Stinky Bun

[Sadibugs]

We got Lylah a week ago, she is 7 weeks old. Had some issues in the begining with getting her to eat and such. Also found out she wasn’t getting enough water from the water bottle we had bought to attach to the cage, so we put a water bowl in instead. Since then she has drank lots of water and finally started eating well. 

With the water bowl she likes to sit in it. In her cage she had a toy (wooden colored blocks that hangs with bell at the bottom) well since she likes to get in her water bowl her bum is often wet and OF COURSE the other day the blocks fell into her cage and the blue block color has bled onto her white hiney. Do I just have to let the blue grow out? Also she is awful stinky since she sits in that water bowl, anything to help with that? I can’t really tell if it’s b/c of the water and maybe he peeing in it, and it’s like her sitting in pee or what.

I have given her a bum bath it hasn’t help. She smells reminiscent of a skunk, it’s bad.

Advice please???

[CharleyBunn]

I would try a smaller water bowl, one that she cannot fit to set into. Just make sure to refill it often. I would just let the blue color fade out on its own. And I am not sure, but the skunky smell sounds like a male rabbit spraying- maybe lylah is a male & is marking his cage and getting into it?

[Stickerbunny]

Skunk smell is usually due to marking (which would be normal her being new) or anal glands needing cleaned out (the FAQ on care and grooming on this site has info on that). Usually it’s more with buns that entered puberty, but maybe since she had runny poos some got into her anal glands area and stuck there? I’m not sure if she’s too young for that or not… never had a baby before. :s

[BinkyBunny]

That skunky smell I usually associate with sexually maturing males around 3 months,(and they don”t have to spray to give us this skunky smell. They can put a coating on their harder poos (fecals) and they can just give off that smell when they get excited and wanting to mate— but you said this bunny is only seven weeks old, so hmmm. Are you sure of the age, and of the sex? If so, then it could be due to a diet issue,so I checked out your other posts and it looks like you are aware of it and are working on it, so I won’t repeat. But what does her bottom look like? IF it is messy, the poo and urine could cause irritation and she may have accidentally discovered that sitting in her water dish is soothing, and therefore keeps doing it. Though I am a fan of water dishes, in this situation, it may be better to have a water bottle, at least temporarily, as she needs clean water to drink. Though I wouldn’t normally think a bunny so young would need their scent glands cleaned, that is the only other place that I know if that smells “skunky”. You could at least check them– they are little pockets located on either side of the genitals. See https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/21/PID/940/Default.aspx, then scroll down to the cartoon toward the bottom regarding scent glands. However, just note, that even clean scent glands smell skunky when you open them. What you are watching for is gunk that has hardened. If has hardened, it can be uncomfortable for a bunny, and even cause infection (though rare). You can remove any waxy hardened goop with cotton swab dabbed in warm water. Be very gentle as the skin in the anal gland is very delicate.

It could also be her digestive system trying to get adjusted to the changes, and she could be leaving drops of “cecals” around. Babies do do that as they are quite messy.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

You can get a crock that connects to the side of the cage so she can’t sit on her bowl because its off the ground. That way she still gets the water she needs considering she doesn’t drink well from a bottle

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By NewBunnyOwner123 on 02/09/2013 08:42 PM

You can get a crock that connects to the side of the cage so she can’t sit on her bowl because its off the ground. That way she still gets the water she needs considering she doesn’t drink well from a bottle

That’s a good idea NewBunnyOwner.     Sadibugs, do you think your bunny would still sit in the bowl if it was was off the ground? 

[Sadibugs]

She may be a boy, I haven’t really thoroughly checked that. Is there an easy way to check?

Her smell is mainly when she was wet from sitting in the bowl, very urine smelling. I think it’s also associated with her having a little messed up system when we first brought her back home. We did end up taking the bowl out and put the bottle back in – and will just allow the bowl every now and then to make sure has her fill of water. She is finally getting dry – yay!! lol

I think getting a crock that connects to the cage is a great idea, I had thought of that so will def look for one. I think she would stay out of it.

[Sadibugs]

&on the age thing, the manager of the pet store we bought her from said he weaned them at 4 weeks and had them in the store at 5 weeks, we bought her after a week and she has been home with us a week now. So roughly 7 weeks, although I’m sure she shouldn’t have been sold that early after reading about them Makes me sad, but she is finally adjusting with us and seems to be doing better with everything.

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