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Washing rabbits?

Peanut-Toffee

Warren Veteran
A friend of mine has just put photos on Facebook giving her rabbit a shower...Ive commented that Im sure your not supposed to do that, but can anyone give me any articles saying why its bad for them?
 
My bunnies really like their baths :oops:

I used to damp them down with a wet cloth and then leave them to dry, but I decided to actually bath them. They love it. :love:

We start in the morning so they've got all day to dry, I lay a towel in the bottom of the bath, fill the bath half way up their sides with warm water, then put in a couple of ping pong balls to float about, and a large upturned plastic box, as a "dry area". Then I just pop them in and let them play, I'll put a little bit of bunny shampoo on them, and wash it off. They love playing in the bath, and they know they can get out of the water whenever they want. I guess it depends on the bunny. Afterwards they get wrapped up in a towel and get huge cuddles, before being blow-dried and then they stay in the bathroom with the heater on and toys/food etc, they're ready to go back outside within 5 hours of getting in the bath, they get a wash like this once every 3 weeks, and it's never done them any harm. :D
 
My bunnies really like their baths :oops:

I used to damp them down with a wet cloth and then leave them to dry, but I decided to actually bath them. They love it. :love:

We start in the morning so they've got all day to dry, I lay a towel in the bottom of the bath, fill the bath half way up their sides with warm water, then put in a couple of ping pong balls to float about, and a large upturned plastic box, as a "dry area". Then I just pop them in and let them play, I'll put a little bit of bunny shampoo on them, and wash it off. They love playing in the bath, and they know they can get out of the water whenever they want. I guess it depends on the bunny. Afterwards they get wrapped up in a towel and get huge cuddles, before being blow-dried and then they stay in the bathroom with the heater on and toys/food etc, they're ready to go back outside within 5 hours of getting in the bath, they get a wash like this once every 3 weeks, and it's never done them any harm. :D

Does the blow dryer not get too hot or scare them? I know I've burnt myself with a blow dryer so hate to think what it might be like for a rabbit!

Can I ask why you feel the need to bath them? I've had my rabbits nearly 3 years now and never felt the need to bath them, they do a fantastic job of keeping themselves clean anyway- and Oscar especially always smells lovely :love::love:
 
two of my bunnies had sticky bums and got much wetter than expected when washed... so I bought them their own hairdryer. when i have to use it i put it on a medium heat and keep it well back from their bodies.


[:oops: the title of this thread makes me want to say 'no more than six in the machine at once' :oops: but I won't because i might be misinterpreted...:lol:]
 
Does the blow dryer not get too hot or scare them? I know I've burnt myself with a blow dryer so hate to think what it might be like for a rabbit!

Can I ask why you feel the need to bath them? I've had my rabbits nearly 3 years now and never felt the need to bath them, they do a fantastic job of keeping themselves clean anyway- and Oscar especially always smells lovely :love::love:


My hairdryer has a "cool" function, to protect your hair, so it's more of a just-warm temperature, it's also a really quiet function because the fan is going half the speed, it's like someone hoovering at the other end of the house and it really doesn't phase them at all, I wouldn't do it if I had to hold them still to do it, they just sit there smoothing their fur down as I dry it. :D

I first washed them when my dog weed against their run, and the buns decided to lay in it before I could get to them :oops: I think it was his 'payback' for Mercedes biting his tail :roll:, they do smell gorgeous :3 bath-time is more of a fun activity than to actually get them clean, I just wash them whilst I'm there, two birds one stone ;)
 
My bunnies really like their baths :oops:

I used to damp them down with a wet cloth and then leave them to dry, but I decided to actually bath them. They love it. :love:

We start in the morning so they've got all day to dry, I lay a towel in the bottom of the bath, fill the bath half way up their sides with warm water, then put in a couple of ping pong balls to float about, and a large upturned plastic box, as a "dry area". Then I just pop them in and let them play, I'll put a little bit of bunny shampoo on them, and wash it off. They love playing in the bath, and they know they can get out of the water whenever they want. I guess it depends on the bunny. Afterwards they get wrapped up in a towel and get huge cuddles, before being blow-dried and then they stay in the bathroom with the heater on and toys/food etc, they're ready to go back outside within 5 hours of getting in the bath, they get a wash like this once every 3 weeks, and it's never done them any harm. :D

Well, you know your bunnies best, but isn't every 3 weeks too often, and won't all this bathing remove all their natural oils etc, and over time maybe cause really painful skin problems because of their skin being too dry and stripped of all the natural stuff??
 
Well, you know your bunnies best, but isn't every 3 weeks too often, and won't all this bathing remove all their natural oils etc, and over time maybe cause really painful skin problems because of their skin being too dry and stripped of all the natural stuff??

Yes I agree, it's actually very damaging for a rabbit to be bathed.
 
A friend of mine has just put photos on Facebook giving her rabbit a shower...Ive commented that Im sure your not supposed to do that, but can anyone give me any articles saying why its bad for them?

What a truly horrible, despicable thing to do to a poor bunny. The poor thing was probably terrified, and is she says well it wasn't trying to get away from it or anything, that was no doubt down to it being too terrified :evil::evil:

I just hope the poor thing doesn't now go into shock or develop pneumonia and die. Truly shocking, terrible thing to have done. How old is she, 3??
 
I agree with other people there is no need to bath rabbits and it's just not worth the risk. One of my bunnies years ago used to get a sticky bum so I used to bath him as it was the only way to get the poo off him but he died of fly strike a few days later. Maybe because he was a little damp still below? Anyway I now know it was because he ate the muesli food that he most likely had a sticky bum but I still think the fly strike occurred because he was damp underneath. Rabbits fur is so thick its hard to get fully dry.
 
Agree with most people on here. If there is no need to bath a bun it's not worth the risk of stress, injury or illness.

I've only bathed one once, when Big pulled a whole pint of a really sugary drink on himself and I was worried about him licking it off.
 
Well, you know your bunnies best, but isn't every 3 weeks too often, and won't all this bathing remove all their natural oils etc, and over time maybe cause really painful skin problems because of their skin being too dry and stripped of all the natural stuff??

I agree too.

Bunnies might enjoy pottering around in the bath as somewhere novel to play, and on hot days I can definitely see the attraction of putting 1cm or less of water in the bath or a large bowl and letting bunnies romp around to cool them down, but I think bathing on a regular basis apart from for medical reasons is not okay.

I've seen a few threads/posts from people on here saying they bathe their bunnies regularly and they like it. I suppose it's better if your rabbit likes/tolerates it rather than is panicked and scared, but still I think it's wrong.
 
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