• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

How long do antibiotics take to work for UTI?

elaine84

elaine84

Warren Scout
Hi all,
Billy is currently being treated for a suspected UTI after he started straining to urinate and doing lots of little wees all over the carpet. He's also done some big wees, so I'm hoping there's no blockage/ stones. He had stopped drinking and was selective with food.

He went to the vet on Tuesday and had Baytril that day and night. He's also on Metacam.
Weds (yesterday) had Baytril day and night, seemed to be a lot better and had a few drinks at last!
Today is Thursday and he's had Baytril this morning. But I noticed today he had a tiny red flake in his urine, which went bright red when I squashed it (so assuming blood). I know this is a sign of bladder infection, but is it normal for him to have this a couple of days in to antibiotics? Am I rushing things? He is on a week's course.

Has anyone else had a bunny with these symptoms and how long did it take for them to get back to normal? Billy is about 8-10 years old (rescue bun so not sure).
I hope it will get better from the antibiotics and there's no other problem like stones :(
 
Last edited:
It can take several days of abx treatment to get on top of a bladder infection. Often a course of longer than 7 days is needed.

From what you have described he appears to have improved a little, despite the passing of some blood in his wee. Perhaps you could give your Vet a call and let him/her know about the blood. Hopefully the Vet will be able to reassure you by saying that it is probably due to all the inflammation of the bladder wall caused by the infection.
 
Thank you for your reply :) very much appreciated. Should I ask them to extend the course after 7 days even if he seems better? I'm worried if it doesn't clear completely and I stop after 7 days he may become a bit immune to the abx... I guess I'll think about that nearer the time as he's on Day 3 at the moment.
I rang the vet, (the one who's been treating Bill isn't in today) and she said it isn't unusual to have the bits of blood but if he doesn't improve he will need scans to check for stones. The vet on Tuesday couldn't feel any but I know it's not always possible if the bun is tensing.
It's so horrible seeing bunnies in pain :( He's had another drink today and was purring when I was stroking him at least. He's still straining when he wees though.
 
elaine84 said:
Thank you for your reply :) very much appreciated. Should I ask them to extend the course after 7 days even if he seems better? I'm worried if it doesn't clear completely and I stop after 7 days he may become a bit immune to the abx... I guess I'll think about that nearer the time as he's on Day 3 at the moment.
I rang the vet, (the one who's been treating Bill isn't in today) and she said it isn't unusual to have the bits of blood but if he doesn't improve he will need scans to check for stones. The vet on Tuesday couldn't feel any but I know it's not always possible if the bun is tensing.
It's so horrible seeing bunnies in pain :( He's had another drink today and was purring when I was stroking him at least. He's still straining when he wees though.
Click to expand...

The Vet may decide to extend the course of abx depending on how things are at the 7 day mark. The more he drinks the better as it'll dilute his urine and make it less likely to be painful to pass. Is his doing a good amount of wee each time, even though he's straining ? If he's only spotting wee and straining the Vet needs to know ASAP x
 
Jack's-Jane said:
That can happen with cystitis x
Click to expand...

Ok thank you I hope it's just that, I'm really panicking now because he is spotting on the carpet... but yesterday he stretched out after getting up from sleeping, lifted his tail during the stretch and quite a lot of urine squirted out, so I thought hopefully that means there isn't a blockage and the small spots are just from the feeling of needing to urinate that you get with a bladder infection?
 
elaine84 said:
Ok thank you I hope it's just that, I'm really panicking now because he is spotting on the carpet... but yesterday he stretched out after getting up from sleeping, lifted his tail during the stretch and quite a lot of urine squirted out, so I thought hopefully that means there isn't a blockage and the small spots are just from the feeling of needing to urinate that you get with a bladder infection?
Click to expand...

It is probably that his bladder is going into spasm at times so some wee leaks out. I am sure that the Vet wont mind if you call him/her again this afternoon if you are really worried. The Vet may suggest that Billy is examined again today. But he/she may feel that all the symptoms are due to the bacterial infection x
 
ok thanks I think I'll wait till tomorrow before taking him back as he's munching on leaves at the moment and I'm happy that he's drinking of his own accord compared to the previous few days. I'll keep monitoring him and checking each time he wees to see what it looks like and how much is coming out! I guess if you're trying to wee often, you won't get a lot coming out every time. Thank you for your help xx
 
Just had a thought - I know how to express urine - is it a good idea to do this on Billy? To help empty his bladder? And if he has stones will it stop the urine coming out? (ie if urine doesn't come out it will point to it being a stone rather than UTI)?
 
elaine84 said:
Just had a thought - I know how to express urine - is it a good idea to do this on Billy? To help empty his bladder? And if he has stones will it stop the urine coming out? (ie if urine doesn't come out it will point to it being a stone rather than UTI)?
Click to expand...

I really would not attempt to do that. A Rabbits bladder is very delicate and also it will already be extremely tender due to the infection. Trying to express it could cause more inflammation/pain/spasms. Personally I'd leave it to the Vet to do any palpation xx
 
elaine84 said:
Just had a thought - I know how to express urine - is it a good idea to do this on Billy? To help empty his bladder? And if he has stones will it stop the urine coming out? (ie if urine doesn't come out it will point to it being a stone rather than UTI)?
Click to expand...


Regarding expressing the bladder, my vet showed me how to do this, and I was confident doing that when I was looking after a rabbit with bladder sludge who was unable to pee properly.

Check with your vet first before you do it, but it may help relieve the pressure and make him feel more comfortable.

Good luck Elaine :)
 
Thanks both.
I've just checked his dosage and it seems really low... He weighs 1.6kg, and his Baytril is Oral 2.5%, 0.35ml twice daily, for 7 days.
Does this sound right? I'm sure he's had way more than that when he's had Baytril in the past.
I'm waiting to hear back from the vet...

............. Vet just rang (different one at same surgery) and said the dosage is correct. They're closed now and Billy seems to be trying to urinate more often without producing much. Argh I'm so stressed out, I hope it's ok to wait till they open first thing :( Is this typical of cystitis? He seemed better yesterday compared to today.
 
Last edited:
Please watch Billy closely as this may require a visit to the overnight emergency vet if he is unable to pass urine.
Did the vets give you anything for pain/inflammation in addition to the antibiotic?
Sending you positive vibes for Billy and your vet visit in the morning.
 
He's on metacam and I had some spare vetergesic that the vet said I could use (I rang up this evening). I don't think it's helped though. I'm so worried. I'm staying up all night in the lounge with Billy. He's done a tiny bit of wee I'm hoping it's ok till morning. What could the emergency vet do overnight?
 
elaine84 said:
He's on metacam and I had some spare vetergesic that the vet said I could use (I rang up this evening). I don't think it's helped though. I'm so worried. I'm staying up all night in the lounge with Billy. He's done a tiny bit of wee I'm hoping it's ok till morning. What could the emergency vet do overnight?
Click to expand...

It's a few hours since you last posted, how is Billy doing now ?
 
He hasn't done a proper wee tonight as far as I can see, just a few drops with dilute blood in :( painkillers seemed to have worked a bit. The vet opens soon thank god so I'll be there as soon as it opens
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Alicia
UTI?
Replies
5
Views
205
bunny momma
bunny momma
A
Possible underlying cause for dental issues?
Replies
4
Views
87
Apache
A
P
Bunny still off food and hay, drooling and teeth chattering
2 3
Replies
49
Views
1K
twistedtiggerz69
twistedtiggerz69
Back
Top