Odd Anal Gland secretion

[ladyrothman]

My unspayed lionhead doe is a little over a year old. She seems to be acting normal- energetic, binkying, eating, pooping. However tonight when I was grooming her I noticed her anal glands were more full than normal. Of course I removed the plaque, and they came out easily. However her left anal gland plaque had a dried reddish residue on top of the normal black. The gland opening seemed to be bigger and perhaps inflammed compared to the right one. I will attach a picture of the plaque.
Has anyone seen this in their buns before? Could it just be because the plaque was so big and the the act of removing it left the gland a bit tender? Do the anal glands get infected? Can it go away on its own? Is this a sign of something more serious, like uterine cancer?
Please let me know! It would be greatly appreciated

[/url][/IMG]

 

[ladyrothman]

 

[Jack's-Jane]

The second photo does not load

Scent glands that are impacted can become inflamed/infected, but the act of removing the impacted matter can also cause a temporary redness/inflammation of the delicate skin. It's impossible to say if your Doe has any infection without being able to see the effected area, so if you are concerned then a Vet check would be a good idea

It is unlikely to be a sign of uterine cancer, but having your Doe spayed would be in her best interests in the long term unless you are Breeding from her. As you may be aware Uterine Cancer is a very real risk in entire Does from as young as 3 years of age. This applies to Breeding Does too, infertility being one early warning sign. However, usually symptoms are absent until the disease has already spread, so spaying Does is by far the best way to ensure they can never be effected by the often fatal disease.

http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/uterine.htm

http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/neutering28.8.07.pdf

 

[MightyMax]

My unspayed lionhead doe is a little over a year old. She seems to be acting normal- energetic, binkying, eating, pooping. However tonight when I was grooming her I noticed her anal glands were more full than normal. Of course I removed the plaque, and they came out easily. However her left anal gland plaque had a dried reddish residue on top of the normal black. The gland opening seemed to be bigger and perhaps inflammed compared to the right one. I will attach a picture of the plaque.
Has anyone seen this in their buns before? Could it just be because the plaque was so big and the the act of removing it left the gland a bit tender? Do the anal glands get infected? Can it go away on its own? Is this a sign of something more serious, like uterine cancer?
Please let me know! It would be greatly appreciated

[/url][/IMG]

I think you may mean scent glands rather than anal glands?

It's common to have the brown-reddish residue here, and when you clean it out, it can leave the area a bit pinkish and tender looking. This is normal and it should go back to being fine.

Scent glands rarely become infected and it's not a sign of anything serious