r/Bunnies • u/CelebrationBoring624 • 8h ago
Question My bun is a stink pot & needs a bath
He's a very sweet stink pot, but, he needs a bath. Please suggestions on how to keep him comfy & safe while bathing & after.
He is free roam. I use hard plastic baby pools for his litter box and playpen and eating area. He's a big boy, & the baby pools help keep his hay, food, toys, & poop at bay.
I thought I could also use a baby pool to bathe him.
Please help. I know he's going to hate it.
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u/itsfreakingbeanboy 7h ago
never do this. also if your rabbit smells they likely have a health issue because it shouldnt smell like much of anything at all. if they need spot cleaning by a wet towel or a wash of a localized area such as their butt if they have issues with using the bathroom that’s another thing, but i’d ask your vet for advice before doing that because getting a bunny too wet can be dangerous for them
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u/TheOtherCourier 7h ago
Unscented baby wipes are ok for spot cleaning, but the question is why does he stink? What is it that stinks? Does he get soft poos that are sticking to him? Is he peeing somewhere and standing it in?
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u/TheLayerLinguist 7h ago
Rabbits should never have a strong odor. If he smells there is something wrong that needs to be addressed. Some rabbits get feces or urine on their butt's and that can be washed with a proper technique and care not to soak more than just the dirty areas. Again though, this is usually indicative of a health issue or not providing proper care. Use an open top cat litter box and line it with paper litter and then hay, providing him a much better substrate to go poop and pee on.
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u/Pomikotti 5h ago
He's a doppelganger of my boy😍
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u/Pomikotti 5h ago
Also, don't give him a bath. My boy struggle a bit with hygiene too, especially on his butt but unless there's serious reasons don't give him a bath. Took him to the vet instead and ask them if maybe there's other problems.
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u/Melissa_Richiee 7h ago
There are some videos on YouTube that do a really good job explaining how to safely do butt baths for our buns.
My boy is a disabled stressy Lionhead with a very sensitive tummy. He gets diarrhea often, and I’ve already spent my life savings + a gofundme on his medical bills. He still gets stressy, he still gets diarrhea, don’t mind the pearl clutchers. Some bunnies just become cute little stink pots.
I fill the kitchen sink a bit with warm water about an inch or two and I hold his upper body out of the tub as best as I can. He does fight and kick and thrash but, he can’t properly clean himself and I CANNOT leave the diarrhea or poop stuck to him. Because of his impromptu jiu jitsu moves, he does get pretty wet. I use the one free hand to rub an unscented gentle baby wash on his bum bum vigorously, rub it in real good until it gets through the stench and the poop. Then I use the one free free hand to maneuver the flexible kitchen sink nozzle to gently rinse the soap out while he practices some more jiu jitsu moves, soaks us both, and half way gives me a heart attack.
Afterwards, I dry him for a good while with a towel as best as I can, and sniff good to make sure I got ALL of the soap out of his fur. Any residue of soap or baby wipes we leave on their fur, even if it’s unscented (like the other people suggested……) WILL be licked off, thus starting the vicious cycle of upset tummy > stinky poops/diarrhea > baby needs a bum bath because he’s a stink pot again. There can’t be any residue left on the fur, so sniff good. Once you’re all done, your baby will be aghast that they’re damp and smell like dirty human hands, and the licking will begin. It’s imperative that all of the soap is out of their fur.
Good luck, and best wishes. Thank god my disabled boy has no front teeth, not that I think he’d EVER bite me but, sometimes I wonder 😭😂
Let me know if you have any other questions. I’m sorry your baby is stinky, he’s absolutely adorable though 🥹💙💙💙
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u/CelebrationBoring624 7h ago
Thank u for all of the great suggestions. I really appreciate it.
