Lately I've noticed that Iszy has had a very wetbutt from sitting in her pee. Jason noticed this morning thatshe is hopping funny. Could this be a result of urineburn?? Does that happen? What do I do to help her?
Urine Burn?
- Thread starter Lissa
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BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
Poco does the same thing. She can havea nice, clean dry cage and she looooves sitting in her littler pan onher wet litter.:X We end up washing her butt in the sinkabout every other week. We're working on getting her a newcage with a litter pan underneath so she can't sit in it. Ialso find that using the Woody Pet keeps her cage a little more dry.
BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
Washing her butt will help lessen the amount oftime the urine is in contact with her skin, which would probably makeher feel better and hop more normally, but unfortunately it won'tchange her habit of sitting in it. 
If anyone has any suggestions on how to change this type of behavior,I'd be interested also. I love Poco to pieces, but she drivesme crazy with this.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to change this type of behavior,I'd be interested also. I love Poco to pieces, but she drivesme crazy with this.
BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
That's a good idea! I'll have to try that with Poco next time. Maybe then she won't be so squirmy.
BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
Yes - I use it whenever somebunny gets a cut orloses a nail. Which thankfully isn't that often.They squirm less when I put it on, so there must be something soothingto it.
Which thankfully isn't that often.They squirm less when I put it on, so there must be something soothingto it.BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
I've found that it stops it pretty quickly. And I don't have to worry when they lick it off.
sfritzp
Well-Known Member
Are you sure she is 'sitting' in the pee on the floor?
My Muggs had a 'wet butt' and urine burn resulting from it. I took herto the vet, and an xray revealed she had a bladder stone that hadgotten into the urethra (tube from the bladder out into the wideworld). She was having trouble passing the urine past the stone, and itwas 'spraying' and dribbling out instead - onto her butt and hind legs.
She needed surgery to remove the lodged stone.
How old is Iszy? Muggs was 6 when this happened. The vet said bladderstones often form from the alphalfa based pellets I was feeding her allher life. They are high in calcium and protein. I've since learned thatrabbits over 3 years should be fed timothy based pellets that are lowin calcium and protein. Young rabbits DO need the protein for growth,however.
Is Iszy constantly wet? Does she normally pee on the floor, or is thisnew behavior? Does it seem like she's straining to urinate?
I just hope she's OK -
My Muggs had a 'wet butt' and urine burn resulting from it. I took herto the vet, and an xray revealed she had a bladder stone that hadgotten into the urethra (tube from the bladder out into the wideworld). She was having trouble passing the urine past the stone, and itwas 'spraying' and dribbling out instead - onto her butt and hind legs.
She needed surgery to remove the lodged stone.
How old is Iszy? Muggs was 6 when this happened. The vet said bladderstones often form from the alphalfa based pellets I was feeding her allher life. They are high in calcium and protein. I've since learned thatrabbits over 3 years should be fed timothy based pellets that are lowin calcium and protein. Young rabbits DO need the protein for growth,however.
Is Iszy constantly wet? Does she normally pee on the floor, or is thisnew behavior? Does it seem like she's straining to urinate?
I just hope she's OK -
Pet_Bunny
Well-Known Member
Bunnies over 6 months can be switched over toTimothy Hay and Pellets. However I still give Pebbles theoccasional alfalfa treat which she loves.
For the urine burn, you can put baking soda directly on it todry offfur and to help cool the itch. Youcan wipe off the excess powderlater. Youhave to change her behavior/habits so she doesn't sit in herpee. If she does pee, clean it up rightaway. Wipe the pee with a tissue and put it in her litterbox. Work on her litter habits. However,over time she will grow out of it and it shouldn't be aproblem.
When Pebbles sat in her pee, I heldher bum under the water tap with warm water running andrinsed her off.
For nail cutting, I caught Pebble's quick last week and itwas dripping blood. I used baking soda and itslowed the bleeding. The baking soda clumped up, but didn'tstop the bleeding. When I thought itstopped, I put Pebbles back into her cage and she licked itoff, and caused it to bleed again. I had to reapplythe baking soda and held Pebbles in my arms holding her nail with myfingers, keeping her from licking hernails until the blood clotted up.
