# Red Bottomed rabbit!



## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Hi guys,

I'm hoping someone can help as I don't think its anything serious but its always worth checking...

I checked Lotties bottom last night before bed (as I do! lol) and I did think the fleshy bit of her bottom looked a little redder than usual but didn't think much of it. This morning her bottom was very mucky (which it sometimes is if she's just done a runny number 2) so me and the OH were cleaning it and he commented on the skin being a bit red and for him to notice something like that I thought hmmm maybe there's something in that.

Any ideas anyone? I don't think its sore as she wasn't flinching when we prodded her and wiped there and I checked very thoroughly and am confident there's no flystrike....

-x-


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Is she spayed?

Is it her vulva or the surrounding area?


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

She is spayed yes.

Gosh I wouldn't know what part is what I'm afriad. Its the first bit of skin you come to if you go down from her chin.

Does anyone have a diagram of female rabbit bits? I could point it out then

-x-


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

If shes spayed it wont be what i was thinking anyway 

Could be skin irritation caused by urine/feces.

Whats her diet like? If shes getting plenty of fibre, she shouldnt ever have a sticky bum.

Are you able to take a piccie at all?


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Ah ok!

Well last night her bot was clean but still red otherwise I'd have probably said it was irritation... unless she'd only just cleaned it maybe and it had been mucky before I checked. 

I haven't made any changes to their diet. They get a lot of hay, Excel pellets and veg everday. I don't give her as much veg as Sugar though as she easily gets runny number 2's and she's not allowed fruit as it makes her put on weight.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

How much excel and what veg?

Sorry for all the questions 

Btw, this is the pic i can find that clearly shows the vulva. Upside down though.


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Its where the persons thumb is which is red...just above the vulva on the external area.

They have a small bowl of excel which I fill up every 24hrs even if its empty before then as there's always hay, they get through quite a bit of hay. 

Veg varies depending on what we've got. They have carrots but Lottie isn't as keen on them as Sugar so she usually misses out on those and we've got to watch her weight so she mainly has broccili, curly kale, cabbage or carrot tops. Predominantly brocilli and carrot tops. I give them about 3 big handfulls of veg a day although Sugar gets extras in the eve. 

Woodgreen advised me not to give Lottie too much veg as this was giving her a sticky bot... do you think maybe they've got it wrong and I need to give her more rather than less?


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

You could try cutting down the veg, and just giving a small handful of the excel and see if that helps.

Sometimes if a diet is too rich or high in fat, then they dont each their caecotrophs, which could be whats getting stuck around the bum.

Keep an eye on the redness. When in season, the vulva will become red and swollen, but if shes spayed this shouldnt happen.

If it continues, pop to the vets. I assume they are both vaccinated?


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Ok I shall try that, how about the hay, give them a bit more of that to make up for the cut on excel and veg? 

The other one is always fine and never gets problems so I thought it might be down to her weight too? She has lost weight since we rescued her but she's got pudgy recently which I think is because Sugar doens't run around as much as he used to and so spends more of her time cuddling with him rather than playing with him. She's not sitting in any wees/poos though as they have a cat bed they cuddle on which they never mess on... they are good at using their litter trays!

Yes they're both vaccinated but they will be due soon for boosters.

Thanks for your help, will try the new diet and then if she's not getting a sticky bot hopefully the redness will go too! 

Because woodgreen (the rescue centre) said its something she's always had I'd just sort of accepted that was the way she was. I'm sure she'll be much happier if we don't have to keep washing her!

Thanks!


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Their diet should be around 90% hay. If you can get the long strand stuff its much better for their digestion. They only need a very small amount of pellets, and the rest can be veg.

Good luck.

Woodgreen is wrong imo. I dont see why a rabbit should be dirty its entire life.


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Ok thanks, the hay I've got is long strand so thats fine.

They're not the greatest I have to say. They never rang to check i'd bonded them ok or anything it was like once they get rid of them they don't care anymore although they did do a home visit before allowing me to take her so I guess that's something.

She goes through phases of being fine then getting mucky bless her. Most of the time she is clean but i do keep a close eye on her...I get so worried about flies!


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

You said she's got a bit tubby again, maybe thats why she's not cleaning herself and getting mucky. As a general rule you should be able to feel the spine quite easily but not see it and the ribs you should be able to feel with a little pressure but again shouldn't be able to see them. If your unable to feel the ribs she's over weight and may not be able to reach her bum to clean properly and if you can't feel her spine she's obese but I doubt she's that bad. Have a little feel and see what you think maybe a slight diet is in order to help her clean herself again.


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Yes she has a bit... her chin gets big which stops her from cleaning properly. I've cut down on the veg she has but the problem is that the other rabbit is really skinny so if I really cut their food back too much he'll probably not be getting enough. I need to try to get her moving about more but not sure how...


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## cassie01 (Jul 11, 2008)

AmyCruick said:


> Yes she has a bit... her chin gets big which stops her from cleaning properly. I've cut down on the veg she has but the problem is that the other rabbit is really skinny so if I really cut their food back too much he'll probably not be getting enough. I need to try to get her moving about more but not sure how...


you could chase her, lol

you could maybe try doing some training. clicker training works great with rabbits, you can get them doing alsorts of tricks, including agility courses, that should get her moving.

also make her work for her food, i sometimes hang veggies from the roof so mine have to stretch up, or on top of something so they have to jump onto it to get thier food. you could even scatter feed so she has to move around to eat and forage properly.


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Perhaps in the evening if you can feed them seperately, my buns only have a handful each of excell and even less than that at the moment because they have such a big garden full of grass and i have a week off work so they are out at 6am until 9pm nearly everyday, if i go out for a couple of hours in the morning to ride then they go in th garage until i get back. They eat their pellets straight away. Dreamer is the one i need to watch to keep weight on him he's so active he's running it off the whole time so i feed him the other side of the fence to others to makesure he gets more.


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

cassie01 said:


> you could chase her, lol
> 
> you could maybe try doing some training. clicker training works great with rabbits, you can get them doing alsorts of tricks, including agility courses, that should get her moving.
> 
> also make her work for her food, i sometimes hang veggies from the roof so mine have to stretch up, or on top of something so they have to jump onto it to get thier food. you could even scatter feed so she has to move around to eat and forage properly.


Chasing her is not a bad idea! lol

I might try some training, will be fun for both me and her, means she can have a playmate in me now that Sugar is less active.

I used to hang veg from the top of the run when they were outdoor rabbits I shall have to look round the room and see where I can hang things from.

I do scatter their food about and she moves around, eats it all then lays down for most of the day! She is one lazy rabbit!


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