I'm really struggling with Dolly and her health care. She's a 3 year old french lop who lives with Clive, also a 3 year old frenchie.
Dolly had always had teeth problems since being a baby, so undergoing fantastic care with our vets, had 6 teeth removed.
She hasn't had any teeth issues since. :thumb:
Following on from her teeth op, she then had an abscess appear on her bottom jaw. Again, fantastic care from our vet meant that it was removed complete intact, and she made another fantastic recovery. No abscess since (this was a year ago).
However, long term, Dolly has issues keeping her bottom area clean. I feed a Burgess pellets in a small amount, with plenty of hay, but Dolly always goes for the pellets first rather than the hay (as Clive does) due to ease my vet and I think. She does eat a good amount of hay, but always goes for the pellets first as they are far easier to eat.
I feed her pellets late at night now to ensure that she is only eating plenty of hay throughout the day.
She struggles to keep her bottom clean, and I have been taking her to the vets every 3 months to have her clipped/shaved around that area.
This is now causing her to get quite stressed. The vet says she needs to be bathed (which she doesn't tolerate easily as she gets so stressed), and she is due to be at the vets tomorrow to be clipped, with the possibility of even having to be sedated to make the process easier on her.
She is such a good girl, never lashes out when undergoing all this prodding and poking (which to be fair she has had a lifetime of, poor poor girl
), but just gets to stressed out it breaks my heart.
What can I do for her? I want to obviously keep her clean so she is healthy, but she is looking like she is going to need more frequent baths, which i struggle with as she is so large and gets to upset.
I've tried to find groomers to help, but they won't touch rabbits.
My main worry is that the process will become a vets job of being sedated every couple of months, which is not good for her or me...both in worry, stress and cost (I've been estimated £100-150 for tomorrows clipping due to sedation). I want the best for her, and need to think long term! Help or suggestions gratefully received....she's my baby and I love her with all my heart. She's had such a rotten run of luck all her life
Dolly had always had teeth problems since being a baby, so undergoing fantastic care with our vets, had 6 teeth removed.
She hasn't had any teeth issues since. :thumb:
Following on from her teeth op, she then had an abscess appear on her bottom jaw. Again, fantastic care from our vet meant that it was removed complete intact, and she made another fantastic recovery. No abscess since (this was a year ago).
However, long term, Dolly has issues keeping her bottom area clean. I feed a Burgess pellets in a small amount, with plenty of hay, but Dolly always goes for the pellets first rather than the hay (as Clive does) due to ease my vet and I think. She does eat a good amount of hay, but always goes for the pellets first as they are far easier to eat.
I feed her pellets late at night now to ensure that she is only eating plenty of hay throughout the day.
She struggles to keep her bottom clean, and I have been taking her to the vets every 3 months to have her clipped/shaved around that area.
This is now causing her to get quite stressed. The vet says she needs to be bathed (which she doesn't tolerate easily as she gets so stressed), and she is due to be at the vets tomorrow to be clipped, with the possibility of even having to be sedated to make the process easier on her.
She is such a good girl, never lashes out when undergoing all this prodding and poking (which to be fair she has had a lifetime of, poor poor girl
), but just gets to stressed out it breaks my heart.What can I do for her? I want to obviously keep her clean so she is healthy, but she is looking like she is going to need more frequent baths, which i struggle with as she is so large and gets to upset.
I've tried to find groomers to help, but they won't touch rabbits.
My main worry is that the process will become a vets job of being sedated every couple of months, which is not good for her or me...both in worry, stress and cost (I've been estimated £100-150 for tomorrows clipping due to sedation). I want the best for her, and need to think long term! Help or suggestions gratefully received....she's my baby and I love her with all my heart. She's had such a rotten run of luck all her life