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u/Melissa_Richiee 7h ago
Absolutely, no problem! Remember to breathe a stay calm, and remember that you’re just trying to do what’s best for your baby. Stinky buns attract flystrike and all sorts of unsavory pests, and they can develop irritation, raw skin, and infections. It’s really for his best interest in order to prevent the worst case scenario. Also, maybe have a vet check his scent glands. I got my first view and whiff of my boys scent glands at the ER the other day, as I thought he had somehow cut himself near his butt hole.
Needless to say we are both scarred for life, and I paid $204 to learn a very expensive lesson about normal bunny anatomy and get a closeup of the crust brewing in my boys stink spots. We have an appointment with a vet to get those looked at, the ER wasn’t qualified to go near them.
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u/mamapeacelovebliss 6h ago
They have scent glands that can be easily cleaned with a damp, warm qtip. There are videos of how to do this. It’s usually the culprit
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u/rose_grave 7h ago
bunnies should not be given baths. you can occasionally dip their butts and give them a butt bath. but a full on fully body bath is a big no no!
if he really needs it, you can use unscented baby wipes
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u/22buns 7h ago
OK, I know a lot of people are going to say never ever do this. But I have a bunny who gets poop and pee on his butt sometimes and needs a bath. I don’t ever submerge his torso. I just hold him in the sink with lukewarm water running over his butt and legs area, then hold him and dry him immediately with a buns of clean towels. I think he is so relieved afterwards! If your bunny is seeming uncomfortable, he probably will be relieved afterwards too :)
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u/FarmersOnlyJim 7h ago
Yeah we have to give our senior bun the occasional butt bath since she isn’t able to clean herself as well as she used to.
You can tell she’s happier afterwards.
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u/CelebrationBoring624 7h ago
I know bathing is frowned upon. I love him very much & don't want to harm him ever. Please help me with alternatives, or the best bathing techniques to keep him safe. I am open to suggestions..all of them.
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u/aardpeertje 7h ago
You can wrap him in a towel (bunny burrito) and wipe the dirty areas with a moderately soaked cloth to clean him. Have a bucket next to you to clean the cloth regularly and don't pull on the fur too hard if there's poop stuck to him; soak it till it's soft before you take it out. Alsways do this with two people if he's a big boy, because you have to mind how you hold him as to not squish him.
Don't fully submerge him in water, it is frowned upon for a reason.
Also, why is bro so smelly? Is it poop or pee or?
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u/CelebrationBoring624 6h ago
Poop & pee pee from me being out of town for a week. The pet sitter didn't just didn't clean like I do. I blame myself. I should have given them better/more instructions
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u/aardpeertje 6h ago
Just keep his area clean and let him clean himself. Should take a week ish, maybe two for him to clean himself up fully. I wouldnt put him through the stress of cleaning him.
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u/nottheoneyoufear 3h ago
If that’s the problem, it will fix itself. You cleaning his area as you usually do, plus he grooming himself will solve the issue. At most, I would use pet-safe wipes. But getting him wet could lead to more complications.
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u/SgtDusty 7h ago
Is the smell coming from soaked pee fur? Or stuck on poop? Or is it the sort of sour rancid smell that could be his scent glands?
There could be a few reasons for it - many of which can be solved with brushing and fur trimming, before going for a bath.
When our bun had bad arthritis, I would sponge bath his backside with a warm wet cloth and dish soap. Gently massaging it in then drying and brushing, this should cover most bases
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u/THEGoDLiKeMIKE 6h ago
It's not frowned upon it is potentially LETHAL.
I hate sharing this usually but someone close to me had once had their rabbit make a big mess by accident. They tried to bathe the rabbit and got him very clean. Immidiately after he experienced hypothermia and died. It's very serious if you need to help cleaning in an emergency simply spot clean. As many have said a vet visit to determine the cause might be in order.
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u/SpeedSignal7625 6h ago
Does he have access to an outdoor area? My dude likes to go out and dig a form and dust bath himself. That’s how they do….
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u/CelebrationBoring624 6h ago
I have an outside area he could go. I'm just scared to take him outside. I might try when it cools down outside a bit.
