Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > can I bath my rabbits?

can I bath my rabbits?

22 10:25:45

Question
Hello nihaam I would like to just know if I can bath my rabbits? will it kill them or shock them? Thanks alot.
Hafiyyah

Answer
Hello,Hafiyyah
You can bath rabbits For the first time it may give them a bit of a shock but its ok! I know that you did  not ask me how to bath a bunny but I just wrote it here! Sorry if you mind!

How to Bathe and Clean Up a Bunny:
Bunnies may need to be bathed if they become really dirty, get poo stuck on their rears, or have parasites like fleas, mites, or lice.
It is actually easier to give your bun a shower than a bath. I bought a shower head attachment for my laundry tub which is sold to wash dogs. One place that sell it is That Pet Place but many pet stores sell something similar. If you are doing a bath and not shower, the rabbit will probably put up much more of a fight. Rabbits do not like to be submerged in water. So, if you have to do a bath, keep the water only a few inches deep and use your hands to bring water up and over his back.
The following are directions for a shower. First, collect your supplies which may include at least two towels, the tub or tub with a shower attachment on it, bunny shampoo, rabbit comb and/or brush.
Now go get the rabbit. Cut off any large lumps of whatever if you can. Then, set the bun into the tub. Adjust the shower head away from the bun to get it lukewarm. You will see how the bun responds. Many will do nothing. If the rabbit freaks when you have not even done anything yet, then it is time to find a human helper who can hold him down while you work. I have found that trying to get someone to help makes things worse but it varies with people and rabbit. Then, squirt down the rabbit and soak him. If only one area is soiled like the rear, you do not have to wet down the rest of the body unless you think he needs a full body cleaning. After he is wet, then squirt some shampoo into your hand and then onto the rabbit's most dirty spot. Rub it around. If there are lumps of poo or whatever, try to gently pull them off now that it is wet and soapy. If you can cut a clump off, then do that. Be careful not to cut the rabbit, especially its privates. It is better to tug off debris in that area than risk cutting there. If it is still too tough, then rinse, re-lather, and try again. Wash away the dirt, poo, etc. With Jimmy, it may have taken me 5 times of repeating this to get the poo clumps off. Then, soap up the rest of the bun and avoid the ears and eyes. Massage the soap in well. Rinse. If he is still dirty, repeat as many times as needed. Continue to pull out and cut out clumps, etc. Rinse well. Squeeze dry the longer areas of fur and gently squeeze the legs to remove the bulk of the water.
Take the bun out of the tub and set onto a towel. Use another towel to rub the bun vigorously. Continue until mostly dry. You may need more than one towel as rabbit fur is dense is really retains water. If it is cold where the bun lives, then you may need to blow dry him so he does not catch cold or keep him in a warm room until dry. Brush and/or comb out the bun so he looks nice. At this point, my bunnys Floppy/Floppsy always seemed invigorated and smelled nice.
You can take the opportunity to clean out his ears with wipes or a wet facial tissue (do not use paper towels or Q-tips), gently wipe his eyes to remove goop with wipes or a wet facial tissue (avoid contacting the lense of the eye), clean out his anal glands (gently pull the genitalia to either side, and you will find a stinking pit on each side with yellow/brown goo; found in both sexes) with wipes (I use the ear wipes) or a wet facial tissue.

From nihaam...
Sorry once again for the long amount of reading! I hope it helps you!
Wish you the best for you and your bunnies!