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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Anal Glands – Vet Says Not to Clean?

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    • KatieP
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        Hi Everyone!

        I have read some posts about this on here already but feel like there is still no general consensus…

        I put a call into my vet (who specializes in rabbits and came highly recommended to us by a couple local rabbit rescues) about how I was reading that apparently I’m supposed to clean my rabbits anal scent glands on a regular basis and is this something a vet tech could help me with….she said a very adamant NO, that they do not do that there and that she does NOT recommend doing it, period.

        Some people on here say you should do it as often as once a month and others say never…so which is it? Would love people to weigh in on this!

        Thank you!

        Katie   


      • Sarita
        Participant
        18851 posts Send Private Message

          I’ve never ever cleaned any of my rabbits anal glands….and I’ve had many rabbits.


        • JackRabbit
          Participant
          5451 posts Send Private Message

            Most bunnies take care of cleaning their scent glands themselves. However, some bunnies don’t do such a good job and need a little help. My lops keep theirs very clean, but Kieko sometimes needs help because the liquid will harden and build up — she had a hard “wax” ball from buildup (had to have been uncomfortable foe her) a while back and it started to stick to the skin inside the gland and the vet had to remove it.

            Because of Kieko, we try to check the glands at every nail trim but only clean them if there’s buildup that the bunny seems to not be cleaning.


          • LBJ10
            Moderator
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              It isn’t necessary for most bunnies, but like JR said, there are some bunnies that have problems with this.


            • emm_renn
              Participant
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                My vet told me to clean them out as needed. She said they can get blockage which I don’t really understand. But i’ve heard more people say no than yes.


              • JackRabbit
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                  I guess a rule of thumb would be if the stuff in their scent glands is soft and earwax colored and not tons of it then leave it alone. If bunny has any hard dark buildup then bunny could use a little help. If a wet q-tip doesn’t easily remove any dark hard buildup, let the vet remove it because it could be stuck to the delicate skin in the gland.


                • LittlePuffyTail
                  Moderator
                  18092 posts Send Private Message

                    My bunny has a hard time keeping himself groomed due to a tongue injury and the vet took some pretty nasty chunks out of there today. So I think if you have a bunny that has difficulty grooming due to weight, injuries, etc. he may need some help every so often.

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                Forum DIET & CARE Anal Glands – Vet Says Not to Clean?