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Older bun not cleaning her bottom

Chris10

Young Bun
Hi I have an older bun who doesnt appear to be cleaning herself properly down below and is requiring regular bathing which she finds quite distressing. Is this normal for older buns and does it have anything to do with the fact that she had to have her incisors removed as it appeared to start after she had them taken out.

And finally, is there any alternatives for her, I mean could the vet shave her bottom undercarriage maybe to stop the urine clinging to her fur. Im just getting concerned that summer is coming, as are the flies...

Thanks
 
i had the same problem with my bun. it was a nightmare- i felt so sorry for her.:( it probably is to do with the teeth, although im not cetain- im sure someone else will have more info. i used to trim her furr a little and try to put some spray stuff on her bum area to help prevent flies laying eggs. make sure you check bum area thoroughly twice a day if you can. clean the poo area every day too. i would ask the vet for ideas as well. i know some people have brought their bunny in and made them house bunnies when they have this sort of problem. :wave:
 
Incisorless Rabbits do often require assistance with grooming themselves.

Is she getting soiled with feces or urine ?

If the latter then she *might* have a Urinary Tract Infection.

I would take her to your Vet for a full examination, arthritis often occurs in older Rabbits and this can also make it difficult for them to keep themselves clean. You can also discuss the possibility of her having the fur around her rear end clipped and also the best substrate to keep her on.

Good luck :)
 
Thanks guys, she is already an indoor bun and I will defo speak 2 the vet as she is due for her vaccinations shortly, Im too scared to trim her incase i cut her so will defo be a job for the vets. It is defo more urine than poop so will get the vet to look into the possibility of a UTI. Thank you so much for your responses x
 
Often with older buns it's simply inactivity that causes them to get a damp undercarriage. They'll sometimes have a wee and then not move away from it - one of my old girls used to do this.

As Jane has said, arthritis can be a problem but you could try Metacam to see if it helps. Failing that, keeping the fur trimmed would help, as would using Rearguard throughout the summer months. I may have to do this for Parsnip as he's finding it harder to keep clean with his fused elbow joint.
 
:wave: One of my buns has trouble with cleaning herself properly so she has her bottom clipped by the vet to help prevent the area getting sore. In the summer months this is done every 2-3 weeks, but over the winter only once monthly or longer if she's keeping herself clean :)
 
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