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Forum DIET & CARE Cleaning scent glands

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    • bunnyjames
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        Hi guys! so i was wondering if i could get any tips on how to clean my bunnies scent glands. i’ve looked at the monthly maitnance section and i think i still need some tips. Chomper my male bunny i think might need a cleaning of his scent gland under his chin. Im not even sure if you need to clean the scent gland under the chin. I picked him up today and noticed the fur under his chin looked kind of stiff, like if he had something sticky. I want to know how to clean the scent gland in the back area too. I saw a video on youtube that show this and i got a perfect understanding of where they are. This is the video i saw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vldSCV9qY3c but i still have some questions

        1) does cleaning both the chin and anal scent glands hurt them?

        2) is the scent gland under the chin extremely sensitive? does the chin scent gland even need cleaning?

        3) Is there a possibility of hurting them really badly doing this? (im asking this since if there is, then i guess ill just take them to the vet, but i would really like to learn how to do this on my own, hate having to pay $30 for each bun)

         


      • jerseygirl
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          I wouldn’t even know what chin scent glands look like. I only ever check/clean anal scent glands. Rumball has some fur under his chin that can get a bit clumpy but pretty sure he’d never let me near his chin glands.

          Cleaning anal scent pockets shouldn’t hurt. Sometimes if there is hard wax there you can soften it with warm wet towel or use mineral oil to help remove it. You should not have to poke too deep into the pocket. The main thing is holding them secure while you clean the glands, making sure back is well supported. Mine have always been fine after a clean. Not acted in pain or discomfort, just a little peeved. You can offer them a treat after to test how peeved they really are!


        • Isabelle
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            Dutchess gets her cleaned when I take her for a nail trim by my vet tech. She’s not happy about being poked down there (umm, who is?), but it has never seemed to hurt her. As long as you’re gentle with a soft cotton swab there shouldn’t be a problem.

            For chin scent glands, if you feel it necessary I would say just a slightly damp cloth swiped over their chin a few times would keep the fur in check.


          • bunnymum16
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              i clean ninja’s anal gland twice a month.i must tell you,it stinks so bad!once you find the spot,its really easy.just have qtips and warm water ready.Ninja gets hard buildup inside so warm water is a must!

              quick question though,does your buns have some sort of a bump inside their anal gland?whe i first cleaned Ninja’s gland i thought it was an abscess i was gonna pop it. but both the left and right have it so i thought its part of the gland.can someone clarify.


            • Monkeybun
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                I’m lucky, my 3 have never needed to have theirs cleaned. Once you DO clean them, they generally have to be cleaned more frequently.


              • cactuspancake
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                  What is the purpose of cleaning the scent glands? Shouldn’t their bodies take care of that on their own? Is it something all rabbits should have done? Is it something typically done to adult rabbits?


                • Monkeybun
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                    Not all rabbits need it, but some do if they get all clogged up with icky stuff.


                  • nugget
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                      I have never cleaned Oliver scent glands. I had never been able to find them LOL. After watching that video I thought “YIKES! I better look a little harder!” That was kind of nasty!! After looking again…and I THINK I was looking in the right spot (at the base of the tail?)….they didn’t look like they needed cleaning. WHEW!


                    • longhairmike
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                        dirty bunny junk… it’s just as bad as skunk…


                      • Isabelle
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                          Most rabbits take care of it themselves, but if it gets a little gunky sometimes it will turn them off of cleaning, and clog them even more, and then you have a bit of a mess on your hands. It depends on the rabbits, Dutchess does have a little stuff in there every few months when the vet tech cleans them, so I recommend cleaning them based on your bunnie’s needs.


                        • jerseygirl
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                            Posted By nugget on 01/26/2011 02:43 PM
                            I have never cleaned Oliver scent glands. I had never been able to find them LOL. After watching that video I thought “YIKES! I better look a little harder!” That was kind of nasty!! After looking again…and I THINK I was looking in the right spot (at the base of the tail?)….they didn’t look like they needed cleaning. WHEW!

