Macey had blood in her litterbox

[XxMontanaxX]

Ok, I don't know how long she's had blood in her litterbox, but I just noticed it today. Yesterday we went and bought of those grid/mat things you use for sewing but us crazy bun people put in litterboxes, and I checked it today and there was blood. Thank goodness we got one.

I had her out playing earlier, she seemed just fine. Kinda like Maisie a while back I think.

I'm just praying its not cancer.

But um, we have to take our dog to the vet tommorow and moms just gonna ask if they can check for cancer with rabbits up there, and if they can't we'll head on over to the next town and make an appointment to get her spayed and see why she's bleeding. I planned on getting her spayed at the end of March, when I would have money. But I can get some of my mom now. She's not even two yet...

So my questions are:

-What are the other causes of blood being in the litterbox other than cancer in does?

-Will getting a quick spay take the cancer away?

-How do vets check for cancer? What do they do?

 

[monklover]

Are you sure that it is blood? Rabbit's urine changes from white, to yellow, to orange, to a dark brown. You might be mistaking this for blood.

The pee can change colors because of plant pigment or the air has something to do with changing it.

I would not put any litter in the litterbox so that you can see what color it is and its consistency.

Megan

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Oh no, not my Macey May! I hope she'll be okay and you caught it soon! Like monklover said, are you sure it was blood? :shock:

 

[maherwoman]

Hi Sweetie...

Oh do I know how you're feeling all too well...and you have much love from me in this, believe me! How scary...

So, let me ask you a couple things. Did this blood look (excuse the example, but it's the only one I could think of) like period blood? Kinda thick?

When I talked to Peg about Maisie having blood in her litterbox, she said that a precancerous uterus is the first and foremost reason for it. AND she said NOT TO WORRY, that a spay would completely handle things. Uterine cancer for buns isn't like cancer in humans...it takes a while to spread. If the blood is like my example up there, it more than likely was the first time she'd had blood, and this is most likely the reason for it. DON'T PANIC...it's OKAY...just schedule her for an emergency spay, and it'll get taken care of.

One other thing, have you checked her underside for where you think the blood may have originated? Check real good for any cuts, etc...just to be absolutely sure you're not missing anything.

Can you possibly take some pictures of the blood? If not, check my thread about my experience with Maisie...I have a couple links to pictures of the blood I found in her box...so you can compare it.

So, let me know about that stuff.

Hugs and much love...and don't worry, Hun...we'll all help you figure all this out...

Rosie*

 

[JimD]

monklover wrote:

Are you sure that it is blood? Rabbit's urine changes from white, to yellow, to orange, to a dark brown. You might be mistaking this for blood.

The pee can change colors because of plant pigment or the air has something to do with changing it.

I would not put any litter in the litterbox so that you can see what color it is and its consistency.

Megan

I agree.

I've had a couple of times where the buns pee was red-orange because of what they had recently eaten.
Cold temps for buns can sometimes cause this, too.

If you can put some sheets of plain white paper in the litter pan, it will help you determine if it's urine or blood>
Blood will clot/coagulate on the paper, and urine won't....unless there's blood in the urine.

 

[maherwoman]

A couple things I wanted to add: I'm not sure of any other causes of blood in the litterbox, but I do know that precancerous cells are the number one reason.

One thing to keep in mind: it being a precancerous uterus is actually better than something else going on, as it's a quick fix...getting her spayed completely eradicates the problem. You don't have to have antibiotics, you don't have to worry about a kidney infection (like if it were blood in the urine from a bladder/urinary infection/issue), etc.

Has she been acting funny/straining to pee? Has she been drinking her usual amounts? Peeing her usual amounts?

Is there ANYTHING different in her behaviour?

Has she been eating and pooping? ANY straining in the litterbox AT ALL?

Just trying to rule anythign else out...

Edited to add our Cancer thread in the Library.:hug:

 

[XxMontanaxX]

It is definately red, not dark brown or anything else. I can tell you that much.

I haven't changed anything in her diet or gave her anything that would make her urine turn red...so I don't think the food would be it.

The weather has gotten colder the past few days though...but it's been a lot colder and she hasn't done this.

I've noticed that past couple time I've had her out, she's ran a bit slower...that's the only thing I can think of her acting differently. And if I leave her alone, she won't run. She just kinda sits there.


