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URGENT - Saxon - genital problem U/D GRAPHIC

T

Tank's_Mum

Warren Scout
Quick summary as it's late and people may not hang around long enough to reply.

Tonight we finally got Saxon happy enough with us to check him for fly stirke etc. Since being with us he seems to hate his back end touched so I desperately wanted to check him out (head, ears, eyes, forepaws etc he's fine with). Anus is fine, but he appears to have a problem with his genitalia. Not familiar enough with rabbit morphology to know if it's a serious problem or not - where his anal gland are he has a build up of some sort of deposit (smegma??) and a pungent smell. Also, the hole we're assuming atm is his anal gland might not be. Will try to get a picture to post (will be graphic, obviously) for a better description - in the meantime, any ideas? Obviously we'll be taking him to the vet tomorrow (had wanted to let him settle more first but this takes priority).

Thanks in advance!

Photos - not good quality, will try to take more tomorrow.

Picture010-1.jpg


Picture014-1.jpg
 
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If you draw a line from tail to nose you have the anus closest to the tail and the penis closed to the nose. Then just to the right and left of the line between the two you have a scent glad on each side. These are in a fold of skin so usually you need to rummage a bit. If the buck is uncastrated the testicles are also one on each side too. It's normal for them to be pongy. If they're quite gunky just wipe them out with a slightly damp cloth, bit of cotton wool :)

There are some pics of boy/girl bits on this page, and right near the bottom ones of scent glands too: http://www.lecoeurrabbitrescue.co.uk/now_you_have_your_rabbit.htm

Tam
 
Hi,

Thanks for replying at this late hour. I've spent much of the last hour scouring the internet for veterinary sites about buck genitalia and I've compared him to Tank. Where the fold of skin is dry and mainly furry in Tank, in Saxon it's virtually hairless and damp. I've taken some pics (he feels violated now and is sulking), but they're not the best quality. Will update my first post with them anyway. I'm mainly familiar with dogs, and their anal glands are nowhere near as big as Saxon's (if that's what they are).

He spends a good deal of time cleaning himself too - focuses on that area far more than Tank. His testicles haven't descended yet either.
 
Hairless is normal :) It's a bit hard to tell from the photo which bits where. I take it that's the tail at the bottom/tummy at the top in the top photo and you've uncovered one of the glands to one one side? It looks normal to me :)
 
i panicked when i first found these on Douglas, then I saw that Desmond had it too - and it is the scent glands!!!!
 
My doe has it all the time its just a build up from the scent glands doe it look loke dark yellow ear wax?. I just wipe it off with cotton wool.

But a trip to the verts will put your mind at rest.
I hope thats all it is

X
 
As far as I know it's normal for boys and girls to sometimes need a clean out - it's something I've long dreaded having to do :lol:
 
i warn you - get an industrial mask and thick gloves as it stinks - and really hard to wash the smell off your hands!
 
Thanks for the replies and sorry for the bad quality photos. If hairless and stinky is normal, Tank must be one excessively hairy young man (not to mention very clean). I suppose he's that lilttle bit younger than Saxon (turned 12 weeks this Saturday gone). Tamsin, you're correct about tail at the bottom and tummy at the top - are scent/anal glands supposed to be literal holes in rabbits? There appears to be no contraction to them as you see in other species - how on earth do they control their scent marking?? :shock: Glad to know all's well - the amount of tendon-like skin on display was worrying as Tank simply doesn't have this.

Thanks again everyone :D
 
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