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Smelly rabbit

N

Nicole+Alex

Warren Scout
Hi we have just got our second house rabbit. She is 5 months old and a mini lop girl. She is from a rescue home, and is settling in nicely with our 1 1/2 year old male mini lop.

Our male doesnt smell at all. But she has a strange smell, I can't find the reason for it. We clean their hutch regularly and they use a litter tray for going to the toilet, although they do seem to poo all around the hutch.

Any thoughts, thank you
 
Have you checked her scent glands?

If you look at her girlie bits, either side there will be two slit type things. Those are her scent glands. If they become full (of dark brown waxy stuff) she will smell. You can clean them using a damp cotton bud and carefully wiping them out (its a sensitive area, so be gentle). As she is going through adolescence she will be scenting more, so that could account for it.

Hopefully, when she is spayed, it should ease.

Warning, it's a gross job!
 
was going to say check her scent glands.. adn double check there isnt somewhere that they could have weed extra in i couldnt eunderstand why dor aand arhturs hutch smelt...as i was cleaning thellitter trays daily i found arthur had wee'd behind the tunnel in the hay so although it was dry on top it was damp and nasty underneath all cleaned now and additional litter tray in place.... is she speyed? unspeyed buns wee will smell more than a neutered bunny?
 
Hello

A silly question proabaly :oops:but here goes..........

Do you only need to clean the scent glands when they are un-neutered and spraying, or is it something you do all their lives?
 
Spayed already

She has already been spayed.

I'm not sure she would let me clean her. She doesnt like being picked up she struggles to get down and run around. How do you get to underneath her?

The only time we saw her sit still in our arms was at the rabbit rescue where she may have been nervous?
 
Scent glands can need cleaning at any point through life, it really depends on the bun, more than anything.

You might need two of you to do it. Maybe one can hold her and flip her over, and the other can clean.

Sorry I assumed she wasn't spayed, our vets just won't do it until they are 6 months :)
 
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