The content issue that most often worries rabbit owners is pungent urine. It is really quite strong and can spread not only around the animal enclosure, but throughout the apartment. Often, people refuse to establish a small pet precisely because they are afraid of such a problem.
In fact, getting rid of the smell is not so difficult, and first you need to identify its cause.
Dirty aviary
Daily cleaning of the house of your rabbit will allow you to almost completely get rid of the smell. Do not forget about wet cleaning, and if the aroma is persistent, use vinegar. Thoroughly rinse all detergents after washing, as the chemistry is dangerous for the rabbit.
By the way, the lack of cleaning and airing is a direct way to the appearance of dangerous diseases in the rabbit. In particular, such a widespread problem as conjunctivitis can be the result of eye irritation with the smell of ammonia. You need to clean the aviary not only for your convenience, but also for the good of your pet!
Almost like a cat
Contrary to all the misconceptions, rabbits are smart animals, they know how to use a tray no worse than cats. If you don’t want a fluffy pet to smell of urine from the enclosure, put several trays with special filling (it is available in most Russian pet stores, but cat-like wood will do). Place the toilets in the corners of the rabbit's habitat - in a few days the smell will be minimal.
Since rabbits tend to eat granules of filler, make sure that the animal does not do this - this behavior is dangerous!
Alarm sign
If the rabbit's urine suddenly began to exude a strong smell and changed its color, do not delay the trip to the veterinarian. Such symptoms may indicate a serious kidney disease.
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Causes of bad smell from a decorative rabbit
Rabbits are clean animals, they constantly lick their hair and wash their feet. Despite this, the smell of the pet can still be felt, but it is one thing when it is barely noticeable and does not cause disgust, and another when saturated and terrible. It is important to understand that a healthy and well-groomed animal does not stink, but smells like food or bedding. If an animal stinks, there are several explanations:
- Disease. If the rabbit is sick, his bowel movements - urine and feces contain many toxins, which becomes the cause of a saturated unpleasant odor.
- Bowel disorder. With diarrhea in rabbits, hair is dirty in the anus.
- Puberty. When males begin the “transitional age", they mark the territory, highlighting a special secret. It is found in skin secretions, urine and feces.
- Poor pet care. Irregular cleaning of excrement, stale litter leads to contamination of the animal's hair. His paw fur turns yellow, and he stinks of urine.
- The remains of food buried in the litter decompose and rot.
Attention! If you feel a putrid odor coming from the pet itself, check its ears inside. With purulent otitis media or infection with ticks from the ears, it stinks.
Cleaning the cage and inventory
Litter needs to be changed every few days. The bowel movements are cleaned daily. Sex in the cell must be disinfected at least once every 2 weeks, because a plaque is formed on it, in which bacteria multiply.
Attention! Lack of disinfection in the cell harms the health of the pet.
The tray needs to be washed periodically. To do this, pour out the filler, and wash the container with hot water with the addition of:
- baby detergent, as it does not cause allergies,
- potassium permanganate solution (1-2%),
- vinegar.
With the same means, they wash the floor in the pet's dwelling. The drinker and feeder also need to be disinfected, but only with boiling water.
Bathing pet
Rabbits can not be bathed. This is done in extreme cases, if the animal is very dirty. For example, if the rabbit has diarrhea, then you have to wash it. It is not necessary to completely wet the pet. It is enough to wash dirty parts of the body.
You cannot bathe rabbits
If all the rabbit's hair has turned yellow and stinks of urine, then bathing is indispensable. For water procedures you will need:
- a basin of warm water
- baby soap or hypoallergenic shampoo for rabbits,
- some towels.
Attention! You can bathe a rabbit only with closed windows in a warm room. It is better to enlist the help of an assistant so that he holds the pet in the pelvis.
The animal is seated in a basin, quickly soaked in contaminated wool, then lather with careful movements. The rabbit's ears cannot be wetted. Wash off the shampoo thoroughly several times. After the procedure, the pet is wrapped in a towel. When it gets wet, take another. It is advisable not to let the animal go until it is completely dry.
If the owner of the rabbits is not going to breed them, then at the age of 4 months, when puberty begins, animals need to be neutered. It is harmless and even healthy. Sterilized rabbits live several years longer.
Castrated rabbit won't smell bad
This procedure will help get rid of the unpleasant odor of the secret secreted by the males when they mark the territory. Animals will no longer scatter droppings and spray urine, polluting wallpaper and carpets. To rabbits, sterilization helps to become calm and balanced.
If the decorative rabbit stinks, it is worthwhile to frequent cleaning in his home, and wash the pet. In most cases, the cause of the unpleasant odor lies precisely in unsanitary conditions. If this does not solve the problem, it may be time to castrate the animal.
