A Step-By-Step Guide For Washing a Rabbit (using 3 methods)

By now, you’ve probably heard that it’s not a good idea to give your rabbit a bath. This can lead to health problems, such as hypothermia or a skin infection. So what should you do if your rabbit gets dirty if a bath is out of the question?

There are three ways to wash your rabbit if they get dirty. You can spot clean small soiled areas with a damp cloth. If your rabbit is very dirty or has urine stains on their fur, you can give your rabbit a dry bath using corn starch. You should only use a wet bath if you need to clean clumps of poop off your rabbit’s bottom.

Most of the time, it’s not necessary to wash a rabbit. Rabbits are perfectly capable of keeping themselves clean and spend a good portion of their day grooming themselves. Unless your rabbit is elderly or disabled, you should not expect to use these techniques very often. However, they can come in handy if your rabbit does ever get dirty and need a little bit of help washing up.

• Related article: Why rabbit’s shouldn’t get wet and how to dry them off

Spot cleaning a rabbit

The first option for washing a rabbit when they get dirty is to simply spot clean them. You simply take a damp washcloth and work out any stains or dirt from your rabbit’s fur. It’s okay to use a little bit of soap to help if it’s a tough spot to clean.

This method of cleaning a rabbit is best for small messes that are only on the surface level of the fur. For example, maybe your rabbit managed to get a bit of applesauce stuck in their fur. This is the method you would use to clean the sticky mess.

If it’s not a deep stain, you can avoid soaking the fur using this spot cleaning technique. While a rabbit’s undercoat will hold in moisture, the surface level fur can dry off fairly quickly. This means that the spot cleaning method is not harmful to rabbits. It’s a lot safer than trying to give your rabbit a bath.

Supplies needed

For spot cleaning a rabbit, all you need is some kind of rag or washcloth. You could also use a small amount of soap to help, but it’s best to only use that if you can’t get the mess out with water alone. You can also use a towel to quickly dry the damp fur, but often it’s not necessary for minor stains.

Step-by-step

1. First, take the washcloth or rag and get it wet. Ring it out so that it’s damp and won’t completely soak your rabbit.
2. Rub the dirty fur on your rabbit. Be as gentle as possible, so you don’t annoy your rabbit. If they don’t stop squirming, you may need to place them in a box or on your lap while you work out the stain. For tough stains, add a little bit of soap to help remove the dirt.
3. If necessary, dry off your rabbit’s fur. If sections of your rabbit’s fur got very wet, you’ll want to dry them off using a towel.

This technique is the fastest and easiest method for washing a rabbit. It typically only takes a few minutes. It might take a little longer for a tough stain, but even then, I wouldn’t expect it to take more than 10 minutes.

Give your rabbit a dry bath

A dry bath is a technique that uses a powder that you work through your rabbit’s fur. The powder clumps up around dirt and debris and can be combed out of the rabbit’s fur. Using this method, you can clean your rabbit without ever getting them wet.

You will want to use the dry bath method if your rabbit manages to get thoroughly dirty. Maybe they were playing outside and decided to roll in the mud, or perhaps they laid down in the litter box and have a urine stain all along their side.

The dry bath technique is better at removing fresh stains than older dried-up messes. You might need to use this method in combination with spot drying. Use a damp washcloth to remove the tough stains while using the powder to give a more thorough bath.

Supplies needed

The main tools you will need for giving your rabbit a dry bath are:

• Cornstarch or cornstarch-based baby powder. These are safe if your rabbit ends up ingesting a small amount. Avoid any formulas that contain talc.
• A fine-toothed comb. You can use your rabbit’s regular grooming comb or any fine-toothed human comb.
• A washcloth or towel. Something you can use for sweeping excess powder off your rabbit.

Step-by-step

1. Sprinkle some powder on your rabbit. Use a generous handful of cornstarch powder to use for the dry bath, but be careful to make sure your rabbit doesn’t inhale too much of it.
2. Massage the powder in the dirty areas of your rabbit. This step can take a long time. Continue to massage the powder into your rabbit fur until it starts to form clumps. You may need to add more cornstarch.
3. Use the comb to remove clumps of dirt and debris. After you see most of the soiled areas are clumping up with the powder, use the comb to gently remove it from your rabbit’s fur.
4. Use the cloth to wipe off excess powder. After your rabbit is clean, brush off as much of the cornstarch powder as you can. While it’s okay for your rabbit to ingest a little, we want to keep it to a minimum.

The dry bath method is not as quick and easy as simply spot cleaning a rabbit. Expect it to take at least half an hour, especially if your rabbit tends to squirm around. It can help to bring your rabbit into a bathroom or place them up on a countertop while giving them a dry bath. This will prevent them from easily escaping, and it will make it easier to clean up all the powder after the dry bath is finished.

What is a rabbit butt-bath?

