The area between the back legs is always dirty as well. Not wet but dirty. It seems that she is not very good at washing herself. THe situation has been like that since we got her. I asked to the vets and they think it´s not ilness-related.
If I try to clean her I risk to make her bald in that area.
I can try and washing her but the dryer bits hold attached to the fur and she gets quite stressed. Even if I wash her the day after the situation its again the same.
Im now worried about the flystrike. Today I took most of the dirt pieces and them applied Rear guard but I dont know if this is enough. As I said before I can not clean her every day or she will become bald.
What to do???

Is she overweight?

Not at all. Vets use to tell me to increase the pellets because she is a bit bonny, but at the same time they want her to eat a lot of hay...

Clover was like that until I discovered RU - now I have cut down the pellets and carrot, and he has lots of herbs etc. He mow has an impeccably white fluffy kissable botty!

I found that cutting the fur very short also helped - I still do this as his bum seems fluffier than my other buns and it matts easily. It also makes it easier to check him for any problems.

Have you tried adjusting diet?

What pellets are you on?

Excell.
My other bun, George, is in the same diet but he is white and spotless...

confusedman said:

Excell.
My other bun, George, is in the same diet but he is white and spotless...

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Buns tummies vary a lot. 3 of my boys have no problems, but Clo needed his diet changed to fix his bum.

I would put money on the fact that the problem will lessen or cease if you swap from Excel. Soooo many bunnies seem to have problems with it causing excess caecatrophs, it seems to be right on the 'richer' end of the balance and some buns just can't cope with it.

As a first try, I'd suggest swapping over to Science selective and I bet it gets much better.

Santa said:

I would put money on the fact that the problem will lessen or cease if you swap from Excel. Soooo many bunnies seem to have problems with it causing excess caecatrophs, it seems to be right on the 'richer' end of the balance and some buns just can't cope with it.

As a first try, I'd suggest swapping over to Science selective and I bet it gets much better.

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Agreed - but make it a gradual change, just add a few new pellets to the new mix, and gradually increase them whilst cutting down the old mix.

feeding less pelletts has helped Carlo a lot, I am currently changing over to SS and I am noticing a gradual change.. Hope it works out for you:wave:

Santa said:

I would put money on the fact that the problem will lessen or cease if you swap from Excel. Soooo many bunnies seem to have problems with it causing excess caecatrophs, it seems to be right on the 'richer' end of the balance and some buns just can't cope with it.

As a first try, I'd suggest swapping over to Science selective and I bet it gets much better.

Click to expand...

:shock::shock: oooh no! Ive just started to swap from "Junior Pets at home" pellets to a mix of the "Adult pets at home" pellets & "Burgess Excel Adults 16 weeks=" pellets!

The reason is to use a better pellets - thats higher in fibre. What was rec. on this forum - SS, Allen & Page & anothe rone - were not stocked where I went & I had to get something as i had run out

So chose the Excel because the firbe was higher than the other products available.......have I done the wrong thing?:shock: I know the diet can make such a difference! Should i quickly stop & change - I only started yesterday......my vet actually gave me a packet of the same Excel stuff & shes rabbit savvy.....:?

chelle said:

:shock::shock: oooh no! Ive just started to swap from "Junior Pets at home" pellets to a mix of the "Adult pets at home" pellets & "Burgess Excel Adults 16 weeks=" pellets!

The reason is to use a better pellets - thats higher in fibre. What was rec. on this forum - SS, Allen & Page & anothe rone - were not stocked where I went & I had to get something as i had run out

So chose the Excel because the firbe was higher than the other products available.......have I done the wrong thing?:shock: I know the diet can make such a difference! Should i quickly stop & change - I only started yesterday......my vet actually gave me a packet of the same Excel stuff & shes rabbit savvy.....:?

Click to expand...

I think it's only some bunnies that have problems on Excell, I'd keep trying them on it and if you have any problems, change them onto something else. I *think* P@H nuggets are made by the Excell company so if they're fine on P@H, they'll probably be ok on Excell too. :wave:

If bun is podgy, she may have difficulty in reaching certain spots!!
How are her teeth?? Some dental buns have difficulty grooming too!!:wave:
I know my Lily has a few dental issues....and movement is restricted but she copes with a little intervention.
When my Mrs was a bit podgy, I had to get involved but with an improved diet (aided between here and my vet) shes got a fine figure now and a very kissable botty!!!! (have stolen line from Blackberry....Love it!!!:lol::lol::lol

She´s not podgy. I think she is only lazy ahahhaah....

my female rabbit needs washing reguarly around the area but i have been reducing the Excel a lot & i think she's a lot less mucky now....maybe cos she's a bit slimmer (although not a lot) - maybe the Excel directly is the prob. Unfortunatley i got 2 med size bags recently so i can't change completely until it's used.

i find washing her behind a lot easier now that trying to clip the fur.....i get her in the empty bath and using the shower head, plug out, with luke warm water, i wash her behind. the lumps of pooh can be quite hard to remove, but the water helps and i try a combimation of squeezing the lumps to break them up and then tease them out of the fur. afterwards, sit her on a dry towel for a couple of mins and keep her in the house till she's more or less dry,

not a job either of us partic enjoy, but it's a lot less stressful than it used to be, and now she actually licks my arm when she's in the bath!