                             They are right beside the genital mound. I’ve put red arrows on this pic to show. You just open up the skin folds as the pocket is kind of deep.

                            Warning; opening this link you will be confronted by bunny genitals.  i392.photobucket.com/albums/pp1/dohraime/analgland2.jpg


                          • nugget
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                              Thanks for the warning Jersey!! LOL….now I got a bunny to catch.
                              ok…after catching Oliver, I was looking in the correct area before. What I thought were his scent glands before, may have just been folds in the skin. I know I got it now….still clean though….which is good! ;o)
                              Thanks much for your help!!


                            • jerseygirl
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                                no worries.

                                I should have said before, that pic is for sexing rabbits, hence the close up and labels. I didn’t add those.
                                In the pic the pockets are the darker area the red arrows point to.


                              • Deleted User
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                                  Do neutered rabbits have to have their glands cleaned too??

                                  I’ve never cleaned Pogo but I’ve also never noticed anything.


                                • GeorgeWabbit
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                                    i just cleaned my rabbit’s gands today! glad i did he had a big hard piece in there poor little guy!  he had a little bump in each gland too i am pretty sure its part of the gland, doesn’t look weird or anything, i wouldn’t touch or pop anything like that either it might cause an infection in there


                                  • meow1
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                                      How in the world am I supposed to check his area? He HATES to be held upside down or any other way other than with all fours against me somehow. I’ve even tried a bunny burrito, and laying him on his back in my lap. He struggles too much.


                                    • jerseygirl
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                                        Do neutered rabbits have to have their glands cleaned too??
                                        I’ve never cleaned Pogo but I’ve also never noticed anything

                                        Yes they do. Male and female. By checking them you’ll get an idea how often they might need a clean if at all. Some bunnies don’t produce much residue at all.


                                      • jerseygirl
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                                          How in the world am I supposed to check his area? He HATES to be held upside down or any other way other than with all fours against me somehow. I’ve even tried a bunny burrito, and laying him on his back in my lap. He struggles too much.

                                          meow1, have you been able to “trance” Sunny? If you hold him all four paws against you, start stroking his head and lean forward until he’s lying in your lap, he might ‘trance’. I do this only for gland checks/cleans and nail trims. I have to continue to stroke the head throughout. There is some conjecture about whether trancing is cruel or not. I think cruel is a strong word in regard to it. Maybe the rabbits don’t like it same as they don’t like being picked up but sometimes it’s necessary to do both. I’ve seen mine go trance-like when they flop so I’m really not sure it’s unnatural for them. I think they object mostly because it’s not on their terms and they are being held. I’ve found mine not to be terribly stressed after being tranced. They come for a treat pretty quickly.

                                          If you have trouble doing any of this yourself you might find a rabbit rescue that offers the service or a vet tech that would do it. Same for nail trims.


                                        • oreosowner
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                                            wow just found this site. and majorly helpful. my Oreo has been having issues for a few weeks, and tonight I learned that I apparently just cleaned her scent glands that I didnt know even know about… I greatly appreciate the photo with red arrows. the first pic I found was of dirty glands, and I was glad to find pic of clean ones to compare it to. Oreo doesnt love being held upside down either, but football/baby bundle works for me. you can secure both back feet with the hand of the arm you are tucking you Bun into, and the ‘trance’ mentioned I have also seen. Oreo was doing a home visit with a potential new owner and she just froze up. moments later she was fine. same with the football tuck, she will just suddenly stop fighting and be completely calm, and almost as if she senses a chance to escape will start trying to free herself. sorry for the super long post. I really like to talk


                                          • LittlePuffyTail
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                                              I’m glad this site was helpful!

                                              We try to discourage members from posting in old threads. This thread is from 2011. It can cause confusion. Feel free to start a new thread or head over to the Introduction section and introduce yourself and Oreo.

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                                          Forum DIET & CARE Cleaning scent glands