Boar cleanings and scent glands…

[DaisyBunz]

Today was the dreaded scent-gland-cleaning-out-day, as well as my two pig’s boar cleanings. If you don’t know what a boar cleaning is, read this: http://www.guineapigtoday.com/2012/07/09/tips-your-male-guinea-pigs-routine-boar-cleanings/

It went well, the pigs did honestly fine, and bunnies did good too. The only reason it’s not fun for me is because that terrible pungent odor stays on your hands FOREVER!! 

It’s a myth that rabbits that are fixed don’t need the scent glands cleaned out. They do. Perhaps not as much is found in the glands, but it’s still vital you clean those out at least twice a month.

[Diamond]

I was under the impression that rabbits usually clean their own scent glands. I’ll have to look into it more.

[Zombie-Sue]

Some people consider it part of regular maintenance. I have never ever cleaned my rabbits’ though

[Bam]

I clean Bam’s, but Yohio’s never need cleaning.

I think rabbit-owners should check their buns now and then though. I’d no idea about these glands until I read about them on this forum. Checked Bam’s and both glands had sth that looked like a black seed stuck in them.

I don’t find the stench unbearable but you could wear vinyl gloves while cleaning them. Or scrub down your hands afterwards with a stain-remover like Vanish.

[DaisyBunz]

Hm. I’m actually surprised that some don’t clean them out, I read they were supposed to be cleaned out often before I ever owned rabbits!
To be truthful, the scent gland black stuff doesn’t make appearance as much, only a very small bit. The real amount of stuff is the dried urine and sometimes hay particles that every once a while will make its way into the scent gland’s folds of skin. Min, my senior bunny, has a harder time cleaning down there, so I give her “butt baths” often, which works well. That’s typically when I find it convenient to just clean all of the bun’s glands and do the boar’s cleanings. It’s funny, because my son’s dwarf hamster is male, and the males always have a gland located on their stomachs that sometimes gets plugged up with gunk. So every once in a while I have to clean that out too. I don’t mind it. Just another day with pets!

[DaisyBunz]

Here. Maybe this link will help. It goes over the importance of scent gland cleaning, how to, etc.

http://brighteyessanctuary.org/educ/rabbit-info-scent-glands.html

[MoveDiagonally]

BB has an article about monthly maintenance that talks about gland cleaning:
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/21/PID/940/Default.aspx

Generally I think it’s recommended that you check the glands every month and clean them whenever necessary which will vary from rabbit to rabbit. I’ve never had to clean my rabbits glands because they’ve never needed it.

[Zombie-Sue]

No thanks, I’ll let the vet do it lol

[manic_muncher]

I guess I need to check Bumpy’s to see, hopefully he won’t be one that needs my assistance. I’ve had to do a couple of my dog’s anal glands, which is much more… fun. Man, I really hope I don’t have to do Bumpy’s!! He doesn’t like handling!!

[Monkeybun]

Yep, haven’t had to clean the glands for any of my bunnies as of yet, but I do check. Don’t clean them if you don’t need to, the skin there is incredibly thin and fragile

[DaisyBunz]

It’s disgusting, I know!

[Author]

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