Those With Kidney Failure Buns *Help Please*

My Archie has been diagnosed with kidney failure after urine/blood test.

He is on Benefortin 2.5mg tablets. (1tablet to 10ml water/fruit juice, 1.2ml of that solution daily)
Is it ok leaving meds mixed up for that long? Will it alter the effects of the medication at all?

He is also very thin. About 1kg underweight (He is a Dwarf Lop) sitting at just over 1.5kg. His appetite is fine and behaviour wise he is no different. Is it normal for kidney failure buns to loose weight/condition? Will he gain weight or will he stay skinny now? Ive been feeding him separately to his 3 friends, what else can I give him to help him gain weight? I dont want to give him too much and over-do it.

Also wondering what to expect as his condition worsens? Im suspicious of 'accidents' recently and wondering if its him leaking? Or anything to do with his kidneys? Though there is no sign of any scald or wet fur on his rear. He lives with 3 others who could be the culprit but im wondering if the 2 maybe connected or just a coincedence. He does drink alot. The 4 of them get through 2 of the classic giant bunny bottles in 24hrs.g


I know its a degenerative condition and hes not ready to go yet ( nor am I ready to loose him!) but I just want to be sure im doing all I can for him.

I'm sorry I don't know much about kidney buns, but ref the weight gain you could try pro fibre pellets from vet uk, animed or similar. They are a pro biotic but seem to help the absorbing of nutrients from other food. We use them for all our poorly underweight buns.

Sorry to hear Archie has kidney failure .

I think that it is common for them to lose weight, but I think that extra feeding can help (I've heard some use oats, but wait until someone with more experience gives advice).

Can't help with the medicine either, sorry.

But I did want to send loads of vibes for your little boy x

You could ask your vet about giving him some milk thistle (I think this is to help kidneys).

With regards to weight could you maybe feed alfalfa hay, some people also feed porridge oats to help keep weight on. I used to do half a teaspooon in boiling water and let it cool. That way I would know the oats had absorbed all the water and would not expand in the tum. You can try different consistencies by adding a bit more water too. They should not be given long term but may help to gain some weight in the short term.

I don't know about the meds, that would be best sorted worth the vet. I had a bin in kidney failure and yes, it was a struggle to keep weight on. Things You can try including are some dry porridge oats, pureed baby food but only the pure carrot, apple, pear type ones.

It might also be an idea to give them a big bowl of water. Most Bunnies prefer bowls because they are easier and more natural for them. Given how much a kidney failure bun drinks it just makes it a bit more convenient for them.

The weightloss due to CRF is often to do with muscle catabolism. An anabolic steroid injection (NOT a corticosteroid) may help reduce the rate that muscle catabolism occurs. Anabolic steroids may also reduce uraemia and help with the retention of essential elocrolytes. Anabolic steroids are also an appetite stimulant. If blood test results indicate a low potassium level then a potassium supplement may be needed. If anaemia is also an issue then Erythropoeitin injections may be useful.

A Rabbit in CRF will require some dietary modification. Phosphates need to be restricted, so reduce/cut out the amount of carrots or banana fed.

Protein levels need to be moderated, so try to find a concentrate feed with a low protein content.

Calcium intake should be moderated too, so avoid alfalfa based pellet feed

To maximise water intake offer a bowl rather than a bottle. Some Rabbits will drink a lot more if a water soluble probiotic is added. Or a tiny splash of fresh fruit juice.

Fibreplex could be given as a healthy balance of cecal flora will utilize urea during the normal digestive process. In theory this should reduce some of the signs of uraemia associated with CRF.

Thanks for all the replies.

I just dont know what to do for the best. Last few days have been accidents on the floor which im not totally convinced is Archie but makes me think it will more than likely be him because of his kidneys. I thought about putting puppy pads on the floor but I dont want to encourage them to pee outside the tray. I also dont want to separate Archie from his friends but maybe that would be best? Because the other 3 are getting sore feet/bums from sitting in the pee and its not an option to put bedding down to absorb it because they are housed in a playpen it would go everywhere.

Or do I separate him but keep him next to his buddies so he can still interact through the bars?

I tried a bowl for water but they just end up jumping in it and getting it all over the floor.

I asked the vet about anabolic steroids and they said he doesnt need them yet. Will habe to ask them about the medication being mixed up and kept in the fridge

Pinkchi said:

Thanks for all the replies.

