If your rabbit is straining to urinate or is "leaking" puddles outside the litterbox, this is something to be concerned about. The second, and much less common cause, is when the ureters become injured, usually from a cancerous growth. Bladder stones occur when clumps of excess calcium harden and form stones in the kidney and ureters. But as the condition progresses, you might notice any combination of these signs: While doctors aren’t sure of the exact cause of bladder stones, there is some connection to these risk factors that may be the reason why a rabbit develops this condition. Blood in the urine - although this is a misconception, since blood does not actually originate in the urinary tract but actually originates in the uterus Spotting, which is usually tinged with blood Discharge that may stick to the fur of the perineum or around the anus of the rabbit But if your rabbit isn’t showing any signs of distress, then this isn’t an emergency. Normal rabbit urine can span anywhere from a yellow color to a golden orange. In general a darker, more concentrated color of pee is a sign that your rabbit isn’t drinking as much. Composition Of Rabbit Urine. Bladder sludge is similar, but it is comprised of the thickened calcium that never quite forms into stones. The lack of bladder control in any dog, young or old, male or female, is a concern. When bladder control is lost, a rabbit's hindquarters become soaked with urine because he can't project the urine away from his body. Many pet owners know that dog urine can wreak havoc on a lawn, causing dead or dying brown spots, called "lawn burn," to appear seemingly overnight. The only way to really get your rabbit to stop spraying all over the house is to get them fixed. While it’s not necessarily a ‘normal’ rabbit urine color, it’s rarely a sign of any health concerns. Red urine is a descriptive term for the condition where a rabbit's urine varies in color from the normal pale yellow to dark yellow, carrot orange, brown, or bright red. About the urine on your bed being less yellow/smelly, I believe it gets smellier and darker in colour the longer it sits. If stones had been found in the kidneys of bladder, follow-up exams may be necessary to analyze your rabbit's response to treatment. They can even be used inside a litter box, in a litter area or to line a carrier for traveling. The rabbit urine is collected and mixed with compost and allowed to ferment for 20 days in order to convert it into liquid fertilizer. So when the rabbit hops up on the bed, their territorial instincts kick in and they have to pee to claim the bed as their own. Normal rabbit pee will usually be a little bit murky, not completely clear. Both of these conditions can be painful for a rabbit. One rabbit ordinarily produces 250ml of urine daily. Rabbit’s pass excess calcium along with their urine. If a urinary tract infection is present, that will be addressed first. “Bladder Stones and Bladder Sludge in Rabbits.”, Krempels, Dana, Ph.D. “Urine Scald: A Symptom of a Greater Problem.”. Other symptoms that may be noticed are red, inflamed skin around the perineum caused by urine scalding, and signs of discomfort. If you’ve experienced the strong stench of rabbit urine, you’ll want to train a rabbit to use a litter tray so that it doesn’t happen again. If the calcium and oxalate salts build up, it becomes too excessive for the urinary tract and can result in a thick, curry-colored sludge that sometimes has a consistency similar to toothpaste. The baldness and red, irritated skin are caused by "urine scald," and it can happen to any bunny whose urine soaks into the fur around her vent and is in constant contact with her delicate skin. Follow the Bunny Lady and her bunny partner Elusive and they seek to educate rabbit caretakers and make sure everyone is able to have a happy and healthy bunny in their home. A few years ago, there was a craze on rabbit urine. Your doctor will be able to do some testing to determine the cause of the symptoms in your rabbit and prescribe antibiotics for the infection. Urinating will become uncomfortable or even painful for the rabbit. Brown or dark urine typically means your rabbit is a little dehydrated. Bottom line, our rabbits should bring joy to our home not a urine smell. But there are still steps we can take to make this condition less likely for our rabbits at home: The other common urinary health problem for rabbits is urinary tract infection (UTI), also known as Cystitis. link to Are Rabbits Low Maintenance Pets? If he is not neutered he is likely marking his territory. And, just like humans, rabbit urine can vary in color and consistency depending on their diet and hydration levels. Rabbits with incontinence caused by neurologic disease have limited recovery potential.