Why dwarf rabbits stink
It is believed that decorative rabbits smell bad, so it is not recommended to start them in a residential building or apartment.
In practice, rabbits stink with poor hygiene. If the animal cannot cope on its own and cannot completely lick the entire body, discharge from the lymph nodes accumulates in the groin. To prevent a pungent odor, this part of the body is treated with a cotton swab dipped in vegetable oil.
The unpleasant odor from a decorative rabbit appears with improper care of its cage, a rare change of hay or other material in which it lives. You need to change not only the part where the toilet is organized, but the entire filler. Wool may be soaked in rotten, rotten grass and food.
Animals emit stench during illness. The most common ones are:
Any inflammation will negatively affect behavior, appearance and smell. Age-related individuals often suffer from urinary incontinence. A putrid odor can come from the auricles with otitis media.
Males mark their territory with a special secret, which is located in the stool, skin secretions. This process occurs during puberty, it is laid down by nature and it will not be possible to avoid it. At 4 months, the male can be neutered.
How to get rid of the smell
In order to eliminate the problem, it is necessary to undergo a veterinarian examination and ensure proper care for the pet. The litter changes every 2-3 days, the stool is cleaned every day. Once every two weeks, the cell is completely disinfected with a solution of water, soap, potassium permanganate and vinegar. The animal can only be washed in case of severe contamination.
Rabbits stink: myth or reality?
Rabbits are clean animals, but, like all living things, they have a certain smell. The question is no longer in the presence of a smell, but in what it will be: acceptable or unpleasant. In any case, the presence of an unpleasant odor is most often associated with poor care or a pet's disease. Young rabbits are almost odorless and, if properly maintained, will smell like litter or food. But the feces of adult animals stink stronger.
Possible causes of bad smell
The intensity with which odors are released in decorative rabbits depends on:
- conditions of detention
- age
- breeds
- sizes
- gender
- quality of feeding.
Bad smell can occur with:
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, disorders,
- cystitis, any inflammation,
- poor care
- puberty.
It is important to know that in males, in addition to the natural smell, a special secret is distinguished with the help of which they mark the territory. They also scatter feces around the cage and the entire accessible area, spray corners with urine, and gnaw at the wallpaper. Naturally, bowel movements have a specific smell, especially in hot weather. The cause of the pungent smell can also be food, which the rabbit sometimes buries in the litter. It eventually rots and becomes a source of stink.
Ways to combat odor
To avoid the appearance of a bad smell in the cage, it is enough to regularly clean it, do disinfection, change the litter and filler for the toilet. The hay backing is ideal for eared pets; it can also be used for littering sawdust, wood shavings or cat litter. You can’t make newspapers for rabbits, as printing ink is harmful to their health. If an upset stomach has become the cause of the unpleasant odor, then you naturally need to cure the animal and remove it in the cage.
It is important to choose the right litter. It should absorb impurities, clean easily and be safe for the rabbit.
The frequency of cleaning depends on the area of the cage and the time of year. A large cell can be cleaned less frequently. In hot weather, you have to clean more often, since in the heat various microorganisms and bacteria develop faster. The decomposition process is faster, which entails the appearance of an unpleasant odor.
When cleaning, you can not use chemicals that are used for ordinary cleaning of the apartment, since they negatively affect the health of the eared. The cell can be disinfected with potassium permanganate or vinegar. You can dry the cage near the battery, and preferably in the sun. It is advisable to wash the cage once a day, and change the tray at least in the morning and in the evening, and more often.
After prolonged use, a brown or whitish coating may appear at the bottom of the cell. It should be disposed of, as bacteria that cause an unpleasant odor settle in it. You can get rid of plaque with citric or acetic acid. For this, acid is applied to the bottom and washed off after 30 minutes. Then clean off the residue and rinse the pan. If the procedure is carried out frequently, the bottom is cleaned quickly.
The smell is also affected by the feed given to the animals. If decorative rabbits eat a lot of green juicy food and receive a large amount of water, then the stool is not so smelly. Caring for rabbits will be easier if you train them to the tray, like a cat. For this it is necessary to make some efforts, but the result will certainly be. Begin to accustom to the toilet should be at an early age.
In addition to regular cleaning, you can occasionally bathe a decorative rabbit.
It is impossible to avoid the smell during puberty, the only way is to sterilize the animal. But this can be done on the condition that breeding of rabbits will not be planned in the future. If decorative rabbits are poorly caring for themselves, they may accumulate secretions in the inguinal areas. You can clean the glands with a cotton swab dipped in vegetable oil.
In rabbit old age, urinary incontinence is possible, which, naturally, affects the appearance of an unpleasant odor. In this case, you need to stock up on special diapers and constantly change them. If the urine of the animal suddenly began to exude a sharp unpleasant "aroma", you should contact your veterinarian, as the cause may be kidney disease.
