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Rabbit with urine problems!

E

emilyarc

Warren Scout
Hi,
My rabbit has had urine problems ever since I had him - the vet treated him with panacur for 6 weeks and it cleared it up. He is now about 7 years old and is back end has been getting worse again. Seen by vet and we tried panacur again however this time it is not working. The vet saw him at my house today and expressed his bladder - some got on my jean and was thick and gritty and sandy but no stones that the vet could feel. The urine dried quickly and i could just dust of the urine from my trousers as it came of like powder!

Anyone else experienced this or have any advice? We have clipped and shaved him back end and given him a aloe vera bath to keep his bottom as clean as possible but as the urine is so gritty its just soaking into his fur poor boy.

Many thanks
 
Worthwhile having bloods done to test for an infection of some sort, or even for kidney function? Could it be a UTI?

Does he have a high calcium diet at all?
 
Vet has seen urine and does not think its a UTI.
His diet is timothy western hay and in litter trays etc normal hay from bale then every other day allen and page pellets. Then has veggies sometimes.
 
It sounds as though he has bladder sludge. This can occur in elderly Rabbits who become less mobile. Did the Vet suggest any other treatment such as a bladder wash out (under GA), antibiotics (secondary bacterial infection is common with chronic 'bladder sludge')

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/generalities/Sludge.htm

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

Did the Vet give you any advice re dietary modification to reduce the amount of calcium fed ?

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/calcium.html
 
Hi,

yep - we think we are going to try catherise and flush out bladder to see if it helps! She said to avoid alphfa hay and to feed lots of greens (obviously not over the top!)

Should i put sudocream on his bottom to create a barrier so it does not get sore?
 
emilyarc said:
Hi,

yep - we think we are going to try catherise and flush out bladder to see if it helps! She said to avoid alphfa hay and to feed lots of greens (obviously not over the top!)

Should i put sudocream on his bottom to create a barrier so it does not get sore?
Click to expand...

You can do, but the skin needs to be perfectly clean and dry before you apply the cream.

Using towels for bedding may help too, the towels can be changed throughout each day to minimise the amount of wee he sits in.


Is he drinking a lot ?
 
emilyarc said:
Hi,

yep - we think we are going to try catherise and flush out bladder to see if it helps! She said to avoid alphfa hay and to feed lots of greens (obviously not over the top!)

Should i put sudocream on his bottom to create a barrier so it does not get sore?
Click to expand...

I'd say the complete opposite actually :oops: Lots of greens are high in calcium, so it'd be best to avoid many of them.

What greens do you feed?

Does he drink an awful lot at all?
 
He does not seem to be drinking excessively. vet advised cabbage leaves and broccoli leaves to increase water intake. Thanks for advice - will definately take him in next week for GA & flush of bladder as reading the article Jane send definately sounds and looks like that.
 
emilyarc said:
He does not seem to be drinking excessively. vet advised cabbage leaves and broccoli leaves to increase water intake. Thanks for advice - will definately take him in next week for GA & flush of bladder as reading the article Jane send definately sounds and looks like that.
Click to expand...

Maybe this may help with keeping an eye on low calcium/high calcium greens :wave:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/calcium.html Broccolli is somewhere in the middle
 
One of mine had bladder sludge a few years ago and we tend to stick to spring greens mainly and they have Oxbow Bunny Basics T which is lower in calcium than other foods and *touches wood* we have not had any more incidents.

We also give them water out of a bowl. If you add a dash of boiling to make it lukewarm they tend to drink more too which helps keep them hydrated.

Hope he is feeling better soon.
 
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