Â, Loss of Voluntary Control of Urination in Rabbits, Feeding Kittens 101: What to Feed, How Much, and How Often, How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Dog Ear Infections, Damage to the local nerves that control the bladder and valve function, Injuries of the cerebellum and areas of the brain that control voluntary urination, Development or structural disorders in the urinary tract that may cause backflow of urine, Risk factors include inadequate water intake — which may be due to dirty water bowls, unpalatable water, changing water sources, or inadequate water provision, Inadequate cleaning of the litter box or cage may cause some rabbits to avoid urinating for abnormally long periods, Obesity, lack of exercise, and feeding of only alfalfa-based pellet diets, Adding calcium or vitamin/mineral supplements to the diet, For neurologic causes — improper restraint, which can lead to injuries, Injury, paralysis of rear limbs, spinal disease. You can often know if your rabbit loves you by how relaxed they are around you (learn more about how to know your rabbit loves... My name is Amy and I am the Bunny Lady! For the most part, if your rabbit has red pee then there is nothing to worry about. If you believe your rabbit has a UTI, take your rabbit to the vet. Clean your rabbits litter box every day. And although it mainly affects the urinary and kidneys systems, the rabbit may also have skin burns and irritation around the genital areas due to urine leakage. My female rabbit right now has very smelly pee, while the two male buns in the household don’t smell much at all. This marvelous ointment does wonders on inflamed flesh and also dissolves caked- on feces. Rabbit droppings are rich sources of the primary nutrients needed by plants, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. I believe that rabbits do this because your bed is covered in your scent. And that includes rabbits. This is a behavior that’s more common in male rabbits, but is also seen in female rabbits. Otherwise you’ll be cleaning up pee stained sheets very frequently. They absorb as much calcium as they can from their diets and then excrete the excess through their kidneys and out with the pee. Apply a tray to this location, filled with soiled hay. In fact, the two can often occur simultaneously since bladder sludge build-up is sometimes the root cause of a bladder infection. Get a sample of your rabbits pee and pour a little bit of hydrogen peroxide on it. I am a lifelong rabbit lover and have been specializing with rabbits at my local animal shelter. Some rabbits are worse than others. If you do find this happening very frequently though, it might be time to take a look at your rabbit’s diet and reduce some of the calcium high food. She is also a former veterinarian assistant, and author of the popular online dog training course "Brain Training for Dogs. That can’t possibly be normal, can it? There are a lot of stories about rabbits who will hop onto their owners bed and take a whiz on the sheets even if they have been fixed. Urinary incontinence is clinically described as a condition in which there is loss of voluntary control of urination, usually observed as accidental urine leakage. Sludge buildup can be very painful and can cause urine leakage and incontinence. 1. If high calcium levels are present in the urine, fluid therapy can be beneficial for keeping the urinary tract clear. As with all conditions, symptoms will vary from rabbit to rabbit, with some exhibiting very subtle signs, and others showing severe discomfort and clinical signs. But that’s not always the case. About the author: Adrienne Farricelli is a certified dog trainer and behavior consultant. A couple steps to help keep your house from smelling like rabbit pee: For most people, there is no reason to be wary of rabbit urine. Practicing basic personal hygiene by washing your hands after you come in contact with rabbit pee is all you really need to do. Not all rabbits do this, but it is surprisingly common. This is often caused by a loss of bladder tone (normal tension and sensitivity) or an obstruction of the bladder. However, UTIs tend to return if you don’t take steps to prevent them in the future. These triggers can cause urine leakage. The loss of voluntary control of urination in rabbits is also known as urinary incontinence. You are probably reading this because you’re worried that something is wrong with your rabbit’s urine. In addition to urine scalding on the skin, rabbits with incontinence may dribble small amounts of urine when picked up or