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Excessive Drinking/Urination U/D Probably EC.. :(

S

Sooz

Wise Old Thumper
I have a couple of rabbits at the moment who drink way more than I would expect an average rabbit too.

Is it in anyway normal to drink one 600ml bottle everyday and for the litter tray to be sodden everyday too?

I kep thinking along the lines of renal/liver problems...one of the rabbits concerned is Gypsy, the bunny who had episodes of FRS which we linked to Vitamin E deficiency (she still has not relapsed :) ). But is there anything else which may cause this, I dont think it weather related.
 
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diabetes, not sure if bunnies can get this but i have had two diabetic cats. the diabetes is happily controlled with insulin, oliver lived to 18 and molly is happy and healthy at 5 (albeit living with my ex!) i guess only a vet will know. i hope you find out and that it is nothing serious.
 
I dont think they can.....just having a look now.

They cant get Cushings disease can they?

Yes they can get diabetes but apparently they cannot have insulin injections as they dont respond well to them :? looks like more blood tests then....
 
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Edited my post while you were researching ;) and thats excactly what i just read....However.....i find it odd that that is the only reference to it :?
 
Sooz22 said:
Edited my post while you were researching ;) and thats excactly what i just read....However.....i find it odd that that is the only reference to it :?
Click to expand...

;) before going for bloods i would collect some of the wee soaked litter and take it to the vet, they can test blood sugar levels from that also.
 
I want her bloods done anyway to see if she has antibodies for EC, so its easier to combine the 2.
 
Sooz22 said:
Edited my post while you were researching ;) and thats excactly what i just read....However.....i find it odd that that is the only reference to it :?
Click to expand...


ps yes i know, however i didn't look too far as it seemed a lot of entries were about reactions on rabbits in clinical trials....do not want to read about that today.:cry:

anyway, best of luck, let me know how you get on
 
Sounds daft, but has the hay you've had recently been particularly dusty? Jen and Frankie used to drink an awful lot, but it reduced drastically when I moved them onto the dust free stuff :D
 
Julia123 said:
;) before going for bloods i would collect some of the wee soaked litter and take it to the vet, they can test blood sugar levels from that also.
Click to expand...


Blood sugar levels can be assessed by taking blood and these would show the amount of glucose in the blood.

Wee soaked litter will only confirm if there is glucose in the urine, a positive result could indicate diabetes, or kidney disease where glucose leaks into the urine even when blood glucose levels are normal.

I know in guinea pigs there has been evidence of false positives of glucose in tthe urine in pigs that are fed highly coloured mix.
 
Yes because it causes leasions on the liver which in turn lead to liver failure.

Gypsy has had a 28 day course and am following this up with a 9 day starting Tuesday, this was incase her 'episodes' were EC related neurological damage....although this is thought to be unlikely.

I am most likely going to have tests run on her liver/kidney function as a disscussion i had earlier has led me to believe diabetes is not the most likely cause (too drunk to explain it now).

Also can Pasturella cause rabbits to start to drink more? Paige, our second concern has just had her snuffles start up again but hers could be that she likes the aniseed flavour of the Trimethoprim in her water so is consuming more due to that.
 
Some Rabbits display 'psychological polydipsia' ie they drink for something to do!!

I have never encountered excess drinking as the initial/only symptom of EC. And EC related polyuria (excess weeing) is more often leaking of wee due to the neurological damage (meaning bun losses bladder control) than controlled weeing in vast quantities.

Diabetes Insipidus is a possibility aswell as DM. DM cannot be confirmed by just one blood test, several are needed at specific times of the day. A raised glucose level will be present in a Bun who is stressed. A Bun having bloods taken is likely to be stressed ........

Some medications can lead to polydipsia and so if the 2 Buns you are concerned about only started to drink more once on Trimethoprim that could account for it.

Various GI problems can cause excess drinking as can 'sludgey wee' and cystitis

Liver disease and renal failure are another possibility, significant weightloss usually accompanies these.

Any Bun with a sore mouth may drink a lot so Dental problems are yet another possibility.

Pasteurella alone is unlikely to cause Polydipsia as far as I know.

Crikey Buns are complicated!!

Janex
 
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I agree with Jane :D

There's not a lot you can do unless other symptoms are present.

Obviously blood tests can tell you a certain amount, but then you'd have to weigh up whether to treat with drugs, because the drugs could have side effects, which could actually cause her to be ill. It's a tough call :(

As you say, she might just like the taste of the trimethoprim in the water. I used to have a bun who loved the taste of probiotics in water, and would just drink and drink until it was gone :shock:

My Crunchie drinks huge amounts of water, and her pee is really diluted, but she seems healthy and has put on weight since I got her, so I decided not to have tests done.

Amy
 
Im popping Gypsy to the vets tonight for some tests. Can we have some 'no liver/kidney problems' vibes please :)
 
Sooz22,
My Maddie is just like your bun. She drinks anywhere from 500-700mls a day but then sometimes drinks "normal" amounts too. We've had her fully checked over and shes not got EC, no infections, kidneys work fine, urine pH is right..... she just drinks alot!

She is very hyperactive, is a bit of a stress bunny and will overgroom if stressed, so I think its just her character - and drinking gives her something to focus her energy on!

As long as things have been checked over, then you've just got to deal with all that soaked litter!!!

Let us know how the results of her tests come back.
 
Well Anita has EC down as culprit number one so we are restarting another course of Panacur....this time for 6 weeks.

I need to get a urine sample to the vets so they can check liver/kidney function. She also showed discomfort when pressure was put onto this area so she is on Baytril for 7 days to see if its an infection.

She is underweight and needs to gain 0.5 kilo so she now has 3 meals a day.

Basically if she is in renal failure then Anita puts her life expectancy at about 1year which means she will be staying permenantly....so her whole future literally depends on these results :?
 
I forgot to say that Anita said rabbits cannot get diabetes as they do not utilise Glucose in the same way as humans and some other animals.....this is the reason they have adverse reactions to insulin.
 
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