Possible bladder problems

My little Simba is going in for an X-ray on Monday as he's still not well. He seems to strain sometimes when urinating. Now sometimes sits in tray for long period (this has not been his usual behaviour). Also sometimes refuses to eat and lies uncomfortably, again sometimes lies on floor next to tray but other times hiding from me.
Yet at other times is full of fun and mischief and binkying. Since Xmas has sometimes gone off food though is currently eating well. Last uncomfortable 'episode' was Thursday morning and so I booked X-ray and if it is sludge he'll have his bladder flushed then too.
I took him to vets week and half ago and took samples of dried urine to show how much calcium. She gave him Baytril in case it's a UTI but as it made no difference I now feel resigned to him having a general anaesthetic for X-ray.

Am worried about GA and what xray will reveal. I'm just so scared of losing him and concerned that I am doing the right thing for him. He was ill with wind (I believe) and stasis last July and I really thought I was going to lose him but he pulled through. Once on the mend I noticed he had urine leakage a few times (and one day he ate a huge patch of plaster from the wall). But he got better until all this started on Xmas day.

Naturally since I rang up on Thursday and booked X-ray he hasn't had another 'episode'. He's six and a half (as far as I know). He's such a special little boy.

Does anyone know whether the X-ray sounds like the sensible next step?
Thank you.

Just wanted to say if theres a slight chance it will benefit him its worth it, my damo died of stasis yesterday and i would (and did) of done everything to save him. these bunnies are so precious. could you try a ultrasound as shouldnt need to be anesthetised for that...mine wasn't but he was so relaxed anyway

4piggiepigs said:

Just wanted to say if theres a slight chance it will benefit him its worth it, my damo died of stasis yesterday and i would (and did) of done everything to save him. these bunnies are so precious. could you try a ultrasound as shouldnt need to be anesthetised for that...mine wasn't but he was so relaxed anyway

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Thank you for replying. I'm so sorry you lost your little boy. I'm seeing the vet when I go in (I rang today to make sure I could see her beforehand) and will ask about the ultrasound. It's so upsetting coming on this forum and reading about people losing their beloved little bunnies. It's all so unfair. I lost my little Florence in 2009 and it was just so devastating. But most people don't understand and seem to regard rabbits as insignificant - even lots of vets I find.
I'm so sorry and I hope you find some comfort in knowing that you did everything you could for Damo.

it does take a worry away when you know youve done everything, i dont feel bad i just wish he was still here, i swear people used to visit him and not me lol, i know what you mean tho i thought rabbits were nothing special untill Damo they have their own personalities dont they I have a great vet who was as devastated as i was, he has spayed my doe enucleated my guinea pig (removed eye) draind abcess on another piggie we have a good relationship even let me pay weekly for the eye removal as he knew i had just had doe spayed and both bunnies vaccined a week before,he was knowledgeable but willing to listen to my point of view too even ordered in specific antibiotics i wanted to try with my piggie (azithromyicin), it helps if you have a great vet and insurance and seems like you know what your doing, Simba is a very lucky bunny

Thanks. I recently changed my vet as very unhappy with previous ones. I've found it very difficult finding a vet who cares about rabbits and who seems to have any particular rabbit knowledge. I hope Simba is a lucky boy. I've had him nearly three years but he had 3 homes and 3 stays in the rescue before he came to me. I just want to do the right thing by him.

Aww bless him poor bunny, my Damo was dumped on doorstep with his five sisters november 2011 at about 11 weeks old, i dont know how some people can be so heartless especially when a phone call would of probably got the same result. I meant hes lucky to have you to speak for him My vets is also my second vet (vets4petspeterborough) first one was ok but pompus and rude treat me like i was stupid, i went to second vet for my pigge (abcess) got antibiotics then got home to a hamster with head tilt which i was 99.9%sure was a stroke given her age and common with hammies buut i still wanted antibiotics to make sure it wasnt an ear infection so i went to first vet as closer and didnt really need diagnosis as there was no test and they had the cheek to charge me £25 consult and ask if i could use my guinea pigs baytril!!! they also couldnt tell me what breed another hamster was bloody idiots! also asked me if i wanted cheaper or did i want to treat my guine pigs which i know he charge me £6 per piggie(i have 8) when i know ican buy a bottle of ivermectim for £20-£30 with a script.

I didnt half enjoy telling them last week i had not missed my rabbits vaccines (which were in june i might add) that i had changed vets and there were up to date!

An x-ray does sound like a good move but it shouldn't be necessary to GA for an abdominal x-ray, it should be quite possible to x-ray them consciously.

I might be being over-cautious but I'd be a bit concerned about how rabbit-savvy the vet is in this case, therefore even if the do find bladder sludge if they were taking the right action to deal with it. I'm sorry, I'm really tired so have only skimmed through the posts but it might be worth finding if there is a rabbit vet in your area.

I have a rabbit with bladder sludge problems, diagnosed at 4 years old, I'm extremely lucky as we had just recently registered with one of the best rabbit vets in the country. Artie had a cystotomy, ie bladder surgically opened and sludge removed as his condition couldn't be treated any other way. I was very scared for him I've got to say! At age 7 he had a kidney removed and coped well with recovery. In the right hands your bunny's prognosis could be good but I'd want "value" out of a GA, if that makes sense, not "just" an x-ray.

I wish I could find a rabbit-savvy vet. I tried posting on this forum. I changed vet practice and have seen 2 of the vets here. I really liked the second vet as she talked to Simba and she had had rabbits of her own. When I rang to book Simba in for X-ray I discovered she doesn't do procedures only consultations and so I booked him in with their "small animal director" who I haven't met yet. 1st vet I saw there said he'd need to be anaesthetised for "positioning" during X-ray. I don't know what to do. Simba's been fine since last episode on Thu morning (is now Sun morning) and in such a good mood. I hate upsetting him with trips to vet.

my sox was put under GA for x-ray but he also had his bladder flushed and then re-xrayed, they also took blood sample from him, your bunnies symptoms sound to be bladder related so i would say x-rays ar ehte right thing to do especially as the baytril doesnt seem to have helped your rabbit, as he had any bloods taken as id recommened this too to check his kidney function etc

An currently going off idea of GA tomorrow. Hope I can persuade vet to X-ray or ultrasound while awake. Of course if he does need bladder flushing that will need GA. It is so difficult to find a vet I trust.

Is your bunny quite calm? When Banjo had to be re-Xrayed so often (ha had bladder and kidney stones) they did it conscious and he sat still for it, so a conscious one might be an option

He's not calm but when he's at the vets he is very submissive and easy to examine. How still would he need to be for an X-ray? He was placed on the scales last time and started sniffing around and showing interest in his surroundings. He didn't walk anywhere. But he wasn't still as a statue either.

bunnykin said:

He's not calm but when he's at the vets he is very submissive and easy to examine. How still would he need to be for an X-ray? He was placed on the scales last time and started sniffing around and showing interest in his surroundings. He didn't walk anywhere. But he wasn't still as a statue either.

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It's a difficult one to answer but regarding x-ray technique my vet has told me that they use trancing ("tonic immobility") for keeping them still for x-rays - it's very controversial for some but I'm totally in agreement with my vet that it's got to be better than GA where risk/stress/recovery time is concerned. Over a dozen of my rabbits (past and present) have been x-rayed this way, even Tinkerbell and she is very difficult to handle as she is frightened of human manhandling. It probably has a lot more to do with the experience/training/confidence of those x-raying the rabbit than about the rabbit's personality.

I bet my vets won't have that knowledge. It all feels so hopeless for him. It seems so unjust that rabbit veterinary knowledge is so hit and miss.