thick yellow pee

[nat1234]

last week i made the decision to start adding alfalfa pellets to my rabbits diet (1 tablespoon a day) to help him gain some weight
but i noticed today when he peed it was very thick and i'm worried he has a UTI
i'm no longer giving him alfalfa because of this but i was wondering if the urine is just because of the calcium and if i stop giving it to him will he be fine
i know sometimes a rabbits pee can change due to what they're eating
or is it definitely a UTI and if so how do i help

 

[John Wick]

Thickened urine is most likely urine filled with calcium powder. It is natural for the rabbit (and a lot of animals) to excrete excessive amounts of vitamins and minerals through their urine. It's one of the reasons why people say taking vitamins is wasteful, because you just pee it out. If you noticed this after adding the alfalfa pellets (which are very dense in nutrients), it is most likely that addition which caused it. If it was just cloudy (but still liquidy), I wouldn't be overly concerned, but "very thick" is suggestive of a tier up, so I wonder if there's a better way to help your rabbit gain weight.

A couple questions come to mind:
1) What is making you want to increase your rabbit's weight? Was this based on a veterinarians assessment, what you've read online should be your rabbit's weight, or something else?
2) How much alfalfa pellets are being given?
3) What is his current diet?

A UTI is more indicative through really frequent peeing. And since there's such a direct relationship it seems between when you started the alfalfa and this pee, it's more likely pellet related; however, it's always good to stay vigilant and observe.

 

[Niomi]

I know some people give steel cut or rolled oats to fatten their rabbits. But I think that oats have as much calcium as alfalfa. The unknown here is if the calcium in oats are digested the same way as alfalfa. I would also just use oats as a supplement. Here is a link to other suggestions: www.thehouserabbit.com/diet/diet-weightgain.asp

 

[Niomi]

I know some people give steel cut or rolled oats to fatten their rabbits. But I think that oats have as much calcium as alfalfa. The unknown here is if the calcium in oats are digested the same way as alfalfa. I would also just use oats as a supplement. Here is a link to other suggestions: www.thehouserabbit.com/diet/diet-weightgain.asp

I can't get this link to work, but just you can just google "diet for underweight rabbits" and hopefully you will find it.

 

[Niomi]

One more try: www.therabbithouse.com/diet/diet-weightgain.asp

 

[JBun]

I agree that it's not likely a UTI, but calcium crystals in the urine. And if it's making the urine thick then that's not good as it can lead to bladder sludge developing. I would make sure the bun is drinking really well, peeing well and not getting a wet bum, I would feed a low calcium diet, and for rabbits that are too thin and need something extra to keep weight on I've used black oil sunflower seeds(gradually introduced). Old fashioned oats are low in calcium too and can be used for extra calories, however it's a lot of carbs and can cause problems for some rabbits. I've had them lead to mushy poop developing so I tend not to use them for my rabbits.

 

[nat1234]

thank you guys and sorry for the late response
to answer john
1) my rabbit was supposed to get his teeth filed down but he had lost half a pound and also has abscess in his tooth root and i was worried his weight would keep dropping
2) 1 tablespoon was being given (he gets 4 total so 3/4 were timothy)
3) he gets pellets, fresh veggies, and 100% hay pellets
i think i'm going to stick to timothy pellets from now on because i went to another vet for a second opinion on his teeth and she told us as long as he's gaining/maintaining weight we should hold off on the surgery unless he starts losing weight because of how stressful the surgery will be
he's going back in 3 weeks for a weight check in and another check in for his teeth and i don't really want to feed oats or seeds long term, that's why i cut alfalfa after the visit
i've just increased his veggies and pellets and he has gained a few ounces since we were told he'd lost half a pound
i was just worried he had gotten a UTI and would have to go back to the vet yet again but i'm glad to hear that's most likely not the case

 

[zuppa]

One more try: www.therabbithouse.com/diet/diet-weightgain.asp

This link worked for me I will save it and read later properly. Glad I see this thread as I've opened my own last night I've got a 5,5 month old rabbit and he feels like a 10 week baby his family said he's nice and healthy just didn't grow much since they got him 3 months ago. He looked fine in photos just small built but when I had him in my hands he's really really tiny and acts like a baby. He had access to food all the time and not stressed or anything but he's not eating much I am not sure if it is just because of a stress of changing home or something else. He doesn't look stressed at all and absolutely happy with me like he was always here, this is also like a baby they just accept changes easily but I worry he's definitely underweight and I am going to watch him for a while and learn his eating habits then will see how to help him to gain some weight or if there's some health problems why he is so tiny and I have to bring him to a vet.
I don't want to change much for the next few days just want to watch him for now but started researching on diets. Btw what JBun said about sunflower seeds and rolled oats I was going to add some oats to his food too, how about sunflower seeds where can I get them and how'd you know if they're black they are sold without shells already or those are no good?

Also thanks JBun I will watch his urine now not sure how as he uses Back2nature bedding all over his cage I see his poos are normal just smaller size just like 8-10 wk old baby's but I don't know how to watch his pee. I've removed bedding from his floor and put it only into his new toilet looks like he is only using it now but poops everywhere I don't see any urine spots honestly. How do I know if his urine thick or normal with this litter filler?