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Urinary incontinence UPDATE P3: Active EC :-(

Emmy_Cabs

Young Bun
Hi,

I'm hoping you guys may be able to help - I'm despairing over what to do with my house bunny.

A bit of background info:
We rescued him as a stray over a year ago. He's not neutered and estimated to be around 1-2 years old. At first he had perfect litter tray habits but over the last few months he started peeing everywhere.

To cut a long story short, he has been treated by the vet for a UTI and due to some minor hind leg weakness the vet believes he has EC. He has had a 28 day of panacur and a 2 week course of baytril. The vet has advised against neutering him as the stress may cause his EC to worsen.

The issue now:

He has a puppy crate attached to an X-pen, and he is kept on non-slip vinyl. The problem is, he still pees everywhere. Because the wee sits on the vinyl he hops through it and sits in it so his back end is wet. I'm worried it's going to get sore.

I did have him on puppy pads and newspaper but it was creating too much waste as all needed changing daily.

Has anyone got any ideas as to what I could try? Or suggestions as to how to clean his back end? I'm not keen on bathing him.

Sorry for the long post and thank you in advance!
 
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Hi,

I'm hoping you guys may be able to help - I'm despairing over what to do with my house bunny Chester.

A bit of background info:
We rescued Chester as a stray over a year ago. He's not neutered and estimated to be around 1-2 years old. At first he had perfect litter tray habits but over the last few months he started peeing everywhere.

To cut a long story short, he has been treated by the vet for a UTI and due to some minor hind leg weakness the vet believes he has EC. He has had a 28 day of panacur and a 2 week course of baytril. The vet has advised against neutering him as the stress may cause his EC to worsen.

The issue now:

Chester has a puppy crate attached to an X-pen, and he is kept on non-slip vinyl. The problem is, he still pees everywhere. Because the wee sits on the vinyl he hops through it and sits in it so his back end is wet. I'm worried it's going to get sore.

I did have him on puppy pads and newspaper but it was creating too much waste as all needed changing daily.

Has anyone got any ideas as to what I could try? Or suggestions as to how to clean his back end? I'm not keen on bathing him.

Sorry for the long post and thank you in advance!

Hello

Am I understanding you correctly in that Chester is not actually leaking wee ? He is weeing normally, but no longer in a litter tray ?

Has there been any improvement at all after his treatment ?

As for cleaning him, it may be a good idea to get his fur around his rear end clipped. This would make keeping him clean easier. It may be necessary to give him a bum/back legs bath (just with warm water). But at least with less fur the task should be easier and it would certainly be easier to get him dry.

The only alternative to Puppy Pads is Vetbed or towels. So whilst you would not have so much waste you would have a lot of laundry. Is it that disposing of the waste is a problem ?
 
Hi,

I'm hoping you guys may be able to help - I'm despairing over what to do with my house bunny Chester.

A bit of background info:
We rescued Chester as a stray over a year ago. He's not neutered and estimated to be around 1-2 years old. At first he had perfect litter tray habits but over the last few months he started peeing everywhere.

To cut a long story short, he has been treated by the vet for a UTI and due to some minor hind leg weakness the vet believes he has EC. He has had a 28 day of panacur and a 2 week course of baytril. The vet has advised against neutering him as the stress may cause his EC to worsen.

The issue now:

Chester has a puppy crate attached to an X-pen, and he is kept on non-slip vinyl. The problem is, he still pees everywhere. Because the wee sits on the vinyl he hops through it and sits in it so his back end is wet. I'm worried it's going to get sore.

I did have him on puppy pads and newspaper but it was creating too much waste as all needed changing daily.

Has anyone got any ideas as to what I could try? Or suggestions as to how to clean his back end? I'm not keen on bathing him.

Sorry for the long post and thank you in advance!


Welcome Emmy :wave:

I'm really sorry you have this issue with Chester. It must drive you mad to think that this is just continuing with no sign of improvement.

Have you got an excellent, rabbit savvy vet? If not, you can post a new thread in Rabbit Chat, with the title "Rabbit Savvy vet needed in ..." and add your location.

There are several ways to go about diagnosing why this is happening and you need to talk these through with a good vet. If you are sure it's not behavioural (unneutered males do urinate to mark their territory) then I would definitely get some diagnostics done to ascertain the cause and get it fixed if possible.

