Changes in olfaction are emerging as early warning signs of several major neurological diseases. Neurological diseases are also associated with aberrant brain rhythms. Olfactory sensory neurons (OSN) deliver input from the nasal epithelium (NE) to the olfactory bulb (OB) and are key drivers of rhythmicity. Here, we examine the role of sensory input arising from the NE in the generation of electrophysiological rhythms in the OB. Rats were implanted with electrodes in the OB and post-surgery gadolinium/saline was infused bilaterally to both nares. Olfactory function was assessed using the hidden cookie test accompanied by local field potential recordings at the end of each session. Olfactory marker protein (OMP) immunohistochemistry was used to stain for OSN at different time points. Gadolinium infusion increased the time taken to find the hidden cookie compared to control rats, an effect that lasted around 10 days. Analyses of OB LFPs, during waking, revealed reduced amplitude of both respiration rhythm (1-10 Hz) and gamma oscillations (40-80 Hz) in gadolinium-infused rats compared to saline-infused rats. In all rats, hidden cookie test performance and changes in nasal respiration rhythm correlated positively. Although wake-related OB LFPs were affected by gadolinium, during slow-wave sleep large amplitude classical slow-waves were present. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed gadolinium infusion was associated with weaker OMP staining in the NE. Given that the OB can orchestrate brain-wide rhythms, we speculate that early deficits in olfactory function may contribute, at least in part, to changes in brain rhythms reported in neurological diseases.