My bunny stinks! Please help.

Question
Hello!  I have an approximately eight month old (presumably) female dwarf rabbit.  I have had no problems with her up until today, when she started giving off a very strong, skunky odour. Her cage is cleaned regularly and she has never smelled before at all. Her behaviour has not changed and she seems happy, but if you have any suggestions they would be very much appreciated.  Thanks so much!

Gillian Howard

Answer
There are a couple of things it could be.  One is that she has reached her sexual maturity and is emitting the aroma of an unneutered rabbit (with that smell, I am thinking you may actually have a boy).  If that's the case, getting him neutered is going to be the only way to get rid of the smell.

Option B is that the scent glands need to be cleaned.  I can't find instuctions on this, but if you flip over your rabbit and follow the instructions in http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexing.shtml you'll be able to tell if the rabbit is male or female, and the scent glands are on either side of the opening.  If there is thick brown stuff in them, you can clean it out with a Qtip dipped in mineral oil.

Kim