Urine

Question
Hi there, I have an approximately months old doe. She's just started puberty I think ( due to alot of chinning, she wasn't chinning before this week, and the whole teenage behavior : ie digging ALOT ) and she's recently started this odd behavior. She's been running around with her tail upwards ( like a deer!) and it's not in aggression, she runs after us with her tail up and around our feet. This is not really what's worrying me, what's worrying me is that she's been leaving small puddles of urine around the house and is litter trained. She's drinking, eating normally and playing as much as she usually does. There's not teeth grinding or hunching.  Is this sexual maturity or could there also be some urinary tract infection?

I will be bringing her to the vet this week. ( my vet in unavailable until monday)

Thank you so much for you response.

Answer
Dear Melissa,

Your bunny is sexually aroused when she runs, uptailed, around your feet.  If you listen very closely, you'll also probably hear her uttering little honking noises, which are her love song.  :)

As cute as this is, it means she's getting close to the time for being spayed, since unspayed, unbred female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine cancer:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

You can find an experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The puddling could be marking due to her impending maturity, but it's a good idea to have the vet check her out, to be sure there's no problem with her urinary tract.  Please read:

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

for more information on common urinary tract problems in rabbits.

Hope this helps.

Dana