in atypical areas (carpet, upholestry, your lap). The popularity of the pet rabbit is continuing to increase, as is the amount of diagnostic work that is being carried out for them. Bladder sludge is when you see sediment or sand-like particles in your rabbit’s pee, and this is cause for concern. If you are new to caring for rabbits, check out the Bunny Lady bimonthly newsletter. Treatment is usually given on an outpatient basis; in fact, the need for hospitalization is rare. I’m assuming you notice pee on your bed right away, and her litterbox probably isn’t cleaned as quickly as you notice the urine on your bed. You should increase your rabbit’s water intake, change her diet, and make sure her litter pan is always clean. Collecting urine for the garden - YouTube Therefore, with at least five rabbits, a farmer can tap a litre of rabbit urine a day. While technically possible, infections from this for people with healthy immune systems is extremely rare. When did you first notice this change in the rabbit's urine? Rabbits are herbivores and thus the urine is normally alkaline (pH 8-9) and turbid. However, surgical removal of gall and/or kidney stones may be necessary. Overflow incontinence — Extremely frequent urination and an inability to completely empty the bladder. The most common UTI is bacterial cystitis, which can be treated with antibiotics. Red urine is not a medical problem. This is just excess calcium that your rabbit doesn’t need. Rabbit poop is usually hard, dry pellets made up almost entirely of digested hay fibers, which turn out to be fairly easy to clean up. If you are still worried that there might be blood in your rabbits pee, or the color has not returned to a golden or amber color after a few weeks, you can perform a hydrogen peroxide test to determine if there is any blood in your rabbit’s urine. Unfortunately rabbit pee does have a very distinct scent to it. Appearing constipated while trying to urinate. She helps to socialize the rabbits and educate volunteers on the care and behavior of these small mammals. If the rabbit pee is a uniform, consistent red color (bright or dark red), it is almost certain that the coloring is not from blood. Urge incontinence — Common in older men and women. This process is guided by deeper inspection of the apparent outward symptoms, ruling out each of the more common causes until the correct disorder is settled upon and can be treated appropriately. Urinalysis . In addition, if a rabbit has sprayed, the urine will have a stronger odor than urine that was released inappropriately. White ‘urine’ is just a calcium deposit and it’s nothing to worry about. Male rabbits will typically have more pungent pee than females. rabbits with incontinence may dribble small amounts of urine when picked up or in atypical areas (carpet X-rays, meanwhile, may demonstrate calcium deposits in the urinary tract and/or kidney stones. Two of the most frequent urinary health problems that exist in rabbits are Bladder stones and the related bladder sludge. In fact, they usually have a much higher blood calcium level than most other animals we have as pets. If there's anything unusual about your dog's urination habits, for example, if it's started peeing in the house, a trip to the vet is a good idea.Your vet may be able to rule out some of … Urinary incontinence is most common in middle-aged rabbits (3-5 years old). Healthy rabbit urine. But if the litter box is too messy, they’ll be forced to do their business outside of it. Your rabbit will usually follow its … Raising Rabbits:. But if the pee looks excessively cloudy or murky, that is a sign of a more serious bladder condition. But what about red pee? Clean out your rabbit’s litter box daily. Rabbit waste is the end form of rabbit feed; rabbits are normally fed with greens, which they convert effectively to a rich matter as a result of the fermentation that takes place in their caecum. More often, rabbits will try to spray on vertical surfaces, rather than flat surfaces, but that’s not always the case. Besides being a comfy bed, they are also a ble to absorb and hold urine without leaking. Rabbit urine has a relatively high ammonia content, so it will smell like diluted ammonia. Cardboard is not recommended, as rabbits will chew it, it holds onto odors and urine will quickly soak through it. According to the Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, rabbits live an average of eight to 12 years. Golden, amber, red, and clear urine are all possible colors of your rabbits urine. Right after you sign up, you’ll receive a FREE pdf rabbit care guidebook. The absence of sediments in the urine is indicative of renal failure.