Stinky bunny....how long after neuter? Pics added!

[microbovine]

We have a young male house rabbit that has just passed from cute, baby bun-bun into big, mature, stinky rabbit. He is on cage arrest until his neuter.

I will follow the standard protocol for discussing cute things and post a picture next. He is an otter-colored mini mutt bunny with a few white markings.

Our sweet innocent child named him Francis, after the Pope, but hubby and I keep snickering privately about that old Bill Murray movie “Stripes”. We call him Psycho.

Anyway, Psycho/Don’t call me Francis was coming along nicely as far as daily romps around the house, but that is all over until he gets the snip. He never actually sprayed during his outings, but he has been rubbing his cheeks on things for about a month. He has never left any poop or pee during his outings either.

How long after neutering is it safe to allow male bunnies out to play in the house? He has a nice cage, but he needs to run and jump. He is not happy being locked up all day.

[TankDiveGirl]

How old is he?

Generally the longer they’ve had dropped nards, the longer it takes for the testosterone to leave the system, and the longer they will stink.

Generally though, if it’s a young bun, it takes 30-90 days.

[microbovine]

[QUOTE=TankDiveGirl;8737381]
How old is he?

Generally the longer they’ve had dropped nards, the longer it takes for the testosterone to leave the system, and the longer they will stink.

Generally though, if it’s a young bun, it takes 30-90 days. :)[/QUOTE]

He is about 4 months old.

[sublimequine]

I lived in a studio apartment with an intact male bunny for over a year. He wasn’t neutered until he was 3 or 4. The smell was minimal. Is your buns cage kept very clean? How often do you clean his litterbox?

Can you give him a play pen or even a bathroom to run in until the snip? Try to make some compromise and get him out of cage time to keep him happy?

[microbovine]

We clean regularly, but he definitely smells stronger now. It’s different than it was a month ago. Consensus from the vet’s office is that they do get stinky at around 4-5 months of age.

[microbovine]

Here is an article describing male rabbit behavior.

http://www.therabbithouse.com/behaviour/problem-litter-training.asp

I actually found another site that says it takes between two weeks to two months for the hormones to settle down. Since we’re neutering him younger, his hormones should fade faster.

Has anyone been through a bunny neuter? I had one fixed when I was a kid, but I don’t remember how it was afterwards.

No playpen available (plus it wouldn’t prevent spraying). The slippery bathtub would just make him panic. The outdoor pen is way too hot this time of year, so he’ll have to just deal. I might try him on a leash before sunset, if it cools off a little down here. Can’t do the morning because the wet dew isn’t good apparently. I wish it was different, but he gets out more than most bunnies and this is a brief period, overall.

[microbovine]

No decent pictures of him yet. I’ll try again tomorrow.

[microbovine]

P![](ctures!

Here’s an old one. I was wrong. He is closer to six months old.

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/lonesomepinefarm/IMG_3089_zps0btfa3y5.jpg)

From yesterday. We use aspen shavings and Carealot shredded brown cardboard looking stuff for his litter box (that he digs out, as you can see). It isn’t very effective at odor control, but it’s non-toxic.

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/lonesomepinefarm/IMG_4651_zpskjv7tqsp.jpg)

[S1969]

[QUOTE=microbovine;8737612]
No playpen available (plus it wouldn’t prevent spraying). The slippery bathtub would just make him panic. The outdoor pen is way too hot this time of year, so he’ll have to just deal. I might try him on a leash before sunset, if it cools off a little down here. Can’t do the morning because the wet dew isn’t good apparently. I wish it was different, but he gets out more than most bunnies and this is a brief period, overall.[/QUOTE]

Isn’t there some way you can set up a playpen in an area that can be cleaned? Seems like it will be a long few months for the poor guy.

