We have a bit of an unusual situation in that we’re 2 hours from a vet. We usually have one come visit us and do all the vaccinations etc in one day. This vet was primarily equine but since knowing us and our rabbits, he’s taken an interest in them and has even done a course to help treat them.
Anyway. Our 7 year old Poppet is a spayed female rescue. She’s been bonded to her husbun for 6 years. Both are house rabbits. When Poppet was around 2, she started passing bladder sludge and crystals. Vet gave her a check over, took her in for X-rays and cultures and put it down to hormones as at the time, her partner had ‘spring fever’. Vet said it would clear up once they settled into the season and surely enough, it did.
This then happened annually, almost like clockwork. We’d head into spring, husbun would get honky and Pop would pass sludge. We give her apple juice in her water and dandelions to help and then it usually clears up after a couple of weeks. Her mood, eating and toilet habits remain unchanged.
This year, we’re in week 6 of it. Husbun still honky, Pop still passing sludge. She’s at the point now where her genital area is soaked every morning so we’re also having to give her bum baths and wash her bedding every day. Vet visited and said it’s likely just prolonged spring fever but prescribed some antibiotics at the week 4 mark whilst he consulted with a colleague. This has made no difference.
We’re reluctant to take her on the 4 hour round trip to have an X-ray/needle inserted into the bladder for cultures. Vet believes the stress of this might just make things worse. Vet’s colleague suggested giving some good gut bacteria and a hormonal treatment (usually used for horses). We’ll start on the bacteria but I haven’t been able to find out much about the hormonal treatment.
We’re also now using a calming spray for the husbun to reduce his honking and this has helped a bit.
Has anyone tried hormonal treatments before?
Or has anyone had a bun suffer with sludge and can offer some tips we haven’t yet tried?
Anyway. Our 7 year old Poppet is a spayed female rescue. She’s been bonded to her husbun for 6 years. Both are house rabbits. When Poppet was around 2, she started passing bladder sludge and crystals. Vet gave her a check over, took her in for X-rays and cultures and put it down to hormones as at the time, her partner had ‘spring fever’. Vet said it would clear up once they settled into the season and surely enough, it did.
This then happened annually, almost like clockwork. We’d head into spring, husbun would get honky and Pop would pass sludge. We give her apple juice in her water and dandelions to help and then it usually clears up after a couple of weeks. Her mood, eating and toilet habits remain unchanged.
This year, we’re in week 6 of it. Husbun still honky, Pop still passing sludge. She’s at the point now where her genital area is soaked every morning so we’re also having to give her bum baths and wash her bedding every day. Vet visited and said it’s likely just prolonged spring fever but prescribed some antibiotics at the week 4 mark whilst he consulted with a colleague. This has made no difference.
We’re reluctant to take her on the 4 hour round trip to have an X-ray/needle inserted into the bladder for cultures. Vet believes the stress of this might just make things worse. Vet’s colleague suggested giving some good gut bacteria and a hormonal treatment (usually used for horses). We’ll start on the bacteria but I haven’t been able to find out much about the hormonal treatment.
We’re also now using a calming spray for the husbun to reduce his honking and this has helped a bit.
Has anyone tried hormonal treatments before?
Or has anyone had a bun suffer with sludge and can offer some tips we haven’t yet tried?