spraying

Question
I have an 11 year old dwarf bunny and he lives in the house. We only cage him at night and during the day when we are not at home.
He goes to the bathroom primarily in his cage however when he is out we have puppy pads set up for him to use. He has started to spray almost as if he cannot control himself. He jumps with excitement and sprays. Could it be that he is just getting old and cannot control it any longer or is there something I can do to stop it? A bunny diaper would do the trick. I don't like keeping him in his cage but I also don't like the mess. Please tell me you can help.....

Answer
Dear Sherri Ann,

If this has happened at this stage in his life, I would suspect a urinary tract problem such as a bladder infection, bladder stone, or bladder sludge making him incontinent.  Please see:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

and find a rabbit-savvy vet here:

http://www.rabbit.org/vets

It's unusual that he would spray, which is usually a hormone-related thing.  This could indicate a problem with his adrenal gland, which the vet could also address.  

A complete wellness check including blood work and possibly radiographs to check for abnormal masses might be in order at this time.

I hope this helps.

Dana