dirty bunny

Question
hi, i have a really dirty rabbit. it has wood shavings as bedding and it seems like the dust from it has stuck to its back and caused its fur to become glued together. this is just a theory though because i have always used the same bedding and i havent had a problem in the past, but i cant think of anything else it could be. i have tried to clean it with just a wet paper towel and a brush with no luck. ive heard that bathing rabbits can cause problems so i would rather avoid it. do you have any advice on a safe way to get it clean? it is a short haired rabbit with very fine and silky fur if it makes a difference. also it has been more than a week so im assuming it cannot get itself clean or it would have done so already. any advice would be greatly appreciated and if bathing is the only option, i would love some tips on a safe way to do so. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Answer
Dear Anna,

It's true that wet bathing a bunny can be quite dangerous and stressful.  But there is an alternative:  a dry bath.  You can find the instructions here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

All you'll need is some commercial baby cornstarch and a fine-toothed flea comb, and that should help you get the sticky matter out of bunny's fur.

Hope this helps!

Dana