wet bottom on our bunny

Question
our bunny seems to always have a wet back end lately and smell of urine, she is only fed pellets and hay and alittle kale and carrots, and for a once in awhile treat an bannana chip.  we wash her bottom a little in the sink and keep her cage dry, she is also litter trained, and does not appear to be sick.  Any idea what causes this?

Answer
Dear Cindy,

A messy bottom in rabbits can be due either to chronic cecal dysbiosis:

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

or to a urinary tract problem, such as infection, bladder sludge, or bladder stones:

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

The former is most often caused by incorrect diet, which you can check here:

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

If she's getting only pellets and hay, and the hay is alfalfa, then this could be the problem.  Please use the guidelines above to solve the problem.  If her diet is okay, then a common cause of cecal dysbiosis is dental problems:

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

But in any case, you need to get her to a good rabbit vet for full evaluation and treatment.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps!

Dana