Urine soaked bunny

I went out to see Boris this evening to find his back end wet and discovered he was sitting in wee soaked straw. For a few weeks I'd been wondering why the fur at his back end was discoloured and matted, but had put it down to him running around the garden, digging in mud, hopping into muddy puddles etc. I'd even bathed his back end last week to clean off the "mud" (he got "muddy" again even though he has not been out in the garden).

It slowly has dawned on me over recent days there was probably something wrong. He is peeing OK, although in recent months has become less fussy where he does it (it's now everywhere, not just his litter tray), could this be related? Also, more and more frequently he will pee if you pick him up or chase him around the garden (he runs, then stops and pee's) is this all signs of the same problem?

He is eating fine, is drinking as normal and is full of life and energy. His poo's are fine too.

I'm going to get him booked into the vets for early next week, but in the meantime should I bathe him again?

Im not very knowledgeable but I would suspect a urine tract infection in this case. I think you need to get him cleaned up and warm as its a bit worrying to think of him being cold and wet in urine.... could you use baby wipes to clean him up and then put some bedding to make it very absorbant down in all of his hutch area as he is obviously not using his litter tray?

Yes, a urinary tract infection is certainly a possibility. It might be worth trying to get a sample to take with you to the vets - use an empty clean try and hope he'll oblige. It could also be related to other issues eg if they have a bit of arthritis and don't lift their tail properly when going. Hopefully the vet can help.

Tamsin said:

Yes, a urinary tract infection is certainly a possibility. It might be worth trying to get a sample to take with you to the vets - use an empty clean try and hope he'll oblige. It could also be related to other issues eg if they have a bit of arthritis and don't lift their tail properly when going. Hopefully the vet can help.

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Both are certainly options in this case. Since his castration back in July I've noticed he holds one of his legs stretched out when sitting sometimes, so wonder if he's getting arthritis there (I mentioned this to the veterinary nurse on his post op appointment and she wasn't interested in hearing about it, only in whether his stitches were OK :roll: ). However I have seen him pee and he has no problems directing the flow backwards and lifting up his tail and no signs of mobility issues.

I checked on him this morning and he was dry and his upstairs "sleeping area" was dry too. However, an hour later the area of back, just above his tail was wet again and there was a wet patch in his sleeping area. It's almost as if he cannot be bothered to go downstairs in his hutch and pee and prefers instead to do it and then sit in it!

I have bathed him in the last hour and he's drying in the bathroom at the moment. He's been giving me evils whilst washing himself :roll: I'll keep him indoors until thoroughly dry and put him out in his hutch again this afternoon (or let him roam the garden, he misses doing that now the winter is here).

Tomorrow I'll book an evening appointment with my vets to get him examined for issues.

By the by, I read in Rabbitlopaedia book that for cystitis it "may help acidify the urine by adding ascorbic aciid (vitamin C) to the drinking water". Is this something anyone here has done? If so, where do I get "ascorbic acid" to do this?

Really hope that the vet is able to help, I have no experience in bunnies with bladder infections or bladder sludge. :shock:

I hope you manage to get it sorted and he's feeling better soon :wave: Elmo had a period of wet bottom and it turned out he had a sharp bit of hay stuck in his willy bless him!!