Does anyone else’s rabbit’s fur get a little matted under it’s chin?

[Lindsay]

 I’ve noticed that sometimes a tiny bit of the fur under Monty’s chin (where his scent glands are) gets a bit matted. I guess it’s the secretions from the glands? It doesn’t look dirty or yellow or anything (I would notice if it was because his fur there is white), but should I be helping him clean under there? It doesn’t look like he can always manage it on his own. Can scent glands get infected or anything if they’re not cleaned?

[Andi]

I’ve not heard of an infection there, or even matting, does your rabbit have long fur? Could it be drool? If drool it could be a teeth thing.
Keeping him clean there won’t hurt any, but i would keep an eye on it just in case, as it does seem a bit odd to me.

[Karla]

You can clean them, but it is not recommended. You wipe the wax off with mineral oil, but it will come back again soon. It is there for a reason

Boys like to mark their territory with their chin and so the fur there is matt and not always that pretty. Karl is kind of brownish there, and is otherwise a pretty black color.

[Lindsay]

No, he doesn’t have long fur. I’m pretty sure it’s not drool because it’s only in one spot that’s quite far under his chin. Also he’s had the patch like that on and off for a while, but the vet checked his teeth quite recently and everything was good.

He does “chin” things a lot so I reckon it’s just a bit of buildup. It’s not very much and doesn’t look sore so I guess it won’t do any harm.

[KatnipCrzy]

If it is not something that you can comb out or wipe off with a warm damp washcloth- I would not worry about cleaning it.  But with that being said- I have never seen my rabbits have a dirty chin no matter how much they chin things.  I only have ever had issues after syringe feeding Critical Care- and even though I tried to wipe the bunny clean it was messy- but I was able to use a comb after it dried to clean the fur.

[Andi]

Could it be more of an acne?
I have ‘chinning’ rabbits, and noen seem to have anything under the chin, bUT I had a cat who had a dirty chin and it was Cat Acne… just a thought.

[Karla]

This is what it says other places about mat fur under the chin:

“You may occasionally need to clean the chin glands. If you notice a waxy buildup around the chin scent glands, simply give your rabbit a thorough washing with warm water and, if necessary, trim away matted fur. If the chin looks inflamed, take the rabbit to the vet. ”

“Rabbits have a scent gland under their chins. If you see a waxy buildup under the chin that is matted with the rabbit’s hair, you can carefully trim it away or wipe it off with warm water. If your bunny drinks water from a bowl, it can sometimes result in a little irritation under the chin. If the underside of the chin looks inflamed, consult your veterinarian.”

I don’t clean it myself, but I guess it depends on how much wax has built up.

It could also be a sign of dental problems depending on how bad it is. Do you think that could be it?

[Lindsay]

Again, I don’t think it is a dental issue because he has had his teeth checked pretty recently and they were fine. He isn’t showing any other signs of tooth problems – no drooling, no problems with his food etc.
It’s a very small patch of fur affected – maybe a third of an inch square.

I suspect it could be cleaned off with a damp cotton pad, but he doesn’t really like to be touched under the chin so if it’s not causing him any problems I think he’d probably prefer me to leave it alone!

[RabbitPam]

It won’t harm him to wipe it with a damp cloth and possibly pat it dry afterward, but I wouldn’t risk trimming there. Their skin can be quite fragile in some areas, and it’s easy to nick it. If you did so, it could be open to infection depending on what is making it moist in that spot.

I used to see some green or orange staining under the chin, only to realize that I had fed my bunny a very wet carrot or green, and it dripped during eating. It went away after a short time – probably a good bunny paws face wash did that. Can’t he reach under there? He may be having a balance problem, or a bit overweight, that’s keeping him from being on his hind legs long enough to bathe himself. Watch him the next time he washes his face and see if he reaches it.

[Lindsay]

Aha! I think I may have figured it out. I’ve been observing him closely and it seems he chins the spout of his water bottle every time before he drinks from it. So I think his fur is just messed up from where he keeps getting it wet under there!

[SukiBun]

Phew!! Bun’s really do like to worry us huh?! Glad you seem to have found the cause

[Nibbles_NZ]

Wow! You know, every time I notice something on one or both of my rabbits, someone addresses it on here! I had NO CLUE that rabbits had a scent gland under thier chin! Both of my rabbits have a very small amount of matted fur under thier chins and I’ve been wondering about it. I am going to clean it with a warm wash cloth. Just a little. Thank you! LOL

[Nibbles_NZ]

Do you know how much money this site has probably saved people on vet bills? I mean, I have been worried about things that were completely normal for a rabbit. lol. I would have taken them to the Vet and paid to hear that it was normal. I love this forum!!!

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