Possible scent gland problem.

[monalipschitz]

On Sunday night I picked up my WW and noticed that his tummy was fur was all clotted together. It looked like there was a parting down his tummy from the middle and his fur was a bit stained but he didn't seem in pain. I had no idea the scent gland was there so just asssumed it was a cut from part of his cage but after the recent post about scent glands I'm starting to worry.

He wouldn't sit still long enough for me to do much, so I removed all this hard toys/chewed leaving just cardboard tubes and kept him warm.

Monday his fur was clean, there was just a small line down his tummy like he'd been zipped up and by Tuesday there was no sign of anything. Swinging from the bars as usual.:roll:

When I cleaned him out I noticed his upper level was really sticky. I'd seen bit of sticky stuff there before so just put it down to me having given him some apple and pear during the past week and today I noticed it's back again.

What do you think happened on Sunday evening? Is it something I should worry about or something I should do? Is the stickiness related to the tummy incident? I'm starting to get really worried now I know about the gland.

[souffle]

I do not think you need to worry as long as there is no swelling, redness or discharge. They seem to exude different amounts of scent at different times. I have seen many dwarfs judged with various degrees of scent and sticky fur most of which is normal. Sometimes there is some staining of the fur too. The stickiness is likely wee. Dwarfs wee everywhere especially on their wheels :roll:

[monalipschitz]

Thanks so much, that's a relief. It was back again tonight, I could see something (which I guess must be the gland) but I couldn't see any redness or feel a swelling and he's certainly not being restricted by it. He's about 4 months old, I was wondering if it was a "teenage" thing.

[souffle]

Probably his hormones are kicking in full pelt now. Ours did and you start to see the testicles whivh we never saw bafore in the males.