Wet behind - shaving fur an option??

Hi,

Jessica was diagnosed with hip arthritis so we have had to make some adjustments to the setup (along with metacam for pain relief).

The cage has a doorway cut in and now has a ramp up to the cat litter tray we have. The litter tray has a grate/grid over it so any business drops in to the bag. We have had the litter tray this way for a couple of years and it works really well as not only is it easy to clean (throw away bag and replace) it also means she doesn't get her behind wet now she has arthritis.

Pre-diagnosis she lost her litter training (understandable now) and at times was getting her behind wet. Now she is back to 95% litter trained so it is less of a problem but the odd mishap can still happen. I think when she wees on the floor she manages to brush her backside as she is moving away. We will continue to try and re-train her but for when she does get messy we have found bathing her and drying her a nightmare, her fur is just so dense. I've found cutting her hair down helps a lot with the process which gave me the idea of trimming her with some kind of pet clippers. I dont intend to remove all hair - just keep it a short manageable length.

Has anyone tried this? Anything to consider? I know stress is an issue but we can see how she copes.

Thanks

Yes, shaving the underside is a good way to manage bunnies that are getting damp, with less fur they are easier to clean and dry out easier. Although getting a shave is a little stressful I think it's balanced by the fact you can swap needing a bath for just having a wipe over with a damp cloth. It also means you can check the skin more easily.

A vet or groomer can do the shave for you. Rabbit's skin is very thin so you do need to be careful with the clippers.

Tamsin said:

Yes, shaving the underside is a good way to manage bunnies that are getting damp, with less fur they are easier to clean and dry out easier. Although getting a shave is a little stressful I think it's balanced by the fact you can swap needing a bath for just having a wipe over with a damp cloth. It also means you can check the skin more easily.

A vet or groomer can do the shave for you. Rabbit's skin is very thin so you do need to be careful with the clippers.

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Thanks i will try tonight - will regular hair clippers work? Her fur is so thick and dense I am wondering if the clippers will just pack in.

I've a feeling there are some blades that work better than other, but I'm not sure which is best as I've only had a vet do it for me.

I'm sure someone will know though