bunny with urinary problems

Question
QUESTION: I have a 9.5 year old rabbit who was straining to urinate yesterday. He would make lots of little puddles with a few drops of blood in them all over the place and in his litterbox. I stayed up with him all through the night so I could be with him - he would eat his greens, carrot and hay and cuddle with me on the floor and lick me as always but he had these urinary problems and it would worries me so much. I called lots of vets emergency numbers but they wouldnt help me over the phone. In the morning he went to sleep like he does every morning he is active at night and sleeps a good part of the day. He seemed more relaxed - it was sunday so the vets were all closed and the emergency vet is not a rabbit vet. Well he eats very good and poops good and seems to be himself but he is not drinking he is not straining so much as the night before and there is no blood in the urine today. I offered him a teaspoon of pedialyte water but he didnt want any I made him some cranberry juice by boiling some cranberries in water - he took a sip but didnt like that either. I boiled and strained some carrots and made a carrot juice which he didnt want either ( he had liked sipping that when he was sick with stasis a few months ago ). He is acting his normal self pooping and eating and cuddling. I love him so much. I havnt seen any blood in his urine today. His diet consists of spring greens where I pick out romaine lettuce, the little leaves that look like dandelions - probably chicory, some little bits of endive and those acorn leaf shaped lettuce leaves, one carrot a day at midnight and half an apple at around 2 during the day. He also gets bunches of store dandelion leaves - they are different then the outside ones. Lately he only wants parsley when he is not feeling good. I ve cut out brocoli because I m afraid of gas. He has a sensitive tummy i have to be careful with his food. He has orchard grass hay as well. In the mornings he gets a tablespoon of rolled oats which he loves. He is lively at night and wakes me up for food I give him greens and a bit of rolled oats whenever he wakes me up by jumping into bed sometimes every two hours. what could be wrong with him.

ANSWER: Dear Christine,

The signs you describe are consistent with any number of urinary tract problems, from a bladder stone to bladder infection or bladder sludge.  Please read:

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

and find an experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Your bunny definitely needs veterinary help.  This problem will not go away on its own, and could promote serious complications.  It is also obviously painful.  So no matter what treatment the vet recommends, be sure to ask about pain management until this can be done.

I hope this helps.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My 9.5 year old bunny with urinary problems. I brought him to the emergency vet. The vet was very good. They put him on sub q fluids and metcam once a day. Is that safe for him I heard it cause stomach problems - is it enough for pain. He is not drinking anything and was straining a lot. The fluids made his skin turn a nice pink again - it was a purplish grey before and his heart rate seemed to be up thats why rushed him to the hospital. Afterwards he wasnt straining so much and his color temperature was normal but he still is not drinking at all. He was in the hospital last night and it is now 2 pm. he is eating pretty good and pooping good. He can get stasis easily and he is to get metcam every evening for the next four days. Is it safe.  Also is orchard grass safe for him to eat - he likes it - is it too high in calcium - more than timothy? Are the store bought dandelions too high in calcium - he has been having them since August and it is now February. Thank-you. I love my little Schnally so much. oh, he gets .63ml of metcam every evening for the next four days. The doctor says he needs a urninalysis done, and  x- ray, with the x-ray he needs to be sedated which has risks and hecould need his bladder flushed. he also  to get some citrate from the drugstore to mix in his water. Is citrate okay for him. He said I could try the sub q fluids and metcam first. He was very knowledgeable and did a lot of research before I got there.

Answer
Dear Christine,

Looks like you lucked out with a good emergency vet!

1.  Metacam is safe for rabbits, with the usual caveats:  Any NSAID *can* cause some degree of increase in stomach acid, and so can increase risk of ulcers.  But that is less of a concern than potential reduction of blood flow to the kidneys (also caused by NSAIDs).  Over time, this can cause damage.  This is why NSAIDs are often contraindicated for bunnies with renal problems.

2.  Citrate is okay.  SubQ fluids will help, but also be sure to jiggle his bladder to try and suspend the sludge that might be blocking him.  It helps to hold bun so he's standing upright on his back feet, and then you gently jiggle the area of his bladder, as if you were jiggling a water balloon.

3.  Ask the vet to show you how to express his bladder, if the vet feels it is safe enough and the bladder wall is not compromised.  If there is a risk of rupture, then don't go there.

4.  Orchard grass and dandelion are fine.  If this is bladder sludge, then it's a metabolic problem that will not be significantly affected by diet.  It's just something that can come on with age.  :(

5.  How much does Schnally weigh?  That sounds like a lot of metacam, unless he's a pretty big bunny.  What is the concentration of the metacam, in mg/ml?  (It's usually 1.5mg/ml)

Hope he continues to improve!

Dana