Okay, I never had a bunny my Lionhead is an adult around 1 and received him as a gift. I lost my dog that was my world in a horrible way and I never wanted a pet again (especially a dog) but I love animals and went to nursing school at this time and an animal can really make your day. I was also really down about my dog. Because of this, my boyfriend ended up surprising me with a boy bunny at the time he was 3 1/2 months on march 3 in 2012. I fell in love, he was shy, and I just started to read everything I can about rabbits. After learning about them, I honestly think dogs and cats are a lot easier to take care of. I feel like as a bunny owner you are constantly against all odds to make sure your bunny is safe and healthy; I feel like they can die from anything and pet stores sell dangerous products for bunnies. Well here is my problem I am sometimes a real hypochondriac about myself and would think I had so many things especially because of nursing. I graduated now and I am looking for a job as a RN and I seriously always worry my bunny has something and at the moment I do not have a job and already took my bunny to the vet twice about orange urine I read about it but I just wanted to make sure anyways because it says online its mostly during winter and from plant pigments. I was making sure he does not have any urinary problems because I feel like he has it a lot but at times light yellow urine but they did test his urine. They said he was healthy and my parents constantly hear about my worries and they had to pay for my bun's vet visits. Okay so now ugh his entire bottom is white he is black in areas too, but as he was lying down with legs stretched I looked really close by his tail like where he pees and poops there isn't anything stucked there because he cleans that area. The spot looks like a little stained. I am thinking it is because his urine is always orange and he has white fur down there so is that okay? ( I'm so mad because he has been to the vet in recent month but I don't remember if he had that before) He pees and poops fine and cleans himself eats his cecotropes fine too. Plus he is a lionhead and he has a lot of fur. I groom him by combing but he allows me only to pet his bottom. If I start probing he gets mad and turns away but he has always done this its not a new behavior, I want to trim his hair down there. I try but I'm scared I will cut him because he moves but I get hair off here and there. I want to take him to the vet to get it checked but since I do not have a job and I always think something is wrong with my bunny I think my parents are going to be like seriously? I am sorry it is just I worry about everything with him I feel like I am constantly worrying about him because I hear all these stories online about fly strike (if there is a fly in the house I go in killing mode with my fly swatter lol), gi statis, sludge it seems like bunnies can get anything because they are so delicate. Please do not yell at me and say go to the vet (unless if I should because you now what it is) TRUST me when I'm nurse if anything is wrong with him I'm taking him to the vet I have no problem dishing out money for the vet because I adore him. I just am trying not to over react because I often do. I think I'm doing this because I don't have a job yet and I'm focusing on him instead of school and stuff. Lol I know this post seems so crazy but I am so scared that I am missing a sign of an illness or something and I am a little frazzled right now. I love bunnies but lol I could not imagine having like 3 of them. I would be constantly worrying about them. So please respond especially if you have a bunny with white fur on their bottom. I make sure he has Hinckley bottled water because there is no flouride in it, give him hay that stated there are no pesticides (timothy), organic romaine lettuce, parsley, cilantro, mint and as treats sometimes bananas (LOVES) , little bits of non gmo oats, and carrots I try to give him more variety but he does not like anything but I always try. I also give him high fiber timothy pellets low in calcium and protein for his urinary health. If there is are tips for having a bunny please let me know I do not know anyone with a bunny. SORRY so long.
I use to be a hypochondriac about myself now I am like that with my bun!
- Thread starter NinjaBun
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I honestly don't think you've got anything to worry about at all. Given that your bun has longer hair, he is going to end up with some staining, it's simply unavoidable because his pee may soak into his fur a little or if he sits in his litter box that longer hair will have more contact with litter box contents. If you want to avoid the staining you can put a mesh grid in the litter box that his poops can fall through but keeps him separated from the litter so his fur won't touch it anymore.
Thank you. Okay thank you I think I been getting worried because of looking up what it could be and hutch burn popped up...so I just started getting nervous but I clean his cage very often and change his litter boxes every day. Your right though his long hair is probably why it stains.
