i have two 2-month-old bunnies and i would appreciate it if someone will tell me how i should clean them WITHOUT water, because my first one died from coming into contact with water? and it would best if i could just clean it with something in the house.
2007-06-25 02:41:42 · 9 answers · asked by jade 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
i had a bunny in my home for 6 years,to keep him clean - i would use those bath wipes they make for dogs and cats,but found that baby wipes are the same thing,and cheaper. they make a dry powder shampoo that you can get at any pet store and it costs $5 or less,you just dust it over him and rub it in,it makes him smell nice and absorbs excess oil and dirt. rabbits are fairly clean animals as long as you keep their cage clean,you shouldn't have any problems. the baby wipes worked well - and he seemed to like it. you are right in not wanting to bath him in water - they can get "wet-tail" which can kill them,and they do not like water and can struggle and hurt themselves. bunnies are very easy to break bones - and they have extremely thin skin so can get burned or cut easily - so watch out for that too. also,make sure you keep their claws trimmed just above the quick - or the pink part. and watch their rear area as it can get very nasty and clumpy if they get diarrhea.
i hope this helps,and if you have other bunny Q's - email me,im no expert but being a "bunny mommy" for 6 - 7 years,i learned alot. they are great pets - and alot smarter than people think,mine was litter trained.
2007-06-25 02:56:24 · answer #1 · answered by ♥livingdeadgirl♥ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The reason why water can kill your rabbits is due to certain conditions. First, the water should be warm and not cold. Second, the rabbit needs to be dried off thoroughly immediately. And third, the rabbit should not be set in a cold breeze afterwards. Rabbits can take the cold very well, but they can't take a cold draft of wind. Setting a rabbit in a cold draft of will give it pneumonia. When the rabbit is wet that increases the chances of it getting pneumonia several fold if you set it in a cold draft of wind. So pneumonia is one reason why you don't want to give your rabbit a bath. Pneumonia will kill a rabbit in 1-2 days.
The other reason you don't want to give a rabbit a bath is because a bath will pull the natural oils out of the rabbit's fur, thereby damaging the rabbit's fur. You will almost never see a person that shows rabbits give their rabbit a bath unless the breeder knows very little about rabbits.
The proper way to clean them if they truly do need to be cleaned is to dampen a cloth or rag with white vinegar. Rub the damp (not soaking wet) rag over the stained area of the coat to help work the stain out. Afterward rub the area with a rag dampened with water to sort of rinse the white vinegar out. Then dry thoroughly with a towel. This process may need repeated several times until the stain is mainly gone. You may not totally get rid of the stain, but you should get rid of most of it.
Sometimes corn starch can be used in combination with the vinegar and water to help pull the stain out. Make sure to brush all of the corn starch out though. ARBA rules forbid any foreign substance to be on the coat of the rabbit if you are going to show it at a rabbit show. If a judge saw corn starch on the fur when a person tried showing the rabbit, the rabbit would be disqualified from competition.
And as some people mentioned, baby wipes work well also. They don't work quite as well as the white vinegar does, but they do pretty well on light stains. The baby wipes dry quickly, so you shouldn't have to worry about your rabbit dying.
2007-06-25 05:22:23 · answer #2 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We have a rabbit that is almost 3 and he has never needed a bath. They are very good at cleaning themselves. Occassionally , however, we have had to clean his behind, and paws. We did this by putting a couple of inches of water in the bottom of a deep bucket-- so he couldnt hop out. Use a little bit of baby shampoo , or rabbit shampoo and swish him around. You may have to let him sit for awhile if his behind is really dirty, or even work out the debris with your hands. Make sure you rinse him with clean water----maybe in another bucket, or after you've dumped the soapy water in the same bucket. You could give him a full bath that this way too. Just soap up his entire body. Avoid getting water in his face or ears. Dry him good with a towel and comb out the loose hair. Try not to let him get so dirty. Make sure you clean his cage at least 1x per week, maybe even 2x and that he has plenty of bedding or litter to absorb the urine that stains their feet. He wont get so dirty. Have fun.
2016-03-19 04:37:49 · answer #3 · answered by Allyson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just use a wet paper towel. If you put the previous bun in the water it likely stressed him out. A wet cloth works better. Overall rabbits are clean animals and shouldn't need your intervention.
2007-06-25 04:02:34 · answer #4 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A rabbit WILL NOT die from coming into contact with water. let me repeat: WILL NOT. no way, no how. :) Sorry.
In all seriousness, a bath is the best way to clean a rabbit, and you do not need to do this very often. Using a very mild shampoo like neutrogena baby shampoo. DO NOT use hand soap or people shampoo. It will dry out her skin. I don't' think you need to wash them much yet, maybe take a damp cloth and wipe them down. Make sure they are dry before you put them somewhere drafty or cool, and then they will stay healthy.
In fact, if you keep them outside, in the summer it is actually a good thing to wet them down and their cages and give them a soda bottle with frozen water in it so that they keep cool and do not overheat.
2007-06-25 03:58:36 · answer #5 · answered by lildi_32 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
you could use special wipes from a pet store. rabbits dont die from water if they are dried properly so maybe you should try with these ones - all rabbits are different so these ones will probably be ok. one of my rabbits loves a shower but the other hates it so i just use wipes on him. (not baby wipes mind you they will be dangerous)
Good Luck
2007-06-25 03:15:43 · answer #6 · answered by loops1988izzy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't need to bathe your rabbits unless they have runny poop in which case a washcloth butt bath is effective. Many rabbits will have a heart attack and die if they are bathed. You can also use cornstarch to clean up a poopy butt. Just rub it in and comb it out.
2007-06-25 09:23:36 · answer #7 · answered by missyscove 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
use like baby wipes thats what me and my friend do with her rabbits and it keeps them clean and they will smell good
2007-06-25 03:02:09 · answer #8 · answered by crazy 3 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
do you wanna clean the rabbit or the cage?
2007-06-25 02:46:59 · answer #9 · answered by Bailey 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