Please help!! (Smelly rabbit)

[TheSketchyBunnies]

My rabbit Lucina got spayed on the 4th of this month and she smells really bad. The incision looks fine. Normally she lives in my room in a spacious cage and I don’t have problems with any smell of any kind coming from her. (Unless I don’t clean her litter box for a few days...) My Dad & I are redoing my room & it is going to take a week or so. So we moved my rabbit’s cage into my parents room (yesterday) and I promised she wouldn’t smell bad at all, but she got spayed on the 4th and she has started to smell bad ever since. I called the vet and she said it could just be the meds she got or it could be something with her skin or something. It is pretty strong and I don’t know what to do. I clean the cage everyday but it still smells. I had to get her litter box & water bowl and put her in her carrier for now (in another room) because it is so bad. Has anyone else had this happen before? Any advice?

Thanks so much! -Kaylor

 

[hasek39]

Can you describe the smell, and just to clarify, it's her and not her pen?

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Yep. It’s only her. (But it could be her urine... Not sure) I don’t know how to describe the smell, but it is very strong and it makes my mother nauseous.

 

[Niomi]

Cecotropes can smell really bad. Are you sure it isn't her poop?

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Yes, I’m sure. Before her spay she would eat her cecotropes all the time and the smell never bothered me. Thank you for your help @Niomi & @hasek39!

 

[hasek39]

Yep. It’s only her. (But it could be her urine... Not sure) I don’t know how to describe the smell, but it is very strong and it makes my mother nauseous.

If it's her urine, maybe try switching litter to one that doesn't absorb odor as well. That may give you an indication if it's her urine.

Just giving some thoughts here, if it is her urine, why would she be all stinky. From what you described I'm sure this won't be pleasant, however when you sniff on her is the stank more pronounced toward her back end?

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

I called the vet and they are going to do a quick check up on Monday and see if everything is alright.

 

[Preitler]

Right, have her checked - bad smelling urine could hint at a urinary tract infection.

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

I tried smelling her back side and I smelled the odor although it wasn’t very pungent. Next I tried taking her litter box in the other room and tried smelling it. I didn’t really smell anything. But I had been smelling the odor for a few minutes before hand so I can’t be sure. Also when I picked her up and took a look at her incision (which looked fine) I noticed she had quite a large bald spot on the side of her left foot. I had never noticed this before. I decided to look around all of her body carefully to see if I could spot anything else of the sort. I only noticed two little bald spots on the tip of her heel on each back hock. Here are some pictures: (By the way she has pretty large feet for a rabbit so the marks are bigger then you might think.)

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

(I will 100% have the vet take a look at her feet on Monday!)

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I tried smelling her back side and I smelled the odor although it wasn’t very pungent. Next I tried taking her litter box in the other room and tried smelling it. I didn’t really smell anything. But I had been smelling the odor for a few minutes before hand so I can’t be sure. Also when I picked her up and took a look at her incision (which looked fine) I noticed she had quite a large bald spot on the side of her left foot. I had never noticed this before. I decided to look around all of her body carefully to see if I could spot anything else of the sort. I only noticed two little bald spots on the tip of her heel on each back hock. Here are some pictures: (By the way she has pretty large feet for a rabbit so the marks are bigger then you might think.) View attachment 47519View attachment 47520View attachment 47521

Could it be her scent glands?

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Could it be her scent glands?

I don’t know. It is just weird if it was and showed up all the sudden..

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I don’t know. It is just weird if it was and showed up all the sudden..

Yeah, just take her to a vet in case

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Do you guys think the bald spot on her back foot is from the IV and she stated to chew it?

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

The bald spots on the back on the feet are quite normal, a lot of bunnies get them. As long as it doesn’t split open or get infected they should be okay. I’m not sure if it’s because of the IV

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Thank you @Apollo’s Slave! (By the way I like your new profile picture!)

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

Thank you @Apollo’s Slave! (By the way I like your new profile picture!)

thank you

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Update! I took her to the vet and had them look at both her incision from her spay and her foot. Basically they said that her incision looked fine and her foot was making the bad smell and it was an open wound. They gave me medication to give to her twice daily.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

Update! I took her to the vet and had them look at both her incision from her spay and her foot. Basically they said that her incision looked fine and her foot was making the bad smell and it was an open wound. They gave me medication to give to her twice daily.

Ah okay. I’m glad she’s getting treated

 

[TheSketchyBunnies]

Me too!