A tiny bit of staining can be a normal thing. It may be happening because of the way your bunny pees, or getting a little bit of splashing when he does pee. If there were really a problem of urine burn, you would see something like urine soaked fur, lots of staining, and if prolonged, the fur starts falling out. Your rabbit may also start frequently peeing outside the litter box, and/or straining to pee. The best way to know if there is something wrong with your rabbit, is to know your rabbits normal behavior really well, and to understand signs of discomfort and pain in a rabbit. Signs of something being wrong would be like not eating when he normally would, tooth grinding(not contented tooth purring), sitting hunched up(not normal bunny loafing) and not moving much for long periods, frequently changing positions like he is trying to find a comfortable position( laying down and immediately getting back up repeatedly), eye squinting, and laying down with back feet tucked under and belly pressed to the floor and butt pushed up(this ones a little harder to tell for sure from normal laying down, unless paired with another warning sign). Another way to know if something is going on with your rabbit, is to keep an eye on his poop. Changes in poop are a good sign that something is wrong. You look for poop that is soft, extremely tiny and may be hard, irregular shaped, less amount than normal, excessive fur, mucous, too many uneaten cecotropes. So as long as you are seeing normal sized 'cocoa puff' fecal poop. Then it's likely your bunny is doing well. And if you aren't sure about something, you can always post your questions on here, to get opinions on the problem.
As long as your bunny is staying clean and dry, you don't have to worry as much about flystrike. If you are checking his butt once a day to make sure he is clean, then he should be alright. If it's more prevalent in your area, then you'll want to check your bunny more often.
As long as your bunny is staying clean and dry, you don't have to worry as much about flystrike. If you are checking his butt once a day to make sure he is clean, then he should be alright. If it's more prevalent in your area, then you'll want to check your bunny more often.
bunnyluvns
Well-Known Member
When I saw the title of your thread I just had to respond because I used to be the EXACT same way years ago with my 2 cats. They both had cancerous tumors removed within a few months of each other & 1 of them also tested positive for feline AIDS. After that I lived in constant terror of the cancer coming back. I started having panic attacks & sometimes could barely eat or sleep. My parents also got sick of hearing about my constant worries. And what about my cats? They both lived long healthy lives & never had a recurrence of cancer, thank God. So all that worry was for nothing 
It sounds like you take EXCELLENT care of your bun. All bunnies should be so lucky! I agree with the other posters who said the orange is likely just pee stain. There was nothing in your post that made me think he might have a health problem. So try not to worry. I know, believe me I KNOW, that's easier said than done
One thing in your post did make me wonder though, is fluoride bad for bunns? I give my bunn & dog Deep Rock Artesian Water because i think it tastes better than our tap water. But I'll switch to a brand with no fluoride if that's better for them.
It sounds like you take EXCELLENT care of your bun. All bunnies should be so lucky! I agree with the other posters who said the orange is likely just pee stain. There was nothing in your post that made me think he might have a health problem. So try not to worry. I know, believe me I KNOW, that's easier said than done
One thing in your post did make me wonder though, is fluoride bad for bunns? I give my bunn & dog Deep Rock Artesian Water because i think it tastes better than our tap water. But I'll switch to a brand with no fluoride if that's better for them.
carlysoup
Well-Known Member
I want to tell you that I understand how you feel. I have a health condition, so I am already a worry-wart about my health. I also work in medical research, while studying speech/language/hearing science and biology in school. Part of my job involves reviewing the medical records of patients who have catastrophic health-issues, like brain aneurysms and brain tumors. After a while, it can be very nerve-wracking reviewing their records. But, I digress...
Last year, I adopted my first rabbit as a companion for myself. A few months later, I adopted two females (one female bonded really nicely with my male, the other female was a "singleton" type of rabbit, after coming from extreme neglect and hoarding). Sadly, despite my vigilance and care, my singleton-rabbit died early and unexpectedly. Since then, I have felt very nervous about my rabbits' health. Still, my vet has reassured me several times that they are, indeed, fine.
Sometimes, I find that reading things on the internet, while helpful and informative, can make me feel even more anxious. When that happens, I close my browser, and walk over to my bunnies, sit down next to them and quietly spend some time with them. Seeing them relaxed and happy, flopped out under my dining room table - their favorite hangout spot - reassures me that they are healthy and happy. Yes, I do daily inspect my bunnies' bodies and litter boxes nightly, and I can't help but worry a little when I am away at class or work about how they are - but I always come home to two healthy, happy bunnies (although if my train is late, they do look cross that dinner isn't on time). And, if I don't, I can call my vet, or, luckily for me, bring them to a 24-hour emergency vet service about 30-minutes from me.
It is hard not to have anxiety, seeing the things you do daily, as a nursing student. My recommendation would be to try to assure yourself that your bunny will be okay. After all, you are taking exceptionally good care of him! And, if something should happen, or if you think something has happened, you can always post here, and you can always call your vet. The people here are really very kind and patient and vested in the health and happiness of bunnies.
