2 rabbits

Question
My 3 year old rabbit has sludge in his urine and there are no exotic vets within 100 miles of me that I know of.  What can I do for him?

My 3 month old rabbit has a sneeze now and then, daily.  No other symptoms and is very friendly and active.  Should I be concerned?

Answer
Dear Laura,

For the first bunny:

Unfortunately, the problem your bunny has is metabolic and genetic, and diet will do little to solve the problem.  He has a deficiency in his ability to metabolize and maintain calcium in his bones, and is excreting it in his urine.  The runny poop is very likely a side effect of the discomfort he suffers from the sludge.

The only thing we have found effective at controlling a sludge bunny's problem is subQ fluid therapy *and* (most importantly), gentle expression of the bladder when it's full.  You will need a good, experienced rabbit vet to show you how to do this safely:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Although you say there are no exotics vets within 100 miles of you, you might be able to find someone on that list.  Or possibly there is a regular dog/cat vet who can still show you how to do a safe, gentle bladder expression, which can be done a couple of times a week to keep the problem under control.

When we started Hamish on this regimen, his bladder was solid sludge.  But after a few expressions (after his bladder was full from subQ fluids), we saw less and less of a problem.  Before expressing, we always gently jiggled the bladder to be sure to suspend the crystals so they would come out more easily.  We also found that holding the bunny upright (in sort of a "standing" position on his hind legs) made it easier for bun to pass the sludge.

After a few months, Hamish was pretty much sludge free, though we continued the therapy once every few weeks, just to be sure.

For the sniffly bunny, please read:

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

I hope you can find a local vet willing to help you with these problems, or at least willing to consult with other vets via:

www.rabbit.org/

Hope this helps.

Dana