A rabbit butt bath is a method that’s used to wash your rabbit’s bottom if they have large amounts of poop and urine stuck to their fur. This is a condition called Poopy-butt that happens when rabbits are unable to keep themselves clean. It is common for obese, elderly, and disabled rabbits to experience this condition either because they don’t have the mobility or they can’t reach (due to arthritis or excess fat).

For this method, you will use a small amount of water in a shallow pan to help clean off the clumps of poop and matted fur. Afterward, you will need to take the time to thoroughly dry your rabbit to prevent skin infections and hypothermia.

Supplies needed

The tools you will need for a rabbit butt-bath include:

• Small bin. This can be a dishwashing bin or an extra litter box you have around.
• Towels. These will be used for traction on the bottom of the bin and for drying your rabbit.
• Rubber gloves. Use rubber gloves if you are squeamish about touching poop with your hands. You can also use a washcloth.
• Hairdryer. Make sure to use a hairdryer that has low heat settings.

Step-by-step

1. Put a towel on the bottom of a small bin. This will give your rabbit’s feet some traction, so they feel more secure during the process.
2. Fill the bin with 1-2 inches of warm water. Don’t make the water too hot or too cold since rabbits have sensitive skin. You only need enough water to submerge their hind legs and bottom.
3. Place your rabbit with their butt in the water. Try your best to hold your rabbit’s upper half up and out of the water so that only their bottom gets soaked.
4. Put on your gloves and swirl the water to soak the poop on your rabbit’s butt. It may take some time for the ball of poop to be soft enough to remove. Keep soaking it and working at the edges to remove it. You may want to occasionally replace the water in the bin with fresh water since it can get murky.
5. Gently pull on the poop until it comes off. Be careful not to injure your rabbit. Focus on the area where the ball of poop connects to your rabbit’s fur.

Since a butt-bath will completely sock the bottom half of your rabbit, you will need to take the time to thoroughly dry them off as well. This will help prevent hypothermia and other rashes and infections resulting from wet fur.

To dry your rabbit

1. Place your rabbit on a towel. You’ll want to have this drying station set up before starting the butt bath so you can easily remove your rabbit from the water and onto the towel.
2. Pat your rabbit dry as much as possible. Start by patting your rabbit down with another towel to remove any excess water. Be gentle because rabbit skin is very delicate when it is wet.
3. On the lowest heat setting, use the hairdryer to fully dry off your rabbit. Do not use a cool setting since that could potentially lead to hypothermia, but avoid using air that is too hot as well. Put as much distance between the hairdryer and the rabbit as you can while still effectively drying them.
4. Keep going until your rabbit is completely dry, taking breaks if the air gets too hot. Rabbit fur will soak in moisture, so it can take a long time to dry off. Make sure to take breaks every 5 minutes or so, to avoid overheating your rabbit.

The entire process from start to finish can take a very long time. You’ll want to set aside a full afternoon to make sure you have time to wash and dry your rabbit thoroughly. It’s also best to have a partner to help you with this technique. One person holding the rabbit while the other cleans can help speed it up and limit the chances of injury.

How to avoid rabbit poopy-butt in the future

After the first cleaning, you may be able to avoid doing a full butt bath if you regularly spot clean your rabbit’s bottom. At least every other day, you should check your rabbit’s bum and spot clean any feces or urine stains. This will prevent another ball of poop from building up.

The only way to truly prevent this from happening in the future is to treat the underlying condition. This means helping an obese rabbit lose weight and getting pain medication for an elderly rabbit’s arthritis. If your rabbit is disabled, you will need to consider this task as part of their daily care to help your rabbit stay comfortable and healthy.

What to avoid when washing a rabbit

I’ve gone over the three techniques that are used for washing rabbits, but I want to take the time to go over some mistakes to avoid. This will ensure that you are able to keep your rabbit as safe and healthy as possible throughout the process. 

• Avoid a traditional bath or shower. Don’t fully soak your rabbit or submerge them in a bath or shower stream. This can cause water to get into the rabbit’s nose and ears, which can cause respiratory problems or an inner ear infection.
• Avoid making your rabbit stay wet for long periods. To avoid hypothermia, you want to dry your rabbit off as quickly as possible after they have been soaked.
• Avoid shampoos. Most shampoos are made with chemicals that are not safe for rabbit skin. This includes many pet shampoos that are used for cats and dogs.
• Avoid flea treatments. Most flea treatments are in doses that are much too strong to use for rabbits, so it’s best to avoid flea baths altogether.
• Avoid dangerous chemicals. Chemicals, such as talc in baby powders, can be harmful to rabbits. Make sure you check everything that you use to ensure the products don’t have added or unknown chemicals.
• Avoid bathing your rabbit when it’s unnecessary. Rabbits do a great job at keeping themselves clean. If your rabbit is not dirty, there is no need to bathe them.
• Avoid an unclean enclosure. Clean your rabbit’s enclosure frequently and their litter box daily to avoid urine stains and soiled areas on your rabbit’s feet and fur.

Source

1. Krempels, Dana Ph.D. “Bathing a Rabbit’s Messy Bottom.” University of Miami Biology Department. http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html.