Rainbows!
For the urine burn, you can put baking soda directly on it todry offfur and to help cool the itch. Youcan wipe off the excess powderlater. Youhave to change her behavior/habits so she doesn't sit in herpee. If she does pee, clean it up rightaway. Wipe the pee with a tissue and put it in her litterbox. Work on her litter habits. However,over time she will grow out of it and it shouldn't be aproblem.
When Pebbles sat in her pee, I heldher bum under the water tap with warm water running andrinsed her off.
For nail cutting, I caught Pebble's quick last week and itwas dripping blood. I used baking soda and itslowed the bleeding. The baking soda clumped up, but didn'tstop the bleeding. When I thought itstopped, I put Pebbles back into her cage and she licked itoff, and caused it to bleed again. I had to reapplythe baking soda and held Pebbles in my arms holding her nail with myfingers, keeping her from licking hernails until the blood clotted up.
Rainbows!
Iszy will be 2 years old this week.She has no alfalfa in her diet whatsoever. She is giventimothy-based pellets and timothy hay. However, I did giveher some spinach the other day. Would that have set somethingoff? What are other symptoms of a bladder stone?I'm almost positive what is happening here (and not surprising to thosewho know Iszy's behavior) is that she is having a "pee fight" withPristine. She pees along the side of Pristine's cage and thensits in it.
Zee
Well-Known Member
Early Signs An observant person can often detectbladder disease in their rabbit before he becomes lethargic, anorectic,or is in a life-threatening situation. Signs of early trouble will varywith each rabbit, but you should seek veterinary help when any of thefollowing occur: Loss of litterbox habits, straining to urinate,hopping in and out of the litter pan, wetness around the genital areaor chronic skin irritation in that area from urine scalding, semi-solid(like toothpaste) urine, or blood in the urine. Blood in the urine mustbe confirmed with a veterinary urinalysis or microscopic exam, or by aurine "dipstick" which can be purchased over-the counter from apharmacy. Many people mistake porphyrinuria (the presence oforange-to-red colored by-products in rabbit urine that result fromchlorophyll and other vegetable component break-down) for blood in theurine.
Diagnosis Any animal with clinical signs such asthose mentioned should have a veterinary visit. An experienced rabbitveterinarian uses a urinalysis and radiographs (x-rays) as the initialsteps in diagnosing a bladder problem. Because rabbits' bladder stonesand bladder "sludge" are primarily composed of calcium, they are ableto be detected on plain radiographs (x-rays). Your veterinarian shouldbe familiar with normal rabbit urinalysis values and the radiographicappearance of a rabbit bladder. Many normal rabbits may have someradio-opaque material present in their bladders but will not have theabnormal urinalysis or clinical signs to support a diagnosis of bladderdisease. Once bladder disease is confirmed, a urine culture, serum(blood) chemistries, and a complete blood count will help theveterinarian determine the extent of the disease and how to treat theproblem in that individual rabbit.
When Stones Are Detected Treatment in a patient with actual bladderstones will necessitate having the stones removed, as they frequentlydo not pass on their own and there is no known way to dissolve them. Ifthese calculi are left unattended, they will continue to enlarge andwill irritate and damage the bladder wall, allowing chronic infectionand inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) to make the rabbit seriouslyill. Depending on the rabbit's condition at the time of diagnosis, theveterinarian may first need to stabilize the patient with fluidtherapy, nasogastric feeding, or antibiotic administration prior tosurgery. Post-operatively, most rabbits require at least one to twodays of hospitalization for continued fluid therapy and pain managementbefore they are discharged.