[microbovine]

[QUOTE=S1969;8737892]
Isn’t there some way you can set up a playpen in an area that can be cleaned? Seems like it will be a long few months for the poor guy.[/QUOTE]

Months? Oh no, it sounds more like two weeks. I’ll ask the vet. His appointment is next week.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=microbovine;8737935]
Months? Oh no, it sounds more like two weeks. I’ll ask the vet. His appointment is next week.[/QUOTE]

Oh, never mind. I thought I read 4 months. Not enough coffee…sorry!

[microbovine]

No worries. I’m sure Francis appreciates you watching out for him.

[itgoeson]

Let him play outside in a portable (foldable) dog pen… they’re inexpensive at discount stores and really handy. You can hang around nearby working or reading… easier than actively walking him on a leash.

[EKLay]

Rabbits also have scent glands in the nether regions that will reek to high heaven if not cleaned regularly. They will also build up crusty gunk that is very uncomfortable for them - we always check our two monthly, and clean as needed along with a nail trim.

Have you ever cleaned his scent glands out? I was shocked when I first learned about it - it is the nastiest, most foul stench I’ve ever experienced. Worse than my dog getting skunked, worse than cat pee, just ugh.

They have one scent pocket on either side of the genital mound area - while supporting the rabbit, you can open the sides of the pocket and see if they need to be cleaned out. I always do it with gloves, as the smell will linger on your skin for quite awhile otherwise. Fairly easy to gently clean the pockets with warm water and a soft cotton ball/swab, then I put some plain aloe vera on the skin just to make sure it’s not irritated. I have an aloe plant that I use - if you were to use aloe from the store, make sure it’s just aloe and doesn’t have any alcohol or menthol in it that might irritate them.

[pony_powered]

I don’t have any advice since I have a cat, but just wanted to wish not-Francis good luck. He’s a really cute little bun - hope he can get out of jail soon!

Just a thought, can you put him outside in the early morning when it’s not so hot, just so he can get some exercise (in the dog pen that somebody mentioned). It’s hot as heck here, but before 8am it’s pretty tolerable for a while.

[microbovine]

[QUOTE=EKLay;8738232]
Rabbits also have scent glands in the nether regions that will reek to high heaven if not cleaned regularly. They will also build up crusty gunk that is very uncomfortable for them - we always check our two monthly, and clean as needed along with a nail trim.

Have you ever cleaned his scent glands out? I was shocked when I first learned about it - it is the nastiest, most foul stench I’ve ever experienced. Worse than my dog getting skunked, worse than cat pee, just ugh.

They have one scent pocket on either side of the genital mound area - while supporting the rabbit, you can open the sides of the pocket and see if they need to be cleaned out. I always do it with gloves, as the smell will linger on your skin for quite awhile otherwise. Fairly easy to gently clean the pockets with warm water and a soft cotton ball/swab, then I put some plain aloe vera on the skin just to make sure it’s not irritated. I have an aloe plant that I use - if you were to use aloe from the store, make sure it’s just aloe and doesn’t have any alcohol or menthol in it that might irritate them.[/QUOTE]

Wow. Thank you. That was more than I wanted to know about bunnies. I will ask the vet about that.

[microbovine]

The little stinker has his appointment Thursday. No food after midnight Wednesday. Rabbits are difficult to sedate, so I’m a little worried about him.

[sublimequine]

You should NOT fast a rabbit prior to anesthesia. Their gut can slow down under sedation so it’s very important to keep them eating right before and right after the procedure.

Rabbits cannot vomit so fasting has no purpose with them and can in fact be harmful. Google “rabbit fasting surgery”. You’ll see plenty of articles explaining why it is avoided.

Good luck to your guy! I’ve been through rabbit neutered and spays. Make sure vet gives injection of pain Meds and sends you home with pain Meds. My male bunny was back to normal within a week but the pain Meds were crucial.

[microbovine]

Thank you, sublime equine. It was the front desk person that told me to fast him. I will double-check that with the vet tech.

[sublimequine]

The front desk at my vet makes the same mistake. I’m sure the tech or the vet will be able to give you sound advice.