Its Anal Gland Check Time!!

[Balefulregards]

Friends, Romans, Bunny slaves:

 

I am here to remind you to give your buns anal glands a check. (Beka didn’t you do this a bit ago?) I did Coco’s today and whoooo baby were they due, both completely plugged. Normally one is a bit waxy while the other is clear – but wow. In over a year I haven’t seen them this blocked and skunky.

 Four hours and two papaya tablets later and she is STILL glaring at me from across the room.

[mrmac]

I just did my 3 today. It was the first time I had ever done that, and by myself!

[Serawyn]

Hi all,
I’m new to bunnies so I’m not sure what this is. Why do you have to do this and what exactly do you look for? Thank you for sharing the experience/information!

[Furface]

I’ve never done this either. Instructions would help.
Do I give the bunny a glass of wine 1st? Just Kidding…. But I think I might need several stiff ones 1st. LOL

[Balefulregards]

AHhhhh Beka DID do this:

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/1/aft/81048/afv/topic/Default.aspx

Complete with instructions.

[mrmac]

LOL I know. look in the top tab under bunny info, and monthy maitenance. I got a little confused at first looking at the drawing but once you see them you know thats them! Here’s a link to a thread about it too. https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/ta…fault.aspx 

It wasnt as bad as I thought it would be, be prepared for the stink!

[bunnytowne]

Yes here it comes.  That time again.  This is going to be a challenge since I am probably going to have to put a salve on Cottons lip again.  And their nail trims.

I do their nails and anals once a month.  One of Cottons was very dirty for some reason.  Since I do them every month and haven’t seen them that bad since I started doing everything. It was odd to see one very dirty.

[FluffyBunny]

Ahhhrg. Anal glands…I’ve been meaning to do them…I can never quite get them clean because Mr. Bunny has a habit of suddenly waking up from his trance and flying off my lap. (yes, even when he’s far off the ground) And they stink so much too…They smell like a mix of poo and slightly rotten overcooked nachos.

[Balefulregards]

Honestly FB – I burrito Coco – she never fully goes into trance, and I can’t trust her to stay put. The burrito is the only way I feel safe enough to do them.

I find Coco to be “skunky” in smell, and as I said usually one is plugged while the other is clear but it was BOTH plugged this time. I put warm water on the q tip to “soak” them a bit – them lift them very gently out with my fingernails. If they resist, I soak more and try again. Usually I can “lift” them both out with the warm water soak. Hers come out as fairly solid waxy plugs…but I assume every buns anal glands are different

(And I know I just totally grossed myself, and you all out by admitting that I unplug my rabbits anal glands with my fingernails – but it is faster – and then I started laughing because I never thought I would be discussing this subject EVER in my life. I mean who can plan for this discussion? Really.)

[mrmac]

HAHA I told my husband that I cleaned their anal glands and he got sooooo grossed out! FB I love your poo/nacho combo! Yummy!  I will admit it too, there were some pieces that were just easier to pick out by hand too. Ew gross but oh the lenghts we will go to for our buns!

[Furface]

OK, dumb question here:
Why exactly am I contemplating doing this? What can happen if I don’t? Who does it for wild buns? Do rescues & humane societies do this?
My vet gave me a whole stack of papers with bunny info & this site is the 1st time I’ve ever heard of this maintenance.
Even after having Bugsy for 3.5 years, I can’t trance her so, I don’t want to traumatize her without a good reason.

Edit to add: Is it like dogs – will they drag their butts across the carpet trying to cure the itch if they’re plugged?

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Furface on 06/30/2009 09:44 PM

OK, dumb question here:
Why exactly am I contemplating doing this? What can happen if I don’t? Who does it for wild buns? Do rescues & humane societies do this?
Edit to add: Is it like dogs – will they drag their butts across the carpet trying to cure the itch if they’re plugged?

 

It’s all a plot to make humans miserable and grossed out!  HAHA!  Actually as far as wild rabbits go, I don’t know, but since their life span averages only 2 years,  they don’t have to worry about it as much.

