Messy bum of a tilted rabbit

One of my rescue buns is 7.5 years old, she developed an inner ear infection in Feb and became really tilted. Lots and lots of nursing and care and she is almost upright and went back to normal rabbit life.

However I've noticed over the past few weeks her bum is getting really messy - like the underside of her tail. I've actually brought her inside now because it's so damp and cold outside and I'm worried. I gave her a thorough bum and leg bath only a couple of days ago, and already her legs and bum are messy again. I don't know if it's because she can't reach to clean herself, or because she's eating too much of the wrong foods? They have unlimited hay, veggies in the morning and a handful of pellets in the evening. She's quite skinny so I did up their food a few months ago.

I can't keep her inside permanently - she's living in the bathroom and I think my mum is about ready to throw us all out! But I don't want to put her back outside with this ongoing issue.

Any advice appreciated - thank you!

carysannie29 said:

One of my rescue buns is 7.5 years old, she developed an inner ear infection in Feb and became really tilted. Lots and lots of nursing and care and she is almost upright and went back to normal rabbit life.

However I've noticed over the past few weeks her bum is getting really messy - like the underside of her tail. I've actually brought her inside now because it's so damp and cold outside and I'm worried. I gave her a thorough bum and leg bath only a couple of days ago, and already her legs and bum are messy again. I don't know if it's because she can't reach to clean herself, or because she's eating too much of the wrong foods? They have unlimited hay, veggies in the morning and a handful of pellets in the evening. She's quite skinny so I did up their food a few months ago.

I can't keep her inside permanently - she's living in the bathroom and I think my mum is about ready to throw us all out! But I don't want to put her back outside with this ongoing issue.

Any advice appreciated - thank you!

Click to expand...

When was she last examined by your Vet ? Rabbits who have/have had a head tilt can develop Dental problems and a Rabbit with Dental problems can get a mucky bum.

You say that your Doe has 'unlimited hay' but does she actually eat a lot of it ? If not then this too could be a sign of Dental problems and a lack of hay intake can cause the Rabbit to have a mucky bum. Obviously Dental problems can also lead to weight loss or inability to gain weight.

Another possibility is that she has developed some arthritis in her spine. So reaching here rear end may be painful for her.

I would get your Vet to check her over very thoroughly in the first instance. You could also ask him/her if he/she could clip the fur around your Doe's rear end. This will make keeping her clean a bit easier for you.

I think you are going to have to work on your Mum to allow your Doe to remain indoors over winter as if her mucky bum problems are on-going and she needs frequent bathing she cannot live outside. She would be at very high risk of hypothermia.

Hopefully your Vet will be able to ascertain exactly what is going on and offer you good advice about treatment/management of the problem

carysannie29 said:

One of my rescue buns is 7.5 years old, she developed an inner ear infection in Feb and became really tilted. Lots and lots of nursing and care and she is almost upright and went back to normal rabbit life.

However I've noticed over the past few weeks her bum is getting really messy - like the underside of her tail. I've actually brought her inside now because it's so damp and cold outside and I'm worried. I gave her a thorough bum and leg bath only a couple of days ago, and already her legs and bum are messy again. I don't know if it's because she can't reach to clean herself, or because she's eating too much of the wrong foods? They have unlimited hay, veggies in the morning and a handful of pellets in the evening. She's quite skinny so I did up their food a few months ago.

I can't keep her inside permanently - she's living in the bathroom and I think my mum is about ready to throw us all out! But I don't want to put her back outside with this ongoing issue.

Any advice appreciated - thank you!

Click to expand...

HI there :wave:

I'm glad to hear that your bun is almost upright and doing so well. Wha a lot of wonderful nursing you must have done to get her so well again

It could be that some residual tilt is making it hard for her to balance and clean herself, especially if this issue didn't happen before that episode. A vet will be able to advise, and also clip/shave all the fur underneath. This sounds a bit drastic, but it will enable you to clean her quite simply without having to bathe - just with warm damp flannel and she will dry quickly.

Also, it could be that certain veggies cause this. Even a little more than usual of something can tip the balance - what veg are you feeding at the moment?