I just dont know what to do for the best. Last few days have been accidents on the floor which im not totally convinced is Archie but makes me think it will more than likely be him because of his kidneys. I thought about putting puppy pads on the floor but I dont want to encourage them to pee outside the tray. I also dont want to separate Archie from his friends but maybe that would be best? Because the other 3 are getting sore feet/bums from sitting in the pee and its not an option to put bedding down to absorb it because they are housed in a playpen it would go everywhere.

Or do I separate him but keep him next to his buddies so he can still interact through the bars?

I tried a bowl for water but they just end up jumping in it and getting it all over the floor.

I asked the vet about anabolic steroids and they said he doesnt need them yet. Will habe to ask them about the medication being mixed up and kept in the fridge

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Has the Vet suggested that EC may be the cause of Archie's CRF ? If it is then I would ask the Vet about giving all your Rabbits a course of Fenbendazole (Panacur/Lapizole). EC is spread via an infected Rabbit's urine. So all your Rabbits would be at risk.

Fenbendazole does not 'cure' EC but it can reduce the number of spores circulating within the bloodstream.

As for separating Archie from the others, well that would be stressful for him. It may be better to try to alter the area they live. You may need to devise a way that will incorporate an absorbent substrate.

Jack's-Jane said:

Has the Vet suggested that EC may be the cause of Archie's CRF ? If it is then I would ask the Vet about giving all your Rabbits a course of Fenbendazole (Panacur/Lapizole). EC is spread via an infected Rabbit's urine. So all your Rabbits would be at risk.

Fenbendazole does not 'cure' EC but it can reduce the number of spores circulating within the bloodstream.

As for separating Archie from the others, well that would be stressful for him. It may be better to try to alter the area they live. You may need to devise a way that will incorporate an absorbent substrate.

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EC was mentioned but I normally Lapizole them every 6mths.

At the minute i'm giving him extra pellets and oats. I've put a puppy pad down on the floor which seems to be doing the trick so far

Jack's-Jane said:

A Rabbit in CRF will require some dietary modification. Phosphates need to be restricted, so reduce/cut out the amount of carrots or banana fed.

Protein levels need to be moderated, so try to find a concentrate feed with a low protein content.

Calcium intake should be moderated too, so avoid alfalfa based pellet feed

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Hopefully not going to hijack the thread, but in light of the above, which is the best brand to go for? My rabbit Boris is currently undergoing blood tests for suspected Kidney disease (he keeps soiling himself) and he's been slowly losing weight for months now. Currently he is on Excel.

Its so difficult knowing what to do for the best, especially when being faced with difficult situations.

We will be moving in the new year and I will have no choice but to put the rabbits back outside. Obviously Archie will not cope with that due to his condition so i'm having to consider pts Its so awful because he is relatively ok in himself, but with his poor body condition putting him outside would kill him. Ultimately I know his time is limited and I don't want to see him suffer, but I also do not want to end his life prematurely if he is still a happy bun.

I've contemplated boarding but cannot afford the expense long-term. Pts seems like the only reasonable option and I feel so guilty thinking about it but there isn't really any other option. He just will not cope with living outside so surely that makes pts the kinder option? And saves him the pain of his condition worsening? I really don't know but its killing me even thinking about it

tommo1975 said:

Hopefully not going to hijack the thread, but in light of the above, which is the best brand to go for? My rabbit Boris is currently undergoing blood tests for suspected Kidney disease (he keeps soiling himself) and he's been slowly losing weight for months now. Currently he is on Excel.

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I don't really know the answer to that but didn't want to ignore you.

My boy is on Science Selective. Which I think is alfalfa based but its the only pellet he will really eat. I tried Fibafirst and the one similar to it for urinary conditions but he just would not eat it. Excel just caused excess caecotrophs in all 4 of them. So now I just use SS and give him a spoonfull of porridge and toast and other yummies to try add a bit of weight to him. Hes just under 1.5kg and no matter how much I feed he won't gain any

A timothy based pellet would probably be lower in calcium but the only one I know of it Bunny Basics T.

Supreme do a vet care range and the urinary tract ones are timothy based - these are more like fiba first than traditional pellets.

I have a hamster with kidney disease and he is on a low phosphorus diet with a real focus on hydration. He gained weight back this way, I think due to the carbs from grains in his special mix.

Not sure if it's at all relevant to bunnies!