Another thing that has reassured me enormously is knowing the number and the rabbit-savvy vet at my local emergency vet service. Perhaps there is something similar in your area.
Again, you are taking great care of your rabbit, and you should be proud of that. Also, congrats on graduating from nursing school - that is no easy task!
Last year, I adopted my first rabbit as a companion for myself. A few months later, I adopted two females (one female bonded really nicely with my male, the other female was a "singleton" type of rabbit, after coming from extreme neglect and hoarding). Sadly, despite my vigilance and care, my singleton-rabbit died early and unexpectedly. Since then, I have felt very nervous about my rabbits' health. Still, my vet has reassured me several times that they are, indeed, fine.
Sometimes, I find that reading things on the internet, while helpful and informative, can make me feel even more anxious. When that happens, I close my browser, and walk over to my bunnies, sit down next to them and quietly spend some time with them. Seeing them relaxed and happy, flopped out under my dining room table - their favorite hangout spot - reassures me that they are healthy and happy. Yes, I do daily inspect my bunnies' bodies and litter boxes nightly, and I can't help but worry a little when I am away at class or work about how they are - but I always come home to two healthy, happy bunnies (although if my train is late, they do look cross that dinner isn't on time). And, if I don't, I can call my vet, or, luckily for me, bring them to a 24-hour emergency vet service about 30-minutes from me.
It is hard not to have anxiety, seeing the things you do daily, as a nursing student. My recommendation would be to try to assure yourself that your bunny will be okay. After all, you are taking exceptionally good care of him! And, if something should happen, or if you think something has happened, you can always post here, and you can always call your vet. The people here are really very kind and patient and vested in the health and happiness of bunnies.
Another thing that has reassured me enormously is knowing the number and the rabbit-savvy vet at my local emergency vet service. Perhaps there is something similar in your area.
Again, you are taking great care of your rabbit, and you should be proud of that. Also, congrats on graduating from nursing school - that is no easy task!
S
Sophie's Humble Servant
Totally know how you feel! I'm new to rabbits and I'm constantly worrying about Sophie, checking her litter pan several times a day, listening to her stomach for signs of gurgling, checking her ears and fur for mites or who knows what, obsessing about how much hay has she eaten, is she drinking enough water, why didn't she eat that last piece of lettuce, when she usually does, endless worry!!!! I'm on the Internet way too much, researching diseases and other things that really freak me out! What I will say is my worries are starting to lessen a bit, the more I get used to caring for her so I'm sure it's just a sign of having a new pet. Just a tip, I take a homeopathic remedy called Rescue Remedy for the times when I feel like my nerves are shot! Lol, I go through that stuff like its candy!
Thank you so much for the reassurance it is nice to know that I am not the only one that feels the same way! I am sorry about your own health condition being in the nursing profession I see many people that worry about their health condition especially if they do not have all the answers to what exactly is going on. I hope you have a considerate doctor behind you and God bless!
Hey! thank you for your input! Sophie looks adorable and fluffy! So true being a new rabbit owner can be a little nerve wracking lol I did not at first understand what I was getting myself into! Although all the worrying, I love my little boy (Ninja) and now see why poor little bunnies are often discarded and living in poor conditions. I went to the fair last week and was astonished that while looking at the bunnies there was only ONE cage that had hay. All of the cages had a huge bowl of pellets and all the bunny poop that you could see was really small. I could not believe it I wanted to come back with hay. It just shows people do not know anything about rabbits and it is great to hae a forum so we can all learn from each other and tell each other all our worries about our buns!
Sounds like you´re doing a great job with your bun and doing your best to make sure he has a great life, that is the most important. I agree with everybody, we all get obsessed about our buns and their poops...ask everyone if one of the best things you see are perfectly sized, round bunny poops lol.
Enjoy your bunny, be vigilant and have your vets number close at hand if you need it and keep a little medicine chest for him with things like simethicone, metacam, critical care just in case.
Would love to see a pic.
Enjoy your bunny, be vigilant and have your vets number close at hand if you need it and keep a little medicine chest for him with things like simethicone, metacam, critical care just in case.
Would love to see a pic.
bunnychild
Julia
At the fair people feed the animals at different times and hay is usually eaten quickly. I know that when my rabbits get timothy hay it is gone in a matter of minutes, same with my friend's rabbits. Please don't jump to that conclusion.
It sounds like your rabbit is very well taken care of. He is very lucky to have someone who is very attentive.
tonyshuman
Well-Known Member
Just for reference, current veterinary practice suggests hay being available to rabbits at all times.