She is an outside bun so I haven't really seen her pee, so I can't tell if she's straining or anything.

She's drinking, eating, and pooing normally. And the amount of soaked litter is pretty much the same as it always is.

I'll wake up early tommorow and before school, use the paper idea and see what it looks like after school.

And I haven't checked her underside...I'll do that though. She hates to be turned upside down and is impossible to trance...so hopefully I can get someone to help me hold her.

It wasn't think like your example Rosie, where it was on the grid/mat thing, it surrounds the outside of an area of the holes, in multiple areas of the grid/mat thing. Does that make any sense? But I tried to look in her litterbox to see what all went through the holes, but I couldn't really tell...

Did I cover everything?

Thanks for everyones replies. :hug:

 

[monklover]

How long has Macey been an outdoor bun?

Buddy was indoors until I got him. About 2 weeks after I got him, his pee turned red. About 1 week after I got Roxie, her pee turned red to. They both have red pee that stays all the time.

Some reasons for the pee changing colors are:

• While on antibiotics
• At the first cold snap in the fall
• After eating fir leaves
• After eating carrots, spinach or other veggies containing beta carotene

Actual blood in the pee is rare in rabbits.

I forgot to add that the urine can also change to a red. Not just dark brown or orange.

 

[XxMontanaxX]

Macey has always been an outdoor bunny. I've had her for over a year. And I know it hasn't always been red because sometimes we run out of litter and I just straw for a day or so and it doesn't really absorb the pee. Her usual color is yellowish.

And I can't think of anything different she's eaten...

Thanks for helping.

 

[maherwoman]

Lemme ask you this...was it diluted blood? Or just straight blood?

My best recommendation, go ahead and take her to the vet to be sure it's not something else. In my case, I knew for sure that Maisie didn't have any urinary problem symptoms, or symptoms of anything else...and Maisie is rather easy to flip and trance, so I got a GOOD look and feel around her body to be sure it wasn't a cut or anything.

Another clue I had with Maisie: the blood had trailed onto her tail. Now, I'm thinking this might not be the case with every bun, as it might've just been her walking through the blood...but the way it was on her, the trail led DIRECTLY from her female area, so it was quite clear.

One thing to remember: precancerous doesn't mean CANCEROUS...just means if she didn't get spayed, she would wind up developing uterine cancer.

In your case, I would suggest taking her in to the vet's to be checked out...just to be sure. I can't say either way otherwise, as far as what's going on with her.

I don't have any clue what tests they could do for precancerous cells, etc...but they can do tests to rule out other things (urinary issues, etc.) for sure.

 

[Haley]

Ive also noticed red urine after my mom gave my bunnies red clover tops from the yard.

Do you have a rabbit savvy vet? They should be able to examine her and go ahead with a spay if they think thats whats causing this.

Has she been acting normally otherwise? Eating and pooping? Does she appear to be in any pain?

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Oh no, I hope she's okay. I just wanted to add one thing that hasn't yet been mentioned. Could she have ripped a nail? Have you checked her nails?

Keep us posted, hon.

 

[Phinnsmommy]

Maybe she tried to dig on the screen and her nail got caught?

Hope its nothing bad, keep us updated :?.

 

[NZminilops]

Only other thing I could think of, maybe pregnancy? I watched a bunny give birth today and the first sign was that she had blood in her litter tray.

I know that's a reeeaaaal long shot though!

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

oh god Montana I will be praying for Macey!!!!!!!!{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

 

[Thumpers_Mom]

Oh no...I'm so sorry Montana, this must be so hard and nerve racking. I'm sure that everything will be ok with Macey. If it is precancerous, I'm glad you found it early.

 

[LuvaBun]

Oh no! How worrying! Poor Macey and poor you. Let us know how things go at the vet. We are all rooting for you.

Jan

 

[Jenson]

Oh no! I hope it turns out to be something simple Montana. :hug:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

How is Macey today? I've been worrying about her lots :nerves1

 

[XxMontanaxX]

Macey's pee was yellow today, but it looks like she only peed once.

She didn't use the litterbox, she pooed outside when she sits, which is uncommon.



So I turned her over and she has like little slits or cuts or something on each side of her private area. I'll try to get somebody to help me take a picture.