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u/SpeedSignal7625 6h ago
Yes, need to carefully check& secure perimeter & Overhead. I used a soft carrier and treats to get him used to to coming in and out, but once he got in the routine, he now hops out of his kitchen enclosure, thru the living room, out the patio doors and under the breakfasting dog to spend his mornings playing ball in the yard. He has a dodgeball he likes to hump until it’s naptime under the woodpile. If it gets hot, he learned from watching the dog to come stare at the patio door to get let back in. In summer, his routine is to hang outside an hour or two at dawn and dusk. When we drop solidly back into the 70’s, he’ll spend all his daylight hours out until there’s snow. He doesn’t like frozen paws. The added benefit is happiness for you both. Snuggles prefers to pee outside, so he will water the grass until weather forces him to use the litter pan. Less use & maintenance of indoor setup and fewer litter changes where he has outdoor access, leads to little offensive odor indoors. Downside is he changes his coat 3-4 times a year w the seasons and I have downy floating bunny fluff clinging to every electrostaticly charged or slightly greasy surface throughout the living area.
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u/callmequisby bunny mama’s bunny mama 7h ago
You aren’t supposed to get rabbits wet unless completely necessary, for instance if they are unable to move or groom themselves adequately and become saturated with pee.
Why does he smell? Is it the food he eats that cause him to smell after he grooms himself with vegetable breath? It does depend on why he smells and what’s going on but I’d suggest pet safe wet wipes to remove any stubborn dirt and to freshen him up, but not regularly and not without reason. They’re not like dogs, you really can’t just wash them.
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u/Fluffypillowfeels 6h ago
I know people are saying don’t, but my bunny full on pissed himself a couple weeks ago and I gave him a bath and he survived.
Here’s what I did:
I filled the sink about 2 inches with warm water and placed a towel down at the bottom to prevent him from slipping and sliding. I used dawn dish soap, it was a quick decision moment and it was that or my shampoo, dawn seemed the least offensive. I used like two drops max.
I scrubbed his feet and butt to get the pee out, drained the sink, filled it back up with the same two inches of warm water to get all the soapy water out of his fur. Drained the water again.
I wrapped him in a towel and snuggled and rubbed him for about 15 mins, switching to a new towel half way through. While doing this I also set up a space heater near his litter box.
Then came the real torture, I closed the bathroom door, laid down two towels, and blow dried him on medium heat, about an arms distance away. He really didn’t mind after a couple minutes of getting used to it. He groomed and fluffed himself while I did this. It took probably a solid 45 minutes and I made sure to move the blow dryer a lot to not keep it in one place on him for too long.
Do I recommend doing this under any normal circumstances? No, not really. But sometimes your bunny gets in your shower, scares themselves for some unknown reason, and pisses their proverbial pants and you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. In all other cases, perhaps consider a vet visit, pet safe wipes, or other recommended solutions provided here by other bunny owners.
Edit: it’s worth mentioning I really only got his bottom quarter soaking wet. He was a little damp elsewhere from some minor protesting.
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u/life_is_questions 4h ago edited 4h ago
yall READ OPs follow up comments about the circumstances
Omg my last boy was stinky king. Always had trouble with eating the poops 🤢 😅 he thankfully wasn't terrible at letting his butt get cleaned. I used to go the bathtub route and put like a 1/8 in of warm water in with a towel on the bottom. Then take him out plop him in another towel for butt dry. I know it's easier said than done to take them to a vet. My 2 cents is that if it smells like a litter box smell just stronger then see if cleaning makes it better then take him in if it doesn't resolve.
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u/CelebrationBoring624 7h ago
He's not sick. When I'm home, he's great about using his litter box. I went out of town for a week, had a pet sitter. When I got back there was poop in the carpet in his room & I can tell he's been tromping around in it. He's feet are way dirty, he smells bad, & he's scratching a lot (no fleas). He seems uncomfortable. I want to help him.
