Rabbits make wonderful pets but they can be messy sometimes. Even if your rabbit is litter box trained, they can still have occasional accidents or get themselves dirty. The good news is that rabbits like to be clean and will groom themselves regularly1.
Even so, there may come a time when they need a little additional help, such as if they get into a greasy substance. Dawn dish soap can be an effective cleaner for greasy messes or to clean their enclosures, but it’s not something you want to use regularly for a bath. Let’s learn more about the soap and how to use it with rabbits.
Bathing a Rabbit
Rabbits don’t usually need help keeping clean. They groom themselves almost constantly, so you won’t have to give them baths that often.
Dawn dish soap is not designed to be used as a pet shampoo. Pet shampoo is pH balanced for animals and usually contains ingredients to soften and soothe skin. It’s gentle enough for pets because it’s made with their needs in mind.
Dawn dish soap contains harsher ingredients than pet shampoos. These ingredients are necessary to cut through grease and food particles on dishes. Since Dawn is effective at cutting through grease on dishes, it can also work to remove grease and oil from your rabbit’s fur. The soap forms a chemical reaction when it combines with grease or oil and effectively traps it, removing it easily from whatever it’s covering.
If your rabbit somehow winds up covered in greasy grime, Dawn dish soap can be used to remove it from their fur. If your rabbit just needs a bath because they’re dirty, you’d be better off using a milder shampoo, something made for rabbits. Shampoos for small animals work best because they are formulated to be gentle on a rabbit’s skin. While Dawn is safe to use on rabbits, you shouldn’t do so regularly.
- See Also: 10 Best Rabbit Shampoos
If a Rabbit Has Fleas
Rabbits can get fleas the same way dogs and cats do. If your rabbit spends a great deal of time outdoors or is around other animals that have fleas, they can easily acquire them.
To prevent this, rabbits can be treated with topical flea treatments once a month, but since there aren’t any products made specifically for them, you’ll need to speak to a vet first. These medications are made for certain animals of certain ages and weights, so it’s important to get a proper veterinary recommendation and dosage before using any flea prevention on a rabbit.
Dawn Dish Soap & Fleas
You’ll likely run across the use of Dawn dish soap to kill fleas, and the truth is it does work by causing fleas to drown. However, Dawn isn’t a permanent solution and it doesn’t prevent reinfestations. It can also really dry out your rabbit’s skin. You’re better off to treat with a flea medication approved by your veterinarian.
If you need to kill fleas in a hurry to give your rabbit relief and buy a bit of time before you get flea medication from the vet, Dawn dish soap will work. Only use the original blue Dawn dish soap for this.
Using warm water and avoiding the eyes and face as much as possible, gently bathe your rabbit using a few drops of Dawn. While Dawn shouldn’t be regarded as an effective flea treatment, it will kill fleas if you need to do so in a hurry.
While your rabbit is in the bath, use a flea comb to remove as many fleas as you can, and then speak to your veterinarian about a more long-term solution.
Cleaning a Rabbit’s Cage
Dawn dish soap can be used to clean a rabbit’s cage, but everything must be rinsed thoroughly. Rabbits shouldn’t consume the soap, so it’s best to make sure there is no soapy residue left on anything when you’re done.
The soap will get things clean but it is not a disinfectant. It doesn’t kill bacteria or viruses unless you’re using antibacterial Dawn. This Dawn is fine to use for your rabbit’s things, but it should not be used to bathe your rabbit for any reason. Blue Dawn is best for that.
You can wash your rabbit’s food bowls, toys, cage tray bottom, and litter box with Dawn or antibacterial Dawn dish soap. Be sure to rinse everything well and dry it before placing it back in the cage.
For more germ-killing power, you can wash the cage with a solution of vinegar and water. For things that need to be washed daily, like food bowls and toys that get soiled, Dawn is easy to keep on hand and will keep things clean and disinfected (if you’re using antibacterial Dawn).
How Often Should a Rabbit Be Bathed?
Baths can be stressful for rabbits, so you should only bathe your rabbit when it’s absolutely necessary. When they’re covered in a substance that they can’t clean themselves, like oil or grease, or when they have fleas, baths will help them stay clean and parasite-free. (remove sentence)
If your rabbit has urine or feces stuck in their fur, you can give them half a bath and just clean the affected area without completely soaking them.
Final Thoughts
Original blue Dawn dish soap is effective at cleaning your rabbit’s food dishes and cage. It can be used in a bath for rabbits with flea infestations or to remove greasy substances from their fur. Rabbits don’t need regular baths, and when they do Dawn dish soap can work in a pinch, but it shouldn’t take the place of a veterinary prescribed flea medication or a shampoo that is specifically designed for small animals.
Featured Image Credit: Ligfo, Shutterstock
