Rabbit scent glands after neutered/spayed

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This topic has 6sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 6 days, 14 hours ago by Bertie and betsy.

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- 06/17/2024 at 3:54 AM
  Bertie and betsy
  Participant
  3 posts
  Random question but does anyone know if a rabbits scent glands under their chin still work after being spayed/neutered?
- 06/17/2024 at 4:02 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16919 posts
  The glands probably work but the rabbit’s own scent will have changed to an extent.
  
  Neutered rabbits certainly keep chinning stuff. If you have two neutered rabbits living separately and you have them change places (common in pre-bonding), the rabbits will chin the other bun’s stuff. Then when you put them back in their normal places, they will re-chin their own stuff.
  
  This could of course be some sort of “automatic” behaviour, but there’s no reason why scent glands should stop working post neuter.
- 06/17/2024 at 5:42 AM
  Bertie and betsy
  Participant
  3 posts
  Amazing thank you!
  
  My female bun has just been spayed and she was chinning everything in her area after I cleaned it and I just wondered if she was wasting her time bless her 🤣
- 06/17/2024 at 3:14 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16919 posts
  She’s not wasting her time 😄
  
  She could be feeling extra territorial now right after her spay. It is not uncommon for newly de-sexed rabbits to go through a period known as “post-neuter craze”. During this time they can be extra territorial, poop- and pee mark, chin everything, display “cage-aggression” and courting behaviours (circling, honking, humping). This is because the body needs time to adjust to the loss of sex hormones. For boys this phase is usually over well within 2 weeks, for girls it sometimes takes longer. It’s perfectly normal and it’s self-limiting.
- 06/17/2024 at 11:55 PM
  bunniesditto
  Participant
  2 posts
  yeah same here, my bun went through that post-neuter phase too. super territorial & kept re-marking everything lol. it calmed down after a few weeks though, their hormones just need time to settle.
- 06/18/2024 at 4:22 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9023 posts
  LOL the thought of wasted time chinning made me chuckle. 🙂 So many things to chin! So little time!
  
  My spayed and neutered buns all still chin things, but I agree it could be a bit extra as she goes through some post-spay hormone fluctuations.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 06/19/2024 at 2:15 PM
  Bertie and betsy
  Participant
  3 posts
  I’m glad she’s not wasting her time bless her 😆
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