As far as our bunnies go, if you don’t do it, over time, several things can happen (one or all)

1.  Your rabbit begins smellin’ skunky
2. The gunk (looks like ear wax) can harden up, block the glands and cause infection
3. Even if infection doesn’t happen, hard gunk in the anal glands just isn’t comfortable for a bunny. 

Some bunnies have more gunk than others.  I am soooooo dreading the anal gland cleaning of Jack and Vivian  (I’ve been putting it off) because of all the marking that has been going on.  Those glands have been in full use.

SaveABunny made sure that Vivian was ready to go with her nails trimmed and her glands cleaned, but I have to now brave it out as I have waited longer than I normally would have.

[Furface]

OK, thanks

[KatnipCrzy]

Rabbit scent glands are not like dog anal glands at all.  They probably have the same purpose- scent marking.  But a rabbits scents\ glands can be exposed externally and cleaned- where a dogs anal glands are located inside the rectum.  It is a little misleading to refer to them as anal glands- when they are more of a “scent” gland.

Wild bunnies most likely have a use for the glands with marking and territory- but domesticated rabbits like domesticated dogs don’t have a biological purpose for these “smelly” glands.

I give my dogs their Heartworm Prevention pills at the beginning of every month- and have also started the habit of trimming the bunnies nails and cleaning their glands monthly also.  My bunnies don’t dig very much and they avoid the hardwood and linoleum (staying on carpet)- so I find that every month I am able to trim the nails and I would think they would get too long and uncomfortable if I did NOT trim them.

Cleaning a bunnies glands should not be any more traumatic for the bunny than clipping its nails (at least for the bunny ).  The residue can be waxy or crusty looking and you swab out what is there- it is not like a dog and needing to “express” the excess build up out.  I have checked the glands and found them to be clean- but sometimes you can still get a whiff of the odor.

[jerseygirl]

I’ve heard them refered to as preening glands – much nicer. But then maybe that’s the chin scent gland?
Gosh I hope no unsuspecting random person does and online search for “Nachos and Burritos” and finds themselves at this thread! lol

[Isabelle88]

I havent heard of this until now and to be honest I dont want to do it. I’ve had a rabbit for 6 yrs and I say he has survived in spite of me because I was pretty clueless, now because of new rabbits I have learned alot more. So i have never done with with him, Dude, he has never shown signs of a problem and now this late in the game, he can get pretty mean, he would never let me do it. So I dont know what to do, by what age should this start getting done, the other rabbits are barely 5 months old.

[KytKattin]

I did it. Hubble was more difficult, but his were less dirty. One of Nova’s was actually kind of impacted so I had to keep putting warm water on it until it softened. Lovely. Oh well. Just add it to the list of dog/rabbit unpleasantness that I have to check monthly. Maybe Nova will be less moody now. But I doubt it. Haha.

[Sonn]

I did both of mine yesterday and let me tell you! NEVER again! LOL from now on the vet can have that little pleasure! They do it for free so they can have at it!

[jerseygirl]

Hi Isabelle. You probably don’t need to do the young ones. If you have a rabbit shelter or local House Rabbit Society nearby, they may actually offer nail clipping and gland cleaning services. Alternatively, a vet technician may do it for you.

[KatnipCrzy]

Not cleaning the scent glands is most likely not going to have a huge negative impact on the bunnies health- but it is much cleaner and sanitary for the bunny to have them cleaned.  Since my bunnies are often on my couch, bed and running around the house I would rather not have a large build up of nasty skunky smelling stuff in their private area- as their private area is often in contact with or only inches away from my clothing, blankets, carpets, furniture, etc.

[Isabelle88]

If i was to see something of course I would do whatever to get them cleaned but Dude is the cleanest thing, He has serious issues about this, if u touch him he cleans himself for hours, he puts his cage a certain way and everything.

I do take him to the vet to get his nails done because to be honest I’ve always been scared, he’s a nipper, the new ones i do cut myself and again they are in perfect shape, i check them front to back daily and they are held alot so if they were stinky or dirty we’d notice

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