keeping bunnies clean

Question
Hi Dana,
      This is Richa from India. I have two males bunnies, siblings and one and a half year olds.I know bunnies are clean animals and my bunnies groom themselves everyday. They  are clean other wise but i can see some urine stains on their coat.It makes me tempted to bathe them. I tried it twice or thrice but my buns absolutely hate water. They will not sit still and climb all over you and try to get out of the tub. They may even hurt themselves in the process. I don't know what to do. Do my bunnies need bathing or i leave them alone?

Answer
Dear Richa,

Un-neutered rabbits sometimes spray urine, and that means they will get some urine stains on their fur.  This will shed out with the new fur as the seasons pass, but to stop this, the only good way is to have them spayed/neutered.  I am not sure you can find a good rabbit vet where you are, but you may be able to find one with the international vet listings linked here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

DO NOT bathe the bunnies.  As you've already seen, it is very stressful for them, and unnatural.  I have known rabbits to actually die from the stress of a bath.  If they seem dirty, you can use a bit of cornstarch worked into the fur and then gently brushed out--but no water baths except in extreme circumstances.  It won't get urine stains out, anyway.

Please see:

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

for additional hints.

I hope this helps.

Take care,
Dana