dwarf rabbits bathing

Question
   I just got a rabbit off the internet.(bad idea!)He smells and his nails are all curled in under his feet. He is the friendliest thing i ever saw though. I am feeling very bad about taking him. What can I bath him with if at all. When i say he smells its terrible the smell of him.
his cage is clean I have to say but the wire ones and how can that be comfortable for him? Most importantly he stinks terribly. Please help.

Answer
Dear Laurie,

I'm glad you were able to rescue this poor littel guy!  For instructions on how to trim his nails, go here:

http://www.mnhouserabbit.org/care/nailtrimming.html

or have a trusted, rabbit-savvy vet show you how. If you don't yet have a rabbit vet, you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If he smells really bad, this is unusual, but could be due to any number of things.  Poor husbandry and small space could have prevented him from grooming himself, which a healthy rabbit will always do.  They do not need bathing, nor should a rabbit ever be bathed under normal circumstances.  Please see:

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

for instructions on cleaning your bunny.

If the smell is not just general body odor from not being housed in a clean environment, then he needs a good veterinary check up to be sure:

1.  There are no infections or abscesses anywhere.  Pasteurella bacteria can smell horrible!  Check him over for any signs of open wounds or pus.  Check his jawline to see if there are any swellings along the tooth roots, which would indicate a jaw abscess:

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

2. Check his bottom for signs of mushy stool or urine leakage, either of which could be a sign of a health problem.  For mushy/runny stool:

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

for urinary tract problems:

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

A healthy rabbit should not have any offensive odor.  Once you find the source of the smell, you should be able to address it, either with veterinary care or with the simple cleaning procedures in the "buttbath" article above.

Hope that helps get you started.

Dana