hi everyone. I’m relatively new to bunny keeping although I did keep them 40 years ago. It’s all very different now. I’m currently having a very upsetting situation with my neutered male who is 17 months old. I’m worried he may have bladder sludge. Got a vet appointment booked . Has anyone else been through this lately and if so can you tell me what happened and the outcome with your bunny please. Thank you. Just for information he has unlimited hay, some fresh herbs( if he will eat them) and 8 burgess nuggets a day. Thank you.
New to forum… need help please.
- Thread starter Berberry
- Start date
Hi. He is frequently weeing outside his litter trays,he is frequently licking around his back end,his wee his dark in colour and smelly,he will present like he has pain and discomfort (metacam doesn’t appear to be helping),he won’t move or eat or drink. The last vet I saw said he was skinny,gassy and doughy. I feel the vets I seen are rather dismissive when I speak about my concerns regarding Bertie. I feel extremely sad seeing him unhappy, knowing the bunny he was before this all started. I’m seeing a different vet but wondered if I could make Bertie more comfortable. Thank you for reading and reaching out.
Hi. Thank you for your reply. Got back from the vet earlier. She was very good and properly listened to my concerns. She agreed I was right to be worried about bladder sludge. She also mentioned Bertie could have a urinary tract infection.,as you also mentioned. She had a lovely way with my rabbits. She wants to chat with her colleague about moving forward regarding Bertie. She will speak with me in a couple of days. I really appreciate your view on this. Do you mind if I ask you if you have any experience regarding the Sherwood supplements? I got the gut motility one for Bertie because all this seems to be affecting his gut also. Do you feel it would help him or make it worse or you aren’t sure either way? I’d be interested to hear your opinion. Thank you.
Have you got any more meds (eg antibiotics)? I wouldn't be happy about waiting another few days with nothing happening.
Can you get him to drink more? eg offer water in bowls rather than a bottle, more fresh greens served freshly rinsed (so they still have water on them), maybe some peppermint tea or a splash of apple juice in one bowl of water (and leave a bowl of plain water available as well).
Can you get him to drink more? eg offer water in bowls rather than a bottle, more fresh greens served freshly rinsed (so they still have water on them), maybe some peppermint tea or a splash of apple juice in one bowl of water (and leave a bowl of plain water available as well).
Hi. No further meds offered. Just on metacam. His issues are intermittent. He will have maybe 2/3 good days then 2 bad days and so on. He is a free roam indoor bunny. He has several water bowls. He actually likes spring water and will not drink tap water. I think he may be receptive to peppermint tea. When he is moving around and drinking well he seems to have better days. When he stops moving and drinking well then he seems to have issues. He can only tolerate very small amounts of fresh vegetables and sometimes refuses them completely. Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it. I’m always grateful to hear advice. I just want the best for my bunnies. They are such funny beautiful little souls.
I agree with Shimmer and I also wouldn't be happy waiting another couple of days. The delay also appears to be just to wait until the vet has spoken to a colleague about Bertie. It is really a simple thing to try to rule some things out while waiting eg a urine test to check whather he has an infection.
Metacam is good in that it will help any pain-related issues, but it will also possible minimise some symptoms that Bertie has, which could be useful in determining what the issue is. Not suggesting for one minute that you don't give him the Metacam, just pointing out that you really need to know what the issue is whilst also treating for pain.
Metacam is good in that it will help any pain-related issues, but it will also possible minimise some symptoms that Bertie has, which could be useful in determining what the issue is. Not suggesting for one minute that you don't give him the Metacam, just pointing out that you really need to know what the issue is whilst also treating for pain.
Hi. Yesterday at the vet I asked for Bertie to have an X-ray/ultrasound. I was told that because of the risk involved we should wait for her to speak with her colleague. I did stand firm and say I don’t want this situation dragged out and I wanted to get on top of it quickly. As I’m sure everyone can confirm we sadly can’t seem to make vets realise how serious these things can become. I’ve just lost one rabbit because the vets wouldn’t take me seriously… I’m not losing another because of that. I will stand up for Bertie no matter what. However rubbing the vets up the wrong way will not help Bertie. I’m always grateful to hear others opinions. Thank you.
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
An X ray would have been useful to see if he had a bladder stone. Sludge can be seen in his urine. As previously suggested you may want to collect a clean urine sample and take it to the vet for testing.
If he is thin, you may need to syringe feed to keep his gi system moving.
Sending lots of healing vibes.
If he is thin, you may need to syringe feed to keep his gi system moving.
Sending lots of healing vibes.
Hi. Thank you for your reply. I’m still going to push for the X-ray. I’m not sure how Bertie is skinny.. he weighs 1.8kg. When he is having good days he is really quite well in himself. He has been through a lot.. losing Betsy. They were always together. Now the stress of bunny bonding to another bunny. I’m trying not to put any more stress on him. Keep his life calm and consistent. I’m hoping the vet will call today. He is actually having a couple of good days at the moment.