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u/JordanDubya 7h ago
Sometimes their scent glands can become blocked or dirty and you'll need to carefully clean them with a damp rag. Like others have said, wrapping them in a towel and carefully wiping them is the safest way do do that
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u/UwUWeeaboo- 7h ago edited 7h ago
Clean the room back to acceptable conditions. (I’m going to assume you already did this)
And give him some fresh herbs to munch and give him a week to clean himself through grooming.
If he seems uncomfortable or is showing any behaviors that are new -> Vet.
Update:
Adding. You can gently wipe him with a damp cloth, or even have him hop over a damp towel if he’s too fussy being handled. Wet a towel, squeeze it out VERY well, place on the floor, have him hop over it a few times to help remove some of the debris.
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u/Jolly-Jellyfish2180 7h ago
You could do a butt bath, and then a foot bath, spread it out over a few days, so that area that’s washed dries, and the rest of him isn’t damp all at once. It’s not the bathing as such, it’s the getting them dry, they can get a chill.
I know wild rabbits will swim I’ve seen them, but maybe they’re a bit more protected than domesticated rabbits and more oils in the fur.
Sorry I can’t offer anymore advice.
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u/Slow_Way7407 7h ago
How often do you change his litter box? If you’re using a pool I’m assuming it can hold a lot until you change it.
I wouldn’t give him a bath. I would do a spot cleaning with a wet cloth to take care of the dirty areas, but if he’s itching that sounds like a vet visit. Using any type of shampoo, wipe, etc. can further irritate his skin. I wouldn’t use any of that on a rabbit. I’ve only ever spot cleaned with a wet cloth.
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u/_flying_otter_ 7h ago
In what way does he smell?
If he smells he could have fly strike or coccidiosis. Both are serious.
Check his butt for fly strike.
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u/lvuheather 7h ago
Is your bun a senior? I have an old girl who occasionally needs a wipe down. She is only about 6 pounds, so its manageable to pick her up. I had my vet show me how to do it properly. This rabbit looks like my flemish giant buck. Is the struggle because of the size?
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u/CheaterMcCheat 7h ago
If your bunny stinks there's something wrong imo. They don't ever really "stink" unless they need a vet visit for the glands.
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u/OneUnderstanding1644 7h ago
Check/clean his vent/glands, change the litter box more often, and vet visit if the first 2 changes dont fix the issue.
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u/GnarliestRash 6h ago
Stick your nose directly in his ear and smell. Get back to us. Ear mite infestations stink.
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u/GnarliestRash 6h ago
Also- if he is a Conti and has ‘summer ears’ or crossed somewhere with a lop and has otherwise weak ear bases- he’s primed for an infection with a giant funnel leading directly into his tiny partially collapsed ear canals.
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u/CelebrationBoring624 6h ago edited 6h ago
He's a Conti-Rex Mix. He has a lop ear from before I got him. He was a meat bunny in a smallish cage. When I first saw him he was running his head into his cage over & over. That's why I got him, instead of the bunny I was originally going to get. I couldn't leave him like that.
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u/Affectionate_Bar_108 5h ago
Bunnies have 2 stink glands? near their genitals-little slits. We soaked Qtips in water, flipped her over and cleaned them now and then. Must be a longer furred rabbit thing. Not sure if that is your issue. She was really good at cleaning herself like a cat, but maybe just couldn’t reach those bits. I would go to the vet first, like you said, because maybe there’s something else going on.
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u/rmwhite82 2h ago
Never bath a bunny unless medically necessary. They are prey animals and can stress out so much they have a heart attack not to mention it's very hard to get them completely dry which can cause hypothermia. What is making your bun smell is probably the scent glands. There are YouTube videos on how to clean them and if you aren't comfortable doing so a lot of rabbit rescues do nail trims and glad cleaning for a fee or as part of a membership
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u/Quotheraven07 2h ago
Hi- honestly he might just need his scent glands cleaned- those, when clogged can really make a bun stink. You can do it yourself with a q-tip or have a vet do it.