In the meantime, a butt bath (just an inch of water) using just plain warm water and no shampoo, would the the best way of keeping him clean. Also, clipping the fur around his back end (or get the vet nurse to do this with professional clippers).

Good luck. Please stay with us and let us know how things go :D
 
Hello

Am I understanding you correctly in that Chester is not actually leaking wee ? He is weeing normally, but no longer in a litter tray ?

Has there been any improvement at all after his treatment ?

As for cleaning him, it may be a good idea to get his fur around his rear end clipped. This would make keeping him clean easier. It may be necessary to give him a bum/back legs bath (just with warm water). But at least with less fur the task should be easier and it would certainly be easier to get him dry.

The only alternative to Puppy Pads is Vetbed or towels. So whilst you would not have so much waste you would have a lot of laundry. Is it that disposing of the waste is a problem ?

Thanks for your reply.

When the problem first started he was leaking urine, particularly if he stood on his back legs or jumped out of his puppy crate. There would also be a puddle of wee if he has been sitting for a while. Things have been going on for so long now that I'm not sure what's normal any more!! He has definitely perked up a lot after the baytril though as he was v. lethargic before.

Yeah it's the waste disposal that was causing an issue. Our bin was filling up way too quickly and I felt guilty for the additional landfill!! Could definitely give vet bed a go.
 
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Have you got an excellent, rabbit savvy vet? If not, you can post a new thread in Rabbit Chat, with the title "Rabbit Savvy vet needed in ..." and add your location.

Hi MightyMax,

I think I could benefit from changing our vet - I haven't felt very supported by ours. We've had a number of trips for this problem and don't seem to have a resolution.

I'm starting to find it all quite distressing now.

Will post in rabbit chat now!

Thank you 😊
 
If he is still leaking wee he may have weakened sphincter muscles in his bladder. My Guinea Pig has had this issue since her spay several months ago.

She is on Propalin medicine which she was on 3 times per day and is now down to twice a day. It isn't a medicine specifically for small animals but has proved to be amazing for us. Tilly used to be soaked all underneath her tummy but this has all stopped now :)
 
Hi MightyMax,

I think I could benefit from changing our vet - I haven't felt very supported by ours. We've had a number of trips for this problem and don't seem to have a resolution.

I'm starting to find it all quite distressing now.

Will post in rabbit chat now!

Thank you 😊

Yes it can get very distressing and you really need some good support.

Let me know if you need any help, but I hope someone can recommend a good vet for you :D
 
If he is still leaking wee he may have weakened sphincter muscles in his bladder. My Guinea Pig has had this issue since her spay several months ago.

She is on Propalin medicine which she was on 3 times per day and is now down to twice a day. It isn't a medicine specifically for small animals but has proved to be amazing for us. Tilly used to be soaked all underneath her tummy but this has all stopped now :)

This is useful info to bear in mind if Chester's problems become longterm. Thanks K :D
 
Thanks for your reply.

When the problem first started he was leaking urine, particularly if he stood on his back legs or jumped out of his puppy crate. There would also be a puddle of wee if he has been sitting for a while. Things have been going on for so long now that I'm not sure what's normal any more!! He has definitely perked up a lot after the baytril though as he was v. lethargic before.

Yeah it's the waste disposal that was causing an issue. Our bin was filling up way too quickly and I felt guilty for the additional landfill!! Could definitely give vet bed a go.

Vet bed is excellent stuff :D Of course you need to get the problem sorted, but in the meantime, it's great x
 
Update:

So I've had Chester on vet bed for the last couple of weeks and he's stayed much drier. However as soon as he comes out of his house he will pee on the laminate flooring and just sit in it!

I've had a good look at his back end and we are now dealing with urine scald too!

Have found a rabbit savvy vet thanks to everyone's recommendations on here and we have an appointment this morning.

Fingers crossed for some answers!! Will let you know how we get on.
 
