All Spiffed Up

Ygraine hasn't been feeling well lately.  I'm not sure why, but I think PJB may have something to do with it. ;-)

Anyway, because she hasn't been feeling well, she's been laying around a bit more than normal.  And, I didn't tell you this previously, but Ygraine is all but totally incontinent.  Poor old girl.  But because of this, and because she's been laying down a lot, her back end is really wet and messy.  Which, I'm sure, contributes to her unhappiness.

Torn between not wanting to bother her, and really wanting to clean her up, I brought her in today for a bath.  She looks like a new Ygraine.

Hiding behind the toilet

It's obvious to me that she's been bathed MANY times before.  She was a show rabbit, so I know it must have been fairly often.  She just stood in the bathtub and let me wash her--even her belly.  I can't even imagine trying to do that with PJB--I think I'd lose a limb.

Big, fluffy ears!

I flipped her over and she said not a word in protest.  I got her bottom nicely cleaned up, and when I was done washing her, I took her out, clipped off the really bad wool that wouldn't come clean, trimmed her nails, and blew her dry.

She's the same color as the floor

She was very patient throughout.  She seemed much happier when the warm water ran on her, and she was fairly happy after we were done--she explored the house a little.

And now; in front of the toilet.  WOW!

Her back end isn't working really well, though.  I'm not sure if it's arthritis, or because her belly is so big (and I'm not sure why that is either, though I have a guess).  It was clear to me when I saw her hop around, that it's not working as well as it was a month ago. 

I'm still working on that, and I'll have to wait and see why it might be.  In the meantime, though, I am pretty happy with how she's done since she got here.  When she came, it was obvious she was pretty neglected.  She was super skinny, her coat was a mess, and she had fur mites.  Today, as I groomed her, I really paid attention to how she's done, and she's come along wonderfully.  I knew I had been keeping on top of her coat, and I was pretty sure I'd gotten rid of the mites (I had).  Her condition has come up a bit, too.  She's still pretty skinny, but her spine is no longer sharp in her back.  She's got a little coating on it now, and that makes me happy.

So she's a success story, in my book.  Not to mention that she's a sweet and gentle girl who normally loves to be held and petted.  I will have to wait and see what's up with the belly and her back end.  I promise, when I find out, I'll let you know.  In the meantime, I'm off to clean out carriers.  Tomorrow is the Fiber Festival.