Donny has red wee! :(

I had a double take as I was doing his litter tray and the wee corner was (I imagine it was red before it soaked into the newspaper) a dark orange. Poppy had a reddish wee when she was outdoors but that was because she was having strips of beetroot with her greens

He hasn't had anything that would change the colour.. :? I rang my mom at work to ring the vets at breaktime and she rang me back saying they were fully booked so the appointment is Friday, but they said if he stops eating or seems to struggle having a wee then they will try and move some 'less important' appointment so we can get in tomorrow, my mom asked if it might be the weather because the past 2 days the temperature has gone from 15 degrees in the day with a cold breeze straight to 8 degrees and a harsh cold wind the receptionist said that it could be a factor. so I don't know :? He is also having his myxi jab while we are there. At least my debit card works now!

So shall I just keep my eye on him?

Personally I think he needs to be seen as an emergency... its pretty ridiculous your vet won't see him today hon.

Keep an eye & keep plenty of fluids.

Hope he is ok xx

After pigments from food eaten, the commonest cause of red wee & no other symptoms is stress.
It indicates severe stress, which can cause other issues in bunnies, so it's important to work out what's causing it quickly, & preventing it from happening.

It's always very important for bunny to have somewhere snug & completely sheltered from cold winds, but I'd be surprised if that was the only cause.

A common cause particularly at this time of year is visits by foxes or even a cat jumping on top of the hutch. We may know they are safe, but bunnies don't think like us, & the smell & sound of a predator very close can terrify them. If He has a terror problem you'll find that sometimes his wee is normal & sometimes it's red, (after being terrified)

ETA a dark orange wee can mean your bunny hasn't drunk enough, especially if there's less than usual. Is his water bottle working properly/freezing in the night/ is he frightened by something so he doesn't to go out to drink?
Is he eating & pooping normally?

Has he eaten anything differently recently? How does he seem in himself? Red wee in itself is quite common, unless there are other symptoms such as difficulty peeing. A lot of plants contain the pigment that causes red wee, but the plants don't necessarily have to be brightly coloured themselves.

I didn't know it could be caused by stress, but the link here mentions that it can occur after the first cold snap of winter, so that may be a factor too.

He is fine in himself, has plenty of shelter, I put the carrier out in his run for him too. He is drinking well and eating normally and his poops are lovely and golden. I went out and gave him half of his food rather than just feeding him tonight and he ate that fine. Nothing different to his food, its SS pellets.

He was on the grass yesterday and the day before, and I had just moved the run so maybe it could have been something he ate there.

We don't get foxes or anything in the garden, only birds. And they are both sheltered as their hutches are in the patio.

I hope this helps. This is my own bun's absolutely normal wee from eating a lot of dandelions. It's not only a change of diet but eating more of something which can do it.



The wee in dehydration is a similar colour but usually has much more chalky sediment in it.
Wee produced by stress is literally red, so most people think that they bunny is bleeding from somewhere.

Did you just take that photo or did you already have it? :lol:

I was going to suggest dandelions as one of the likely culprits, which could tie in with the run being moved to a fresh area of the lawn.

Aly&Poppy<3 said:

He is fine in himself, has plenty of shelter, I put the carrier out in his run for him too. He is drinking well and eating normally and his poops are lovely and golden. I went out and gave him half of his food rather than just feeding him tonight and he ate that fine. Nothing different to his food, its SS pellets.

He was on the grass yesterday and the day before, and I had just moved the run so maybe it could have been something he ate there.

We don't get foxes or anything in the garden, only birds. And they are both sheltered as their hutches are in the patio.

Click to expand...

Sorry we cross posted. Hope my photo can put your mind at rest. All sounds good. No big worries.

thumps_ said:

Sorry we cross posted. Hope my photo can put your mind at rest. All sounds good. No big worries.

Click to expand...

Oh my days, it is that colour exactly, I say red because I couldn't describe it. He is a dandelion fiend! He still needs the vet for his myxi so I can still asks them

Thank you all very much for posting!

KarenM said:

Did you just take that photo or did you already have it? :lol:

I was going to suggest dandelions as one of the likely culprits, which could tie in with the run being moved to a fresh area of the lawn.

Click to expand...

I've a library of mainly poop & that one wee photo from my own bun.:lol: He's only passed truely red wee (porphorins) once after a visit to the vet. Poor fella, nothing private for him. :lol:
I thought it was easier to communicate what we mean via photos.

ETA With a "cowpile syndrome"/megacolon bun the only photo I don't have is a nice normal poop! :lol:

Good on you for being so observant glad nothing is wrong with your bun xxxxxxxx

thumps_ said:

I've a library of mainly poop & that one wee photo from my own bun.:lol: He's only passed truely red wee (porphorins) once after a visit to the vet. Poor fella, nothing private for him. :lol:
I thought it was easier to communicate what we mean via photos.

ETA With a "cowpile syndrome"/megacolon bun the only photo I don't have is a nice normal poop! :lol:

Click to expand...

:lol::lol: I agree - a photo sometimes speaks a thousand words, expecially when you're talking about red wee or bunny poo. :thumb: