Urinary tract infection

Hello. I hope someone can help. My almost 4 years old lionhead rabbit Lucy isn't feeling well today. She started feeling bad about 11h in the morning. Since that time she didn't eat much and pooed just 3 normal looking poos. Also she isn't peeing well, usually just dribbling, but she drinks her water if I put her drinking bottle close to her mouth. She is hunched up in her cage and laying on her tummy. Not interested in her food at all.

She had something like that about a month ago, we been to vets then and had some antibiotics and pain relief. I think her problem is reoccuring again. So I took her to vets and they gave her same injections again. They gave her Baytril, Ketoprofen and something else I don't remember. After vets she seems to be feeling a little bit better, tried to eat her hay, but she's still very sad and is not peeing or poooing at all. I'm so worried.

I wanted to ask, how long does it takes for antibiotics to get working? And how long does pain relief last? Last time she seemed to be better right after vets, but right now she's not improving much. We are going to take her to vets tommorow in the morning, but what can I do to help her now? How to make her eat again? Does anyone else had this UTI? I would like to know more about it and how you treated it? Does it reoccur often and how to prevent this?

Thanks in advance.

Antibiotics take a few days. Did they give you anything to take home? Usually it will be baytril twice a day for a week or two weeks. I think Ketoprofen is a painkiller but hopefully someone will be able to confirm that for me.

It is very important that she eats. What food do you feed her? Is it pellets? If it is you can soak them in water and puree them into a thin paste which you can syringe feed to her. If you can't get her eating or pooing very soon you might need to go to the vets tonight. If a rabbit doesn't eat its gut can shut down and cause even more problems very quickly. I think she isn't eating because she's in pain but the longer she doesn't eat the worse it gets. If her system shuts down it is VERY serious. Concentrate right now on getting her to eat.

Yesterday I took one of my buns to the vets with a suspected UTI.

20 month old bun with no history who I took on about 7 weeks ago, was noted when I took him on to be slightly stained on the inside of his legs but nothing else. I was not aware of exact conditions he as kept in prior to me having him. Since having him I have paired him up with a partner who is a dental bun.

In past week he has started spotting urine and at times was slightly wet on his inner legs.

Currently being treated for 3 things - possible UTI, possible EC and possible bladder stones / sludge.

You may find that the urinary symtoms are a symptom of something else and you need to look further to find out what the real problem is.

EC can occassionally cause incontinence therefore my rabbit and his partner are now on a 6 week course of panacur with the two epiosodes of bleach cleaning which is essential to help eradicate this. You may wish to consider this following consulation with your vets for any rabbits in your care.

If the infection has come back so quickly there may be bladder sludge as a result of the infection being trapped inside the bladder in the calcium crystals. If this is the case the infection will not go away properly until the sludge is removed by either bladder irrigation or s.c fluids and diuretics. An x-ray will show if the bladder contains a lot of sludge.

Increasing fluid intake by putting a small amount of cranberry juice in a water bowl topped up with water will help. If you are using a bottle change to a bowl as it is easier for them to drink from it.

Feed fresh dandelions which are a natural diuretic and will help with urination. Dried ones are an option if fresh is not available.

Encourage activity and exercise as this helps the sludge to move about and hopefully drain when urination occurs.

Move to lower calcium fresh foods which have a high water content. Admittingly there is debate about whether dark green veg should be fed or not.

Avoid readigrass and alfalfa hays.

Consider giving the Supreme urinary diet which has cranberries, echinacea, dandlion in it and is low calcium.

If you live in a hard water area consider using bottled water, but check first the amount of calcium in it. I believe Volvic is the lowest calcium however have not checked this out.

I problably have missed out quite a bit but this is a reaonable start.

For now the important think is to get your rabbit eating and pooing.

Ketoprofen is a painkiller, I know for sure. She was eating Versele-Laga "Cuni complete" pellets. I will try to feed her some, but I don't have a syringe suitable for this. Any ideas?
I think she's in pain too, but they gave her Ketoprofen for that, last time it helped, so don't know what's wrong this time. Also vet advised me to give her some Bio-Lapis, so I think I'm going to give her some. How much water does rabbits need to get during the day? I'm worried she's going to dehydrate. I'll do my best to get some food into her, although I'm not sure she's going to like it.

Offer small amounts of as many things you can - perhaps, dandelion leaves, grated carrot, grated apple, shredded cabbage, apple tree leaves, rocket leaves, fresh herbs such as basil, coriander, parsley, lemon balm, grass. Wash the leaves and leave them wet to increase water intake.

Remove unbeaten items and replace with fresh.

Try smearing a little puréed pellets on the top of a paw bun will want to wash it off.

Provide a bowl of water as well as a bottle.

Keep bun warm and encourage him to move around.

Try fresh food. Dandelions like Janice said. Fresh herbs like parsley and basil if you have them are good as well. Cucumber has a lot of water in it too.

I'm wondering if rabbits can have diluted cranberry juice. I'm not sure on this but I know chinchillas can and it's good for UTIs.

It just worries me a bit that the vet didn't send you home with anything. I would have wanted painkillers to give at home, antibiotics to give at home and if she's not eating properly critical care which is a liquid food. It might be worth ringing them, they should have an emergency number today, and explain what's going on. You might not have to bring her in but because they saw you so recently they might be able to give you some critical care and syringes. That is if you vet has its own out of hours service.

I've just realised you're in Lithuania, so it's probably a lot different to here.

To get her to drink can you get any chamomile, peppermint or dandelion tea? I make it up and leave it to cool a little and my buns love it.

the best thing would be to get back to the vet though.

Believe me it's a lot different here. My vets are closed now and there is no emergency phones or something like that. I doubt they have some Baytril you could feed to a rabbit, because it's just injectable ones, so is painkillers.
It's early spring where I live, so there's still no grass. I think I could find some parsley or basil in the shop, but I doubt it's healthy because of pesticides or something else they use to keep products fresh longer.
I'm already using chamomile tea, she's not interested in it if I'm not putting it close to her mouth. She's eating some hay, but not moving much, sometimes she scratches her ears or washes a bit and then goes to lay again.
Talking about cranberries I think you can use some juice for a rabbit, because I read about it somewhere. But I don't know for sure.

It's really difficult, I think you're doing everything you can.

Very diluted cranberry juice is ok for buns, also fresh berries and even dried ones.

So, I managed to find some fresh dandelion leaves and she ate some of them, also she's eating her hay a bit. She managed to pass some small poos and peed, but she's still sad and ain't moving much. I'm going to keep an eye on her, to make sure she gets something to eat and drink. So it's going to be a long night for both of us. I just hope she's going to feel better soon. I can't imagine my life without her

Jenova// Thanks for your help and kind words. I don't know if I'm doing everything I can, but I'm trying to do my best.

That's great news that she's eaten and pood.
I know over here that painkiller injections last for 24 hours, but no doubt she will be uncomfortable.
Let us know how she gets on.

Ok, I'm going to keep all of you posted. Hope she's going to improve and everything is going to be okay.

Hello everyone! Lucy is doing well today. About 11h in the evening she started eating her pellets and ate a lot of fresh dandelion leaves. She's drinking her chamomile tea on her own and is peeing normally. Right know she's resting with her legs stretched out
She's been to see a vet this morning, they gave her antibiotics and painkillers. Since tommorow is Easter, they won't be open, so they gave me some injectable Baytril to take home. I don't really know how am I supposed to inject this, but I have to try. Any tips? Also they said to call them on Monday if she's unwell.

Great news! I'm so happy for both of you. I'm on my phone now but when I get on the computer I can give you a proper description of how to do an injection

Thank you, Jenova! I'll be waiting for your instructions.

I'll try and explain it as best I can.

Get bunny nice and calm with strokes, somewhere stable like the floor or a table. My rabbits are more comfortable on the floor and I also know if they panic they can't fall. You grab the scruff at the back of the neck, the big bit of loose skin, in one hand and the needle goes into the bottom of the scruff.

I actually found a video that explains it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kfYMRyWhEk&feature=related

Did the vet give you the syringe with the baytril in it already measured out or do you have to measure it yourself?

Edit: also don't panic if it doesn't work right away. Don't push too hard on the pump of the syringe because I've done this and the needle pops off the end and medicine goes everywhere.

Glad to hear that your little one is feeling a bit better today

I used to find it really difficult to inject Santa on a table or the floor, because she was quite wiggly and just wouldn't sit still! I ended up doing it with her sat on my lap, which normally you'd think would be a bad idea but it worked really well for me as she couldn't run off and I could see what I was doing!

The way I was taught was to pinch up the skin on the scruff of the neck between thumb and middle finger, and then use your index finger to create a divot in the 'tent' (much like the man on the video talks about making a 'furrow'). But whereas on the video he does it with his other hand, I do it with the hand I am pinching the skin with, because that way I can keep the finger there and guide the needle in underneath it. Because you know that your finger is at the top of the tent, you don't really need to see the skin, because if you're putting the needle in underneath your finger, it can't be anywhere else! Guide the needle in underneath your finger at a slight downward angle, the more confidently and quickly you do it, the easier it is. You should feel when the needle gets through the skin, keep going a little to get the needle well into place so it doesn't all come back through the hole again. Then I gently try and pull back on the needle a little...if it doesn't pull back, then you're in the right place. If it sucks up some air into the needle, then you've not got the needle under the skin and will need to take it out, reset the needle by squirting the air out, and trying again.

Good luck - hope it goes well and that your little fluffster gets better soon :wave:

Thanks, Jenova Our vet showed us how to do that too, Im just worried I might push needle to far and will hurt her
Vet gave us already measured syringe with Baytril (1ml), so nothing else to do just injected it
How to know if the needle is in the right place? Not too far and not too close?

Hey! Jenova's advice is great, I recently had to give Jessie injections for 2 weeks at home, the vet showed us how todo it, we practiced on a teddy

We did Jessie on a table because she kept still that way and didnt try to leap off, keep bun nice and calm and settled. Pull the scruff on the shoulders, then insert the needle you'll feel a pop, then draw back slightly to ensure no blood, then inject, hope all goes wellxxx

Thanks, o-Chloe-o! Hope everything goes well and I'll learn how to do this without hurting anyone.