Can i wash bunny

There may be certain situations when for health reasons it may be necessary to bath your rabbit to some degree, but generally it is not necessary to wet the whole rabbit.

These rabbits often have underlying medical conditions which may be numerous , meaning they are not keeping themselves clean. Potential reasons may include:. A trip to the vet is necessary to try to isolate any underlying problems so the situation can be rectified. Occasionally your vet may recommend a medicated shampoo for your rabbit if they are suffering from certain skin conditions.

Do not bathe a rabbit to get rid of fly eggs and maggots. Wet rabbit fur is almost impossible to clip, and clipping the fur by your vet, to remove all contaminated fur, faeces, and eggs and maggots, is the best method.

This is totally unnecessary and potentially very harmful to rabbits. Bathing is also extremely stressful for rabbits and has many potential and serious dangers. Rabbits are clean animals and will groom and wash themselves. Companion rabbits will wash and groom each other too. A rabbitbrush like this one available on Amazon will make it easier to get your rabbit nice and dry and her fur tangle-free.

A bunny cleans their face by licking their paws and then rubbing their faces with their moist paws. Your bunny will spend hours a day cleaning its face. Moisten the rag with warm water, neither too hot or too cold.

Moisten that cloth with warm water in a bowl at your side. Then get your bunny relaxed on your lap, before slowly and gently placing the moistened cloth over their eyes. Hold the moist cloth on their eyes for a few moments to allow the gunk to loosen, then gently whip the gunk away.

Repeat as needed. You can apply the same method to the face of the bunny that is struggling with something really dirty or sticky on its face. You can apply a little soap to the washcloth, but make sure to keep it away from the eyes and ears. Since their ears are big and you may think they need regular cleaning, but most rabbits will clean their own ears just fine. Regular ear checks often serve to help you catch any early signs of ear mites which are not uncommon in rabbits.

Make sure to keep your rabbit calm if you want to touch their ears, as their ears are very sensitive. Try not to stress them out by starting very slowly when touching their ears. Be prepared to stop and try another time if they start to become upset. When working with your pet bunny, you should always be on the lookout for signs of stress. These can include looking nervous, being too jumpy, trying to hide or run away from you, abnormal breathing, or just weird behavior.

Gently wipe off any dirt from one ear and pat it dry with a clean rag. Always make sure to wipe from the inside to the outside to avoid pushing anything down into the ear canal. Get a different rag for the second ear so you do not accidentally transmit some sort of issue from one ear to the other.

If you ever find anything in the ear that is more than you can handle, make sure to take your pet bunny to the vet. They can prescribe antibiotics for an infection, or a topical ointment if they are experiencing yeast or wax buildup.

Again, you will be using the spot cleaning method to safely clean a dirty foot. This should especially be done if the rabbit has been playing outside for a while and you are bringing it back inside to its cage. You do not want to bring in any bacteria from the outside into its home. You can place a dry towel on your lap and place your rabbit on top. Then use the damp cloth that is wetted with warm water to safely wipe off the dirt. Then dry the feet with the towel underneath.

First and foremost, make sure the messy bum is not because of any illness. In addition, a dirty bum can bring in all kinds of problems from scalding of the skin to many illnesses. Note that a messy butt can also be caused by a poor diet or injury. Make sure to let your vet give your pet bunny an exam if your rabbit frequently has a messy bottom because of a problem such as urine leakage or unhealthy poop.

Krempels of the University of Miami. The dry bath method is preferred because, as I said, rabbits hate water and being dunked in water can make then unhealthily stressed. And even when giving rabbits a bath, they should never get completely wet, because a wet bunny can easily catch a cold and worse, since they dry so slowly. I let the fur on his bottom soak in the water for a bit before using a washcloth to clean him further.

Did he enjoy it? But he stayed calm and let me try to wipe off the poo gently. Did it work? I quickly wrapped him up in a dry towel and kept the house warm to keep him from getting sick. Needless to say, I do not recommend a wet bath for rabbits and will not attempt it again. If you do, please be aware that shampoos or soap are not necessary.

If you do want to use some, only mild unscented baby shampoo is recommended. The better solution for us was the dry bath. You grab a towel and put your bunny carefully in a position where you can reach the soiled area. Personally, I like to hold Bunny on my lap, always careful to support his spine, and keep him calm while my husband does the work.

Cornstarch can be found in the baby section at the store and it is similar to baby powder. You may need to add more cornstarch at some point, but the dirt should easily come out of the fur after a while.

Just gently slide or brush it out. Since the cornstarch absorbs moisture, it will also feel good to your bunny to have the wet, possibly sore area covered in the soothing powder. Can you imagine us sitting on the floor, pinning poor little Bunny down, and massaging cornstarch into his fur?

If you have to do that, be aware that their skin is extremely thin. Use rounded baby nail scissors if necessary and whatever you do, do it gently! Also, never cut off the fur on his feet, as that serves as padding.

If all else fails, invest the money and let the vet help you. Since they are such small animals, any kind of water-loss can be dangerous and even fatal.

If you are unsure what caused the indigestion, call your vet immediately. I was hesitant to use baby shampoo due to the perfumes and all of the added chemicals…just in case.

This kept fresh water coming constantly and it was easy to concentrate on only the soiled areas and keep the vast majority of bunny dry. It was good for rinsing purposes too so there was no soap residue left for the hoppers to lick and get sick from.

That evening I put Revolution on each boy and am very pleased with the whole adventure — for me — I would give my bunny a bath again — but the shower sprayer attachment was KEY to the whole bath success.