what's wrong?

[twitch-6]

basically what the description says. dexter is a 6 year old rabbit, i only got him in the fall from a person that could not keep him due to personal declining health. i have since learned that this person did not know as much as she thought she did about caring for bunnies.

i have since had dexter neutered and until recently he was religiously using the litter box. i got him a new cage recently (he really seems to like this one and comes out MUCH more often to visit with the humans) but he was still using his litter box perfectly. about 5 days ago now he stopped using it as well as he used to and 4 days ago he started pooping werid. it looks like that black gunk that a newborn human baby first poops. but he still poops normal some times too. it doesn't seem related to what he his being fed either. then on sunday i found a dried pee puddle he hid inside his igloo that had what looked like died blood in it.

i have called the vet and am waiting on a response on what it could be (she ahd to do some research-but is the best and one of the few rabbit vets in my area). i was just wondering if anyone here has had the same experience and can at the very least give me a name to the illness that i could look up and read on. i browsed through the library here but i don't know what i'm looking for and there so much there that it becomes a bit daunting trying to sift through it without a name.

other then the strange poops, not using his litter box and the one time that i saw that blood dexter is completely himself, giving me loads of attitude and chasing the cat. he's eating and drinking just like he always has too.

any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pipp]

Has he been straining to pee? And are you sure the pee has been normal the rest of the time? Normal colors, consistency?



sas :?

 

[aurora369]

Are the poops black shiny and in little clusters? Does it smell different, almost sweet? If so, chances are your bunny is producing excess cecals (night pellets). They are supposed to eat them all, but sometimes when they make too many they leave some lying around.

As for the pee, it could be due to dehydration. Has he been drinking as much water? Rabbit urine can change colours from clear to cloudy yellow to red. It's all normal, but a sudden change paired with litter box habits changing is a bit concerning. Also, when the pee dries, it always goes a darker colour.

Perhaps he's developing a bit of a bladder infection?

Do you notice him straining when he's trying to pee or looking like he has to work harder?

If there is blood in the urine, it will be in little clots or strings. If it's only the urine itself being discoloured, it's most likely something he ate or dehydration.

The excess cecals can normally be fixed with diet changes. Normally less carbs and protein will help.

--Dawn

 

[twitch-6]

i haven't noticed him straining to do his business. i didn't know their urine could be naturally red. there were no clots or strings of blood, it just looked like a splotch of red with the yellow. i clean his cage each day and have only seen this once. the fact that he's not using his litterbox that i was able to see it in the first place though is odd for him. he always has access to water and food though i can't remember now if he had water in his bottle when i got up that morning or not. it should have though. its not been leaking and i normally change the water when i get up in the morning and before i go to bed at night.

i never smelled his poop. the weird poop isn't in clusters at all though, there is no sign that they were ever going to be round pellets at all. quite literally it looks like what a human baby would poop. its sticky though, i have difficulty getting it off the bottom of the cage on off the top of his hut. but he' still pooping his normal poop too. but again, for the most part he's doing his business outside the litter box, which he never used to do before.

 

[aurora369]

Hmmm.... The poops sound like they are either malformed cecals or mushy regular poops.

What is his current diet? How much pellets and what kind of pellets is he getting? How much hay does he eat? What kind of veggies does he get and how often?

You can try giving the cage a good clean with diluted vinegar to take away the pee smell to try and encourage him back in the box. It also works wonders for getting that poop up. Give it a few squirts from a spray bottle, let it sit for a minute and wipe up.

Now, the red spot of pee was a smaller spot in a larger urine puddle? How big was the red spot compared to the rest of the urine?

I'm still suspecting some sort of bladder problem. Either an infection or stones.

Best to get him in to the vets for a professional opinion. Hopefully they can fit you in soon.

--Dawn

 

[Pipp]

aurora369 wrote:

I'm still suspecting some sort of bladder problem. Either an infection or stones.

This is definitely a possiblity, any change in litter habits can indicate this kind of a problem and can also cause stress reactions like the runny poops.

How long ago was he neutered?If it wasn't all that long ago,complications can also be explored.

But he'll need to be palpated by a vet for any irregularities like stones or masses, and he'll need his urine tested.

Failing answers there,I'd think xrays would bethe best course of action, although maybe a blood test to check the kidneys? (I think we need Ivory, Pam or Randy to comment on that one).

Meanwhile, here are some links:

Urinary Problems

Good luck!



sas :clover:

 

[naturestee]

The runny yet hard to clean poops sound very much like runny cecals to me, especially since he is also having normal poops. Lots of experience with that. I've never noticed them smell sweet, more like onion and skunk. What exactly is his diet? Pellet type, brand, and nutritional content? Veggies, hay type (and does he eat it?), treats, any recent changes? Sometimes cecal problems are from parasites (coccidia) or a bacterial infection, but more often they are caused by diet issues.

The spot of red in the yellow urine is also very concerning. Definitely need a vet to check that out. Dawn and SAS gave great advice for that.