Possible Diabetes?

Question
Hello & I want to thank you first for such a great & free forum! My less than 1 year old female unspayed bunny is drinking excessive water, about 32 oz. a day. She seems very healthy otherwise physically & personally.

I feed her a small cup of pellets daily, tim hay in unlimited amounts (re-fill when low) and greens every other day. I sometimes (at least weekly) feed her small amount of fruits, depending on what is in my fridge.

Due to her excessive drinking she is urinating a ton where it is hard to keep up with being an indoor bunny too. My family has come into a unfortunate situation of The Extreme Budget, temporarily (hopefully) so the simple blood panel screen from the vet is not an option.

Is there any home remedies or anything in particular I should be watching for (or doing) outside of what I currently am? I should also note that nothing has changed with her routine or environment. She is out of her cage a few hours a day and constantly goes back into it to urinate. I love her to death & I feel back up against the wall about this due to finances!!!

Answer
Dear J.J.

Diabetes is very rare in rabbits.  Unfortunately, it is more likely that she has renal disease, which also causes the signs you describe. But the only way to confirm that is with bloodwork.  You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

In the meantime, provide her with lots of clean water and fresh veggies.  Check her diet here:

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

In case this is renal disease, avoid foods that are high in protein.  It sounds as if her diet is already good.

Many rabbits with renal disease manage their own conditions very well just by drinking a lot and keeping the toxins flushed from their systems osmotically.  But eventually she may need supportive care, if she really has renal problems.

I hope this helps you plan for the future.

Dana