lots of poop stuck to my bunnys bum.

Question
I clean her litter box one, or even two times a day if i can, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Now she has about three big clumps of poop stuck to her bum, and i don't know how to get it off. In the past I've cut it off with scissors, but i can't do it..im scared ill cut her by an accident. I don't know what to do, but i want whatever's best for her. I feel very bad because i know its probably very uncomfortable. I would VERY much appreciate it if you could tell me how i can fix this problem, and why it's occurring. Thank you very much. - Whitney!

Answer
Hi,

I would guess that your rabbit is overweight, not knowing anything else about her.  Often this results in 'messy butt' and is the first sign usually noticed by people that their rabbit is overweight.

You will need to adjust her diet.  For now I would cut out all sugar/high carb (calorie) items.  Greatly reduce carrots or any hi carb veggies.  Romaine and green leaf lettuces are fine, parsley is fine.  Cut out all oats or cheerios.  If you feed her pellets with seeds, fruit, etc in it, you will need to switch her over to a feed that is just pellets.  You'll need to do this over the course of a month.  1st week 25% new, 75% old.  2nd: 50-50 mix. 3rd: 75 new, 25% old. 4th week - all the new pellets-only.

To clean her you will need a boy/man's plastic comb.  Make sure the tips of the bristles are rounded and smooth.  You will need a lightly damp warm washcloth.  Use the washcloth to work the mats and get them a little moist, and then try combing out as much as you can.  Alternate between the washcloth and combing.  You can rinse the washcloth if you need to, but wring it out so that it again is only very lightly damp.  You will probably be able to loosen the matted areas and pull some pieces off the fur either with your hands directly, on the comb itself, or via the washcloth.  Once most of it is gone, she will be able to clean much of it like she normally would through grooming, but if there are parts that still remain, you may be able to snip these off more safely after working them and making them smaller.  Use your fingers as a guar between the blades and her skin by putting the tufts of fur you want to cut in between your fingers.

If she looks like a plump sausage when you look at her from the top, she is overweight.  Fit rabbits have narrow shoulders that follow down their back, and then they taper out where their legs are.  It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a good rabbit vet examine her and confirm if she is overweight.

Lee