Hi my little rabbit as weeing everywhere. It was a different problem she was constipated so pushing down and weeing herself. Initially my specialist prescribed proPalin until we realised the cause.
her back legs were yellow and I got her shaved really short. When they shaved her I could see little cuts on her. This is where the wet fur had been pulling her skin because it was heavy so it must of been quite painful. I would get your little ones bum and back legs shaved while your sorting it out.
anyway pleased youre seeing a specialist now. Good luck
 
So I've just come back from the vets alone :cry:

The vet we saw was really helpful and very knowledgeable. She has confirmed that he has hind leg weakness and said he shouldn't be getting as wet as he is.

She did a bladder scan today and it looks like he has a bladder stone. She has kept him in for an X-ray, bloods and an operation to remove the stone (if it's confirmed). She is also taking this opportunity to castrate him, to save a further GA in the future.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

Feeling scared :(
 
So I've just come back from the vets alone :cry:

The vet we saw was really helpful and very knowledgeable. She has confirmed that he has hind leg weakness and said he shouldn't be getting as wet as he is.

She did a bladder scan today and it looks like he has a bladder stone. She has kept him in for an X-ray, bloods and an operation to remove the stone (if it's confirmed). She is also taking this opportunity to castrate him, to save a further GA in the future.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

Feeling scared :(

Emmy, giving you great big hugs :love:

He is in good hands now, and all you have to do is keep calm and wait for the phone call. You are very brave and he will look forward to coming home later on with you xx
 
So I've just come back from the vets alone :cry:

The vet we saw was really helpful and very knowledgeable. She has confirmed that he has hind leg weakness and said he shouldn't be getting as wet as he is.

She did a bladder scan today and it looks like he has a bladder stone. She has kept him in for an X-ray, bloods and an operation to remove the stone (if it's confirmed). She is also taking this opportunity to castrate him, to save a further GA in the future.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

Feeling scared :(

Poor lad, I do hope that he will come through his treatment well. It sounds as though the Vet is on the ball and I am sure that she will do all she can for him xx
 
At least she thinks she found something and if it's removed he'll be a lot drier and more comfortable in the long run.
well done for finding a specialist and getting him the treatment he needs.
 
Thank you for the support.

I know they will go through post-op care with me but what should I be doing to get things ready for him? (Positive thinking!)

I've just bleached his puppy crate. I was going to put clean vet bed in his puppy crate, and keep him confined in there. I'm concerned he's not going to be able to jump into his litter tray? Should I just let him use the vet bed and not worry about a tray?

Thank you!
 
Thank you for the support.

I know they will go through post-op care with me but what should I be doing to get things ready for him? (Positive thinking!)

I've just bleached his puppy crate. I was going to put clean vet bed in his puppy crate, and keep him confined in there. I'm concerned he's not going to be able to jump into his litter tray? Should I just let him use the vet bed and not worry about a tray?

Thank you!

He may be quite wobbly when he first comes home and if he already has hind leg weakness he may find it difficult to hop into a litter tray. You could use just newspaper with whatever litter substrate you use on top.

I expect the Vet will prescribe ongoing medication and that she will advise you about all of this. The Vet should also offer you advice on any dietary alterations that your Rabbit may need in order to try to manage his calcium problems.
 
Thank you for the support.

I know they will go through post-op care with me but what should I be doing to get things ready for him? (Positive thinking!)

I've just bleached his puppy crate. I was going to put clean vet bed in his puppy crate, and keep him confined in there. I'm concerned he's not going to be able to jump into his litter tray? Should I just let him use the vet bed and not worry about a tray?

Thank you!

You're welcome!

I would do as you suggest. After a GA he is likely to be a little wobbly for a few hours, so just letting him wee where he is will be the best idea. Newspaper underneath vet bed. By this evening you should be able to think about introducing a litter tray if it has very low sides, otherwise wait until tomorrow morning.

He will feel a little sore for a while, but I'm sure your vet will give you Metacam to bring home for him :)

Thinking longer term, the vet will be able to advise about ongoing diet to prevent any recurrence. And of course there's a wealth of info on this Forum :)
 
I would get his favourite things to eat in. Rabbits normally go off pellets when feeling unwell and want fresh stuff so herbs are always good to tempt him with. I also used to give doughnut her medicine on a little bit of weetabix as couldn't syringe feed her. It would stress her out. She loved it and it absorbed the medicine or you can put it on a little bit of mashed up banana.
I'm sure the vet will tell you exactly what you need to do. Good luck. Keep up all posted
 
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