Scent glands and grooming problems

[sgtsnuggles]

Hello all,

Just wanted to hear some advice on grooming. I have two lops and Appa (3M) is extremely difficult to groom. He is fierce and rarely tires out/gives up on thrashing and kicking which is really the most difficult trying to clean his scent glands. Does anyone have any advice on how to groom a difficult rabbit? I really need to clean his glands out, I got some out, but he starts thrashing more and more wildly and breathing so hard I’m afraid he’s going to make himself sick with fear/hurt himself from thrashing and twisting about so much.

A note: I don’t want to take him to have a stranger do it. Once at the vet the vet tech DROPPED HIM and it made me so upset. He’s a very difficult boy but so sweet and I love him so much I really am afraid people will not treat him right especially without my supervision.

[LBJ10]

Are his scent glands really that bad? Most bunnies don’t need to have them cleaned very often.

What method are you using for holding/restraining him? Have you tried doing a burrito?

[sgtsnuggles]

He definitely has some in there as I got some out, I’m concerned I need to clean it all out or perhaps checking next week if he’s able to get the rest himself. I sit on the couch and hold under his arms with his body against me and his bum scooted a little forward resting on my lap so he’s in a banana shape and I can see his rectal region. I get maybe up to 30 seconds (longest time) before he starts thrashing. I have tried burrito but he still kicks violently and squirms out, I get so nervous he’s going to hurt his spine. I normally do all his care without having to lift him in this manner, even cutting his nails, and this is really the first time I’ve needed to really get in there to give it a good clean

[DanaNM]

That’s awful you had that experience at the vet. Is it possible for you to find another vet that may have more experience with exotics? I’ve found when an office has more than 1 exotics vet, their technicians are all very good with rabbits because they see them regularly.

Do you have someone to help you at home?

This isn’t scent gland specific, but for 2 of my buns (boys coincidentally) for nail trims they hate being held vertically, but will tolerate me holding them  “foot ball” style. Or I will just have them on the table and life one part of them at a time by kind of pinning them to my forearm. They stay very calm this way. I wonder if you could position him in such a way that someone could get to his scent glands this way?

Agree it shouldn’t need to be done often but I have had to occasionally clean them on my buns (most notably on my seniors as they have aged).

. . . 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.  

[sgtsnuggles]

Yes I’ve decided to change vets I found a referral from a local rabbit rescue 🙂

 

I’ll have to try that, Appa is a fighter and does not tolerate being held at all :/ I cut hit nails by putting a towel down on the kitchen table and going one foot/hand at a time when he’ll tolerate me lifting one of his paws which can take up to half an hour to get them all clipped.

I decided to check when trying to clean some poopy butt. I will try having my partner help me out but may have to resign myself to taking him to the rabbit rescue and having them do it for me. Thank you for the advice I appreciate it, I hope as he gets older he will be a little more tolerant of being held when he’ll need extra help.

[DanaNM]

Sounds like a good plan! Perhaps the rescue or vet can show you their techniques as well. It really can be about figuring out what works best for your bun, your method of nail trimming sounds like what I used to have to do with one of my rainbow bridge buns, he was a feisty one!

. . . 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.  

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