chopsticks
New Kit
Sorry for legnth but if you can help, please read. I've tried to provide as much info as possible.
We have two adopted/rescued house rabbits in Vietnam. The Viet Vet is lovely but rabbits are not something he knows much about so if there is anyone out there who can help me through this I would be much obliged.
The first rabbit Matilda was always clean and mostly house trained. Now she is getting more and more yellow by the day (on face cheeks, back and especially bum and feet) and is consistently weeing out of her litter tray. She seems healthy other than the fact she is obviously not cleaning herself. Often when we pick her up she has a wet bum, it seems shes sitting in her wee.
I have had the vet over, he cut away a lot of matted, urine stained hair from her rear and then gave her a wash in warm water. He checked her skin and said there was no infection. I suggestion Urinary incontinence but he said if she is eating and not straining the go then she is ok. (she is eating, I haven't seen straining but have been away for a month so not enough time to say she's not fir sure).
1: - Could anyone advise me medically about possible causes of this and how to identify/treat the problem
2:- any suggestions on behaviour or housing related causes? I can provide the following info which may help deduction
Behaviour
This seems to have started roughly a little while after we adopted a second rabbit Maybel, despite concerted efforts we are unable to bond them, they are un neutered at the moment, they live side by side in separate cages but bonding, though promising at times, always fails. (right now they can spend around half an hour in a large area with lots of greens and then there is a scuffle, sometimes quite serious.)
The Vet has done many cats and dogs but never a rabbit, he says he is wiling to research and try. He seems confident. Could the weeing be due to the other rabbit? is it worth the risk of neutering to increase chances of bonding?
Housing
She lives in a two floor cage I built. her litter tray is on the bottom floor, it doesn't have high sides and her aim isn't great, could it simply be that she is healthy but lying in her wee accidentally?
PS - if the two bonded I could give them more space and therefore decrease the chances of her lying in a dirty area.
Thank you for any time and help.
Mark
PS - I have heavily edited this post so the two answers don't quite follow now.
We have two adopted/rescued house rabbits in Vietnam. The Viet Vet is lovely but rabbits are not something he knows much about so if there is anyone out there who can help me through this I would be much obliged.
The first rabbit Matilda was always clean and mostly house trained. Now she is getting more and more yellow by the day (on face cheeks, back and especially bum and feet) and is consistently weeing out of her litter tray. She seems healthy other than the fact she is obviously not cleaning herself. Often when we pick her up she has a wet bum, it seems shes sitting in her wee.
I have had the vet over, he cut away a lot of matted, urine stained hair from her rear and then gave her a wash in warm water. He checked her skin and said there was no infection. I suggestion Urinary incontinence but he said if she is eating and not straining the go then she is ok. (she is eating, I haven't seen straining but have been away for a month so not enough time to say she's not fir sure).
1: - Could anyone advise me medically about possible causes of this and how to identify/treat the problem
2:- any suggestions on behaviour or housing related causes? I can provide the following info which may help deduction
Behaviour
This seems to have started roughly a little while after we adopted a second rabbit Maybel, despite concerted efforts we are unable to bond them, they are un neutered at the moment, they live side by side in separate cages but bonding, though promising at times, always fails. (right now they can spend around half an hour in a large area with lots of greens and then there is a scuffle, sometimes quite serious.)
The Vet has done many cats and dogs but never a rabbit, he says he is wiling to research and try. He seems confident. Could the weeing be due to the other rabbit? is it worth the risk of neutering to increase chances of bonding?
Housing
She lives in a two floor cage I built. her litter tray is on the bottom floor, it doesn't have high sides and her aim isn't great, could it simply be that she is healthy but lying in her wee accidentally?
PS - if the two bonded I could give them more space and therefore decrease the chances of her lying in a dirty area.
Thank you for any time and help.
Mark
PS - I have heavily edited this post so the two answers don't quite follow now.
Last edited: