Blood in a 6 year old female rabbits urine

Question
my best friend has this 6 year old female rabbit named smokelet who had just recently started to have blood instead of urine and has had 1 litter. her owner has been worried and she (the owner) is really worried about smokelet. she researched the web and she found that it could be cancer, something she ate and its passing through the digestive system, or she has kidney failure. my best friend is worried sick. smokelet has been licking the urine and is extremely timid. smokelet usually isn't timid around her owner. what do you think is? id like to find out for my friend.

Answer
Dear Kelsey,

The most likely cause is uterine cancer, which is very common in unspayed female rabbits.  The older they get, the higher the risk, and at six, this bunny is a prime candidate.  

Please tell your friend to get her bunny to a good rabbit vet ASAP for diagnosis and spay surgery:

www.rabbit.org/vets

At her age, it would be wise for the vet to do chest radiographs to be sure the cancer has not spread to her lungs.  But the good news is that this type of cancer doesn't usually spread too rapidly, and if she is spayed and there are no metastases in her lungs, her prognosis will be very good.

Please read:

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

But get that bunny to a good vet now, before things get any worse. Worrying won't cure her.  Veterinary care might.

Dana