# Bunny not cleaning himself, please help.



## RachelO1

My dwarf lop, Brian has suddenly stopped cleaning himself and waste is collecting around his rear. I know this can be a sign of illness, but he seems otherwise fine! I've managed to get hold of him and cut a couple of lumps off, but I'm really scared off cutting him. He is becoming very angry with my unwanted attention, and is bounding away when he sees me coming! His partner, Ruby is also getting quite upset with me. It's very awkward as it's cold outside and they are garden bunnies, so I don't want to wash him for fear that he may catch a cold. Should I take him to the vet? They could possibly sedate him and shave his bottom to clear the problem. Any advice would be much appreciated.


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## Debbie

The only advice I will give is take him to the vets - as soon as possible - he may not be showing any signs of illness but there could be something. I am not a rabbit expert at all but have owned a few over the years and I know I would have him at the vets if he were my bunny. There may be an under lieing problem that you cannot see for him stopping cleaning himself....Good luck and let us know what the vet says


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## Dawny

This usually happens when the bunny is overweight. They stop because they literally can't reach to clean their bottoms. They also can't coprophage which means eating their poo, therefore it gets stuck as they would normally not need to clean this away, they eat it as soon as its coming out. Deffo take him to the vets but if he is chubby you will need to look at his diet I'm afraid. If this is the case, you'll want to get his weight down before the summer to prevent flystrike.


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## RachelO1

Thanks for the advice. I took Brian to the vet today, who shaved his rear and shook his pride! There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him and he's not really overweight, but I've been advised to keep an eye on him to ensure he starts cleaning himself properly. This forum is great for peace of mind. Thankyou!


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## swinnk8

Have you changed or added something to his diet recently??
Is he living in a drafty cage??
Is he getting enough fibre??
Has he been on damp grass??
Has his teeth been checked by the vet?? Sticky bottom syndrome can be caused by underlying dental problems which unfortunately is common in rabbits, dwarf lops especially. It is not always just the teeth but their roots. Get his teeth checked out. I am very experienced in rabbits with teeth problems and sometimes it goes undiscovered by the vet. The only way the roots can be checked its through a xray. Donot wait for a visual sign of illness before taking him back.


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## Melissa1983

I have just brought 2 English rabbits (last saturday) and their legs (bottom part which is on ground) and tail seem to be stained - I have tried to wash them with a damp cloth but hasn't seemed to make much of a diff. Will it eventually go away now they are not in the pet shop????


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## penny2607

My rabbit was terrible for this, it was when she bacame older that the problem started.

If age isn't an issue then I would stop giving fresh greens, this helped with Meg but didn't stop the problem due to her arthritus. Also get him on a good quailty dry food, which again helped Meg.

In the summer I had to clean her every morning and in the winter I did it every other day and made sure that she was as dry as I could get her without keeping her out of the cold for too long. I had to do this for about 3 years 

As soon as you start seeing flies get some fly strike treatment, the best are from the vets but you can get some Johnsons stuff for about £4 which I found quite effective. Keep away from the brand Brapf???? somat or other (its really expensive for a small bottle, available at [email protected] it was the worse stuff EVER didn't work and cost me over a tenner for the priviledge!)

Also, I had to get mine clipped at the vets every few months over the summer as again this prevented a build up...

I hope he starts cleaning soon as they are such a worry in the summer


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## crofty

It normally means the bun is overweight or you are feeding them too much pellets. Hay should make up 90% of a buns diet, they only need a handle of feed a day.


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## little ginger

I've had my bunny for 2 years and she is my sister's old one. I've noticed that she has had an eye problem lately such as swelling, watering, and her eye is always squinted. It's been about 3 weeks and I'm very concerned. I've noticed she has stopped cleaning herself and has poop stuck to her bottom and is becoming very very dirty!  I have no clue what to do and I need help!!


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## Tiggers

Why have you left your rabbit with this condition for three weeks without seeking veterinary advice? Take her to a vet without further delay!


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## little ginger

Well she hasn't been dirty for weeks, she's been slowly getting a little worse. I am planning on taking her as soon as my dad is done with work today, I just want advice as to what it could be


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## Tiggers

Her eye should tell you something is wrong


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## little ginger

Yeah, I was on vacation this past week and my friend was pet sitting her for me and when I got back, she told me about her, and I immediately scheduled an appointment for her!  I am just concerned and wanted to see if anyone had any information on what it might be, or if this has happened to any other pet owners


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## Tiggers

Your vet is your first port of call. Forum members cannot give a diagnosis. Did you take your rabbit to the vet?


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## little ginger

Yes, we took her to the vet, got meds and the vet said she should be completely and totally well in 2 weeks! I was just wanting to see if anybody had had that happen with their bunny too. I'm also wondering if anyone would have advice on a soap to use to give your bunny a bath, I was directed to wash her back legs and bottom and I wasn't sure if there was a soap that anyone would recommend?


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## SusieRainbow

little ginger said:


> Yes, we took her to the vet, got meds and the vet said she should be completely and totally well in 2 weeks! I was just wanting to see if anybody had had that happen with their bunny too. I'm also wondering if anyone would have advice on a soap to use to give your bunny a bath, I was directed to wash her back legs and bottom and I wasn't sure if there was a soap that anyone would recommend?


What treatment did the vet give her for her eye? I would just wash her with water and a cloth, dry her off with a towel.


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## little ginger

It's a drop that I have to put in twice a day, I can't remember what it's called, but I'll grab the bottle and tell you later.


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