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my bunny smells :(

L

Lindy

Young Bun
I am hoping someone can help with this little problem. My bun is almost ten and been in perfect health her entire life, until recently. She stopped eating and was subdued. The vet trimmed her teeth under anaesthetic, and it took about two weeks to tempt her to eat properly again, we gave her softened pellets, grated carrot etc.

Since then she has become very loving and gentle. I have noticed though that she is starting to smell, and her breath does too, it's like a dog smell. She no longer grooms herself (since the op) and I comb her through every day. Tonight she had a dried poop on the fur near her bottom, and a squashed dried one on her foot. I trimmed them off, but I'm obviously concerned. She just isn't looking after herself any more. She has had the fly strike treatment, but of course it doesn't prevent it, just helps to prevent.

She is in the garden most of the day, and in a very large clean hutch and run the rest of the time.

She is going to the vet on Friday and will have a bath and another check.

Have any of you come across this before? It's just so unlike her and all started after her op. :cry:
 
Aw, your poor bunny.

The bad breath makles me wonder if she has an infection going on in her mouth. Maybe an abscess related to her teeth?
 
Totally agree with the above. Mine had a dental 4 weeks ago and developed abscesses after. I noticed the smell one lunch time while I was home syringe feeding and took him to the vets that day and he confirmed abscesses.
I hope she's back to grooming and smelling better soon.
 
Oh no, that hadn't even crossed my mind. The vet specialist isn't in again until Friday, and in all honesty, she's the one I'd trust as they send all the tricky bunny cases to her. We've lost two bunnies with dental abscesses, they had operations, implanted beads, everything, but despite fighting for months, they died. I couldn't face that heartbreak again.

She is eating lots and scampers around the garden quite happily. She licks me constantly, something she never used to do before her illness. She just has this doggie smell and isn't grooming herself at all.

Her partner died a couple of months ago, and she hasn't bonded with the new one, despite him being adorable and gentle (a rescue). My neighbour comments we now have not only one large hutch but the palace of Versailles in the garden. I think he exaggerates a little ;)
 
Gertie, what treatment did your bunny have for the abscesses after the dental? Our bunny's eyes water too since just befor the op, and I've restarted the antibiotic drops which helped immediately.

Oh this is so worrying, I'm calling the vet tomorrow, but I just wish it was the specialist's day.

Not sure why these pictures keep appearing on my posts, I have no idea who the bunnies are!

She had a thorough check last Saturday at the vet's and he (not the specilist vet) said her mouth seemed fine. I do know that abscesses can blow up within hours, our last bunny died within two days, despite being on treatment.
 
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Robert is currently still having treatment. Just suffered a set back, he's stopped eating again, but hopefully it's just because the antibiotic injection wore off. He's having convenia and clamox (trying to read what the vets written for me is not easy!), but it's not a rabbit drug. We were at the desperate stage because marbocyl (of the baytril type family) was doing nothing and at this point he hadn't eaten for 17 days.
 
Thanks Gertie. I should look on the bright side in that my bunnie is eating lots (right now ploughing through her night time veggies!) I think the op knocked her for six, she is old and I'm hoping it just takes time to get back to normal. I'm hoping the vet says it's nothing serious.

My bun loves to sit in the herb border and usually smells beautiful.

Is it normal to bath a bunny? I've not heard of that before but the vet assures me it is. Heck, mine doesn't even like to be in the rain, she hides away.

I hope Robert picks up soon.
 
I would put off the bath, it could be too much stress for her after the op and at her age. Just my opinion. I would use fragrance free baby wipes to clean her.

But good luck!
 
Thanks Jenova, again, I've not come across the fragrance free wipes, I'll go on a hunt for those, it's a great idea.

The "specialist" vet was the one who suggested the bath when we spoke on the phone yesterday. I think being fly strike weather and bun not being her usual clean self, it's a big concern. It's about five weeks since the op, but I certainly take your point about stress. It's funny, she never used to like being handled before her op, now she loves it. Perhaps she misses the affection of her late "husband".

Thank you for your advice, I will definitely get the wipes and discuss the bath and smelly breath/BO with my vet. I hope it's not abscesses. At least it means she sits on my knee for an hour and enjoys being groomed, something she would never allow in the past.
 
Yes, she's spayed, has been for about nine years now. The smell is only recent, since she had the op and stopped making herself look beautiful. I think it is mainly her breath, I've just had a good sniff and her body seems ok. I've just put her in the herb garden, a little "eau de herb" will work wonders ;)
 
I know it's a REALLY daft question but could it be her ears?

I ask because I had a similar thing with one of my buns (my bridge Frenchy x). Was grooming her and noticed an awful smell, it seemed to be all over her, so I checked her bum, scent glands etc, all fine, so sniffed her from head to foot, gross I know! The smell was around her head, and it turned out to be from one of her ears, although the ear wasn't red/sore/scabby, just a clear liquid discharge.

It's just a thought though :)

Hope she's ok x
 
Thanks again. It does seem to be her breath that's the problem, poor little thing, maybe I could get some bunnie breath mints. :) She will see the vet tomorrow, so hopefully I'll know more then. She's been hopping around the garden munching all day, so I doubt it's anything serious. (she says hopefully). If she'd start grooming herself I'd feel happier, maybe I have a depressed bunny.

I have to confess to sniffing my bunny all over too (in the privacy of my house, didn't want the neighbours seeing). My neighbours already think I'm a bit odd, I'm sure, as I sit in the garden talking to the buns. I think sniffing their rear ends would really get the tongues wagging :oops:
 
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you could actually feed her a few sprigs of mint!

as a temporary measure while you try and find out what is wrong!
 
i woudl get ehr t the vet it could be a kidney probelm this can cuase the breath to smell, ti could be her ecent glands or it could be trapped wind after the anestetic or an infection or quite honestly anything best a vet checks her over
 
Awwh bless her. Ive no advice, but i hope she picks up soon :) The mint would be a good idea :) Let us know how the vets visit goes xx
 
Mint .. her favourite. I actually bought a whole bunch at Tesco and fed her that over a few days, I swear she loves it so much she swallows it whole without chewing!

I have typed out a list of my concerns for the vet, whom I trust. Trapped wind .. oh dear, poor little thing, how embarrassing :oops:

I've just been out to see her (5am, must be love), and she is looking old, bless her. She aged a lot after her op. Having said that, I pulled some leaves off her favourite shrub, and she grabbed them and disappeared into her bedroom.

She gets very stressed at the vet's, and I feel guilt taking her, but needs must.

Thank you for all your replies, I just love her so much and worry :love:
 
trapped wind? that reminds me its one of the things we have to look for in children we teach, because we're in a deprived area. if their breath smells like poo, we have to alert the school doctor. their diet is so bad that their poo can't get through and backs up - to the point where some vomit.... urgh!
 
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