chalky urine?

[hippie]

hi everyone

i have noticed in the last couple of days that my 6 mnth old netherland dwarf has been passing an almost creamy urine that dries chalky. coincidentally, i have tried a new type of pellet-could this be why? does anyone know what causes this? should i cut down on the quantity of pellets or cut them out completely for the next few days? he has never been a big raw veggie fan-could i perhaps puree some and give them to him instead? are there any in particular I should avoid? so far he has tried carrot, cucumber, broccoli, snow peas and capsicum but is not particularly interested. he has unlimited hay also. thanks!!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

What were you feeding before and what are you giving now? The brand, guaranteed analysis and ingredient list can be helpful to pick on on the small changes.

 

[TinysMom]

It sounds like calcium buildup. I'd try to get your rabbit to drink more fluids. We had a rabbit that had this and it got so bad that the urine was almost like caulk. We didn't catch it in time and he died from what appeared to be a UTI (urinary tract infection) but I think the infection had gone on long enough to get into his system further.

 

[hippie]

The rabbit pellets are an australian brand called Ol Jacks. The ingredient list is alfalfa, barley, wheat, oats, rye etc, could it be the alfalfa that is doing it?

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Yep I'd agree with Peg that it sounds like Calcium buildup. I guess the Alfalfa meal in the food could do it-mine have alfalfa based pellets and its never caused an issue (and I've had 5 different bunnes who I fed the same kind of pellets for a long time) but possibly I guess. Oxbow is a good timothy based one you might try.

 

[Lucy500]

Bonkers had it when I first got him, but then it went away when I got him interested in hay and gave him a crock for his water so he would drink more. Im guessing he was in a cage with a bottle and no hay before I got him . Have you tried more leafy greens? Maybe cut down on the pellets and get a water crock too I hope your bunny clears his pee soon

 

[Nancy McClelland]

The dreaded calcium. Our vet said NO Alfalfa, and to cut out veggies like kale, spinach, broccoli and change food to one that is alfalfa free--cleared her right up.

 

[hippie]

Thank you to everyone-I am on the hunt now for a pellet with no alfalfa. Hopefully that should fix it.