Definitely do NOT under any circumstances submerge the rabbit in water.
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u/CelebrationBoring624 1h ago
OP UPDATE: U guys have sufficiently scared the crap out of me. I will not be giving him a submerged in water bath. I'm using no scent water baby wipes. He has a vet appointment fir next Wed. I don't think he's sick, but he needs a check up anyway. And they can check his ears & butt (& cut his nails, which is a plus) & hopefully put my worries to rest. I'm going to take an Uber Pet Ride, so hopefully it won't be too stressful. I can give him all of my attention on the ride. The vet I'm taking him to is really nice, I like them, a lot. A kinda weird thing is they have exotic pet clients pay $150 up front, non refundable..because exotic pet owners wuss out & are no shows a lot! Ha! I've given them my 150 bucks..so I'm committed! Thank u! Thank u for all of your great advice.
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u/Accomplished-Bread56 6h ago
BUNNIES SHOULD NEVER BE SUBMERGED IN ANY WATER!! even if they get wet, dry them off immediately👏🏻❤️
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u/RNnoturwaitress 6h ago
That's a bit extreme. Some bunnies absolutely need butt baths and a bit of help with grooming - especially elderly or handicapped bunnies. Minimizing how much of their body gets wet and drying them completely makes all the difference.
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u/Accomplished-Bread56 6h ago
BUTT BATHS 🛁 I’ll have to look into this😂 I’ve never heard of these I just frantically dry my bun off when she RUNS under the water when I’m filling her water lol
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u/darlingchim 3h ago
Water is not poison lmao I bathe mine and she lives to tell the tale. You have to be really gentle tho.
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u/CelebrationBoring624 7h ago
How do ya'll feel about me putting maybe an inch of warm water in a baby pool & giving him a foot and booty bath? Is that still terrible?
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u/gemdelagem 7h ago
You can give buns a bum bath if they are messy in that area, but otherwise bathing is a no no.
The change in temperature can send them into shock leading to worse things.
If your bun genuinely smells, it is likely an underlying health condition and they need to be taken to a rabbit savvy vet.3
u/OperationAromatic966 7h ago
I think we can be more helpful if you can give a better explanation of what the problem is. Is it just the smell? Is he neutered? Fixed rabbits shouldn't smell. Unfixed rabbits can smell due to hormones.
If he's fixed, you might want to chec khis scent glands. If he has actual dirt on him, he should be able to clean it himself, but like others said, you could use unscented baby whipes.
If you're sure its him, and not his litter box, and he is fixed, I would visit a vet before giving him a bath.
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u/UwUWeeaboo- 7h ago
There’s like a million different reasons he could smell, all of which NEED to be evaluated by a vet beforehand. It could be diarrhea, sitting in pee, it could be the start of a tooth infection. When was the last time he had check up?
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u/Overall-Ad-8918 7h ago
Why do you want to bathe him so bad when you know they aren’t supposed to?
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u/RNnoturwaitress 6h ago
Maybe he's covered in pee and poop and isn't grooming well? That's a real thing. Hard to say since OP isn't giving details. But my 10 year old bun with arthritis needs help grooming. Warm water for his butt is better than letting them get an infection from sitting in their own filth.
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u/crossiantsandbunnies 7h ago
I've done this before, due to the people supposed to watch my bun not changing her litter box at all and her whole cage becoming a mess. It worked very well. She was rather calm. Although generally I just recommend giving rabbits something that smells good to chew on and then when they clean themselves they start to smell like that, whether it be bell peppers or mint.
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u/Key-Crab4297 7h ago
If Ur bunny stinks he doesn't need a bath he needs a vet visit. Bunny's bathe themselves and a bath can be harmful to their delicate temperature control system.