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Question
I have a holland lop doe that is just over 3 months.  I watch her hop, and today I noticed that her "unit" was pinker than normal.  So I flipped her over and noticed that the section between her two holes was very pink and mm juicy? It was definately secreting something not overly.. her fur wasn't wet or anything. I've flipped her over many times.. and never noticed anything like that. Whats happening? Is she reaching sexual maturity or could it be a health issue? or just normal?

Answer
Dear Raeanne,

It's possible that your bunny is starting to reach sexual maturity, since smaller breeds do this at a younger age.  If the area actually looks *inflamed*, then it would be wise to get her to a good rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for a complete checkup, since a urinary tract infection can cause the areas around the vulva to become swollen and painful.  But if everything looks normal, except a bit more pink and voluptuous, she may be reaching That Age.

Expect her behavior to undergo some changes.  She may start to mark things with urine, become destructive as she starts to crave digging and nesting, and she may even become grumpy as the hormones kick in and she undergoes false pregnancies.

Fortunately, all these things will stop once she is spayed, but it's wise to wait until she's at least six months old (if not eight to 12), since estrogen is important for normal formation of her skeleton.  I like to give females as much time as possible before spaying, though I would never wait more than a year.

Unspayed, unbred female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine cancer, and it's better for their overall health to be spayed once they reach a reasonable age.  Please consult with the rabbit vet about this, and make plans for the future.  

In the meantime, give her lots of love, and be understanding if she gets grouchy and moody.  She's a teenager now!  It will pass.  :)

Take care,

Dana