Help....mucky bum

Hi Cinammon has still got a mucky bum I have switched from Wilkinsons pellets oops: I was a newbie to rabbits) to SS junior and she still has unlimited access to timothy hay. We have been feeding 1 and a half tablespoons of SS to her every morning and another half a tablespoon when we play with her in the afternoon/evening yet she still has a mucky bum. I have read that it is linked to diet but even now that i have changed her hay and pellets (and I am stricter with how many many pellets she has) she still has a mucky bum. I want to overcome this problem as soon as possible, as its a pain cleaning her bum and unpleasant for her and us, can you help?

So I have worked out that Cinnamon is about 17 weeks old now? Do you give her any other food apart from hay and pellets? It could be something she will grow out of, as she is still very young. You could have a look at her front teeth but I don't think this is the cause. Did you change her food from when she was with her Mother?

Hi she is just over 16 weeks old. To be honest I did not want to introduce any other food until I had the sticky bum problem resolved however as she seemed so hungry in the mornings I caved in and gave her a little bit of greens over the weekend (in the evenings). But the sticky bum problem was from before she had the greens. When I first got her from the breeder she was on mixed pellets and I weaned my wilkinsons pellets into her diet along with the breeders pellets. I changed her to SS as I thought that the wilkinsons pellets were what was causing the problem as the breeder says she never had any sticky bum issues when she had her (I have had her since 8 weeks old). I have at times seen her cleaning her bum and eating her soft poos directly from her bum so I don't think the teeth are the problem.

You say she has constant access to hay - but does she eat it? Have you tried a variety of hays to keep her interested? Not enough hay is often the culprit when rabbits have mucky bums. If she is filling up on other stuff, then she won't eat her hay. As it should form 90 - 95% of the diet, it is vital that it is changed every dayetc so it is always fresh and palatable. Have you tried mixing her pellets in with her hay and putting hay in her litter tray? Just some suggestions to think about. I assume you are not giving her any treats.

Hi no we haven't given her any treats yet. I thought she did eat a lot of hay but maybe you are right and she needs even more. I will encourage her to eat more hay and see how I get on with that.

Ranj77 said:

Hi no we haven't given her any treats yet. I thought she did eat a lot of hay but maybe you are right and she needs even more. I will encourage her to eat more hay and see how I get on with that.

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It is certainly worth trying! They are fussy, though, which is why I said to change it every day. Yes, some is wasted, but that's life with a rabbit. It is also worth getting different hays to offer her. What used to be Hay4Pets do a sample pack. Lots of rabbits here like the Ings, whereas mine like their Timothy and Rye. It is certainly good quality hay and although you may think it is a bit expensive, it is worth it if she eats it - and it is cheaper than costly vet bills which could end up being the alternative. Green Oat Hay is also very popular with most rabbits.