rabbit diarreah

Question
I've had my rabbit for a little over a year and a half. Her name is sunshine. I started out feeding sunshine just the pellets. I had noticed that she was having diarreah, so I changed her diet to a different kind of food. I bought the kind with all the treats and dry vegetables in it. the diarreah stopped for about four months and then it returned. I changed her diet again, I am now buying her the fresh pellets you can get at a pet store and I also decreased the amount of food i'm giving her. I five her about a 2/3 cup of pellets a day and lots of timothy hay. Nothing seems to be helping her, and it's been almost two weeks. I try and clean the diarreah off of her, but the way i tried to clean it off of her was by gently pulling it off little by little, but it was hurting her. i did not want to give her a bath because it is winter here and i read that rabbits get pneumonia easily. I also tried to put her in a trance and cut some of it off, but it is just a mess and i can never get all of it off. i see her trying to clean it herself but she cannot reach it quite well because she has a very large jowl. when she runs around chunks fall off, but there is always some stuck to her butt. there are no signs of her being in pain or acting sickly, she eats regularly, and she gets plenty of exercise and free time out of her cage. i have two questions.  Is there an easier way to get the diarreah off of her? And, do you think she needs to see a vet, or should I wait a little longer to see if her new diet will stop the diarreah?  

Answer
Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems, and sugary treats and stuff is harmful to them. Giving her lots of hay and little pellets is good. It is likely the feed you are feeding her. Rabbits require high quality pellets, like breeders use, to stay healthy. THere are many brands that are great quality. Sold usually in 25 or 50lb bags. Dumor, Kent, Purina, and Manna Pro are a few in my area, and I am sure there are others near you. You can buy it at feed stores. Pet store feeds are little or not at all healthy for your rabbits. Never feed food with treats in it. I use the rule if it is colorful and has many differents shaped peices, then it is a treat and not good for them. You can give the treat food, just like a tablespoon a day on top of the regular pellets if you want, but no more.
To help dry up the diarrhea, try feeding her some rolled oats. About a teaspoon to tablespoon in her feed. To clean the feces off her fur, you can brush it out, or clip it. Also wiping with a baby wipe may help to soften it up. Bathing a rabbit under almost any circumstances is wrong. Wet fur on a rabbit can cause it to get cold, and this leads to illness. Only bath a rabbit in extreme diarrhea cases, in which the rabbits health depends on it. Spot baths should be used, and never give a complete bath.
Try the oats and high quality pellets before you have her see a vet.
Samantha