[size="-1"][Photo Caption: Bladder stone passed (very painfully) bya 6-pound female rabbit. Fecal droppings from the same rabbit are shownfor comparison . In most cases, this size stone would have to beremoved surgically.][/size]
"Sand" in the Bladder If a rabbit does not have bladder stones, but hasan accumulation of thick "sludge" or "sand" in the bladder causingdisease and discomfort, treatment can usually be medical rather thansurgical. It is again recommended that the rabbit's overall health belooked into, not only with the urinalysis and radiographs mentionedearlier, but also with a urine culture, serum chemistries, and acomplete blood count. This will allow the veterinarian to determine thedegree of infection and disease, and whether other organs, such as thekidneys are affected. Rabbits with "sludgy bladder" disease may requireseveral days of hospitalization for fluid and antibiotic therapy beforebeing discharged. They may need manual help from the veterinarian inexpressing the thick "sludge" from their bladders, and sometimes willrequire pain medication for bladder and urethral pain control andspasms.
At-home care for rabbits (after hospital treatment is complete) willinvolve a minimum of ten days of continued antibiotic therapy.Sometimes several weeks of antibiotics may be indicated if the urineculture indicates a severe infection. Dietary changes are also criticalif the rabbit is not to have a recurrence of bladder disease.
Rabbits (over six months of age) with a history of bladder problemsshould have pellets removed or severely restricted. They should receivea variety of fresh vegetables (at least a cup or more daily),excluding thosehigh in calcium such as kale. No alfalfa hay should be fed, buttimothy or grass hay should be available at all times. Animals that areoverweight should be encouraged to exercise a minimum of one hour atleast twice daily. This can be accomplished by letting them chase youand then you chasing them, up and down stairs and around the house.Some rabbits will spend a considerable time tossing a wire ball back toyou. There are numerous ways to both enjoy and exercise your rabbit atthe same time.
All rabbits that initially presented with bacterial growth on a urineculture should have a urinalysis and urine culture repeated after thecompletion of antibiotic therapy to be sure all infection is resolved.Also, even with all the treatments described and diet changes, thebladder stones may still reoccur in some rabbits and frequent (at leastevery six months) visits to the veterinarian for regular radiographs tocheck for recurrence is important. If caught early by an observantperson bladder disease should be controllable and should not cause anypermanent damage to the rabbit's health or life-span.
Diagnosis Any animal with clinical signs such asthose mentioned should have a veterinary visit. An experienced rabbitveterinarian uses a urinalysis and radiographs (x-rays) as the initialsteps in diagnosing a bladder problem. Because rabbits' bladder stonesand bladder "sludge" are primarily composed of calcium, they are ableto be detected on plain radiographs (x-rays). Your veterinarian shouldbe familiar with normal rabbit urinalysis values and the radiographicappearance of a rabbit bladder. Many normal rabbits may have someradio-opaque material present in their bladders but will not have theabnormal urinalysis or clinical signs to support a diagnosis of bladderdisease. Once bladder disease is confirmed, a urine culture, serum(blood) chemistries, and a complete blood count will help theveterinarian determine the extent of the disease and how to treat theproblem in that individual rabbit.
When Stones Are Detected Treatment in a patient with actual bladderstones will necessitate having the stones removed, as they frequentlydo not pass on their own and there is no known way to dissolve them. Ifthese calculi are left unattended, they will continue to enlarge andwill irritate and damage the bladder wall, allowing chronic infectionand inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) to make the rabbit seriouslyill. Depending on the rabbit's condition at the time of diagnosis, theveterinarian may first need to stabilize the patient with fluidtherapy, nasogastric feeding, or antibiotic administration prior tosurgery. Post-operatively, most rabbits require at least one to twodays of hospitalization for continued fluid therapy and pain managementbefore they are discharged.
[size="-1"][Photo Caption: Bladder stone passed (very painfully) bya 6-pound female rabbit. Fecal droppings from the same rabbit are shownfor comparison . In most cases, this size stone would have to beremoved surgically.][/size]
"Sand" in the Bladder If a rabbit does not have bladder stones, but hasan accumulation of thick "sludge" or "sand" in the bladder causingdisease and discomfort, treatment can usually be medical rather thansurgical. It is again recommended that the rabbit's overall health belooked into, not only with the urinalysis and radiographs mentionedearlier, but also with a urine culture, serum chemistries, and acomplete blood count. This will allow the veterinarian to determine thedegree of infection and disease, and whether other organs, such as thekidneys are affected. Rabbits with "sludgy bladder" disease may requireseveral days of hospitalization for fluid and antibiotic therapy beforebeing discharged. They may need manual help from the veterinarian inexpressing the thick "sludge" from their bladders, and sometimes willrequire pain medication for bladder and urethral pain control andspasms.
At-home care for rabbits (after hospital treatment is complete) willinvolve a minimum of ten days of continued antibiotic therapy.Sometimes several weeks of antibiotics may be indicated if the urineculture indicates a severe infection. Dietary changes are also criticalif the rabbit is not to have a recurrence of bladder disease.
Rabbits (over six months of age) with a history of bladder problemsshould have pellets removed or severely restricted. They should receivea variety of fresh vegetables (at least a cup or more daily),excluding thosehigh in calcium such as kale. No alfalfa hay should be fed, buttimothy or grass hay should be available at all times. Animals that areoverweight should be encouraged to exercise a minimum of one hour atleast twice daily. This can be accomplished by letting them chase youand then you chasing them, up and down stairs and around the house.Some rabbits will spend a considerable time tossing a wire ball back toyou. There are numerous ways to both enjoy and exercise your rabbit atthe same time.
All rabbits that initially presented with bacterial growth on a urineculture should have a urinalysis and urine culture repeated after thecompletion of antibiotic therapy to be sure all infection is resolved.Also, even with all the treatments described and diet changes, thebladder stones may still reoccur in some rabbits and frequent (at leastevery six months) visits to the veterinarian for regular radiographs tocheck for recurrence is important. If caught early by an observantperson bladder disease should be controllable and should not cause anypermanent damage to the rabbit's health or life-span.
Thank you Zee for all that information! Wow.
Iszy's diet is not high in calcium at all. Would she still beat risk for a bladder disorder? She isn't peeing outside ofher room. She is just peeing around her litterbox and alongthe cage. She is still using her litterbox, but lately thereseem to be many accidents. I guess I just assumed that it wasPristine's scent that started this all. Perhaps I should haveher looked at by a vet?
Iszy's diet is not high in calcium at all. Would she still beat risk for a bladder disorder? She isn't peeing outside ofher room. She is just peeing around her litterbox and alongthe cage. She is still using her litterbox, but lately thereseem to be many accidents. I guess I just assumed that it wasPristine's scent that started this all. Perhaps I should haveher looked at by a vet?
Zee
Well-Known Member
Your welcome. I just copied it all from rabbit.org
Best thing I can probably suggest to you, is take her to the vets for a check-up.
I would love to help more, but I'm not that much of a rabbit savvy. Still learning myself.
Lissa wrote:
Best thing I can probably suggest to you, is take her to the vets for a check-up.
I would love to help more, but I'm not that much of a rabbit savvy. Still learning myself.
Lissa wrote:
Thank you Zee for all that information! Wow.
Iszy's diet is not high in calcium at all. Would she still beat risk for a bladder disorder? She isn't peeing outside ofher room. She is just peeing around her litterbox and alongthe cage. She is still using her litterbox, but lately thereseem to be many accidents. I guess I just assumed that it wasPristine's scent that started this all. Perhaps I should haveher looked at by a vet?
BunnyMom
Well-Known Member
I think having the vet check her is a good idea,just in case. But it does sound like it could be aterritorial thing. Poco and Skittles do the same thing -whoever gets let out second for playtime smells the one who was let outfirst and then pees.:X
Pet_Bunny
Well-Known Member
Lissa wrote:
Rainbows!
That's what happened when I had another bunny at ourhouse. Pebblesstarted peeing outsidethelitter box in the shared areas of the two bunnies, but shewas fine in her own cage. I thought she was losing her litterhabits when I let her outside too. Outside,she never established a certain spot for thetoilet. But now everything seems to settle down andshe is getting back to her routine with the litter box.
Rainbows!
