Red Urination

Question
Hi,
i think my rabbit has a renal problem. He sometimes produce a red-colored urination which really troubles me because it looks too much like blood but very diluted blood. I feed him pellets and timothy hay with the occasional baby carrots and apples cores. Do you know what can possibly be wrong with him? He eats normally and drinks normally. I give him tons of free space and at least 4 hours of playtime everyday. Help.

Answer
Dear Sompong,

I'm happy to report that red, orange, and even brown urine is not uncommon in rabbits.  Sometimes it seems to be related to the type of food the bunny is eating, and sometimes it appears to be connected to emotional state, or even to medication the bunny is getting.  No one knows for sure.  But unless the red is actually blood, it is nothing to worry about.

Now, you ask:  what if it really *is* blood?  Although this is not common, it is possible.  Blood in the urine can be caused by uterine adenocarcinoma (cancer) in unspayed females, or it can be due to serious renal or bladder problems such as kidney stones, uroliths (bladder stones), or bladder sludge.  In these cases, the bunny will usually show other signs of illness, such as inappetence, lethargy, straining to urinate, or other abnormal behaviors.  

If your bunny is an unspayed female, it would be very wise for you to have her checked over and spayed by a rabbit-experienced vet.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

You can read more about urinary tract problems here:

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

If you are not sure if the orange color is due to pigments or to blood, your vet can test this with a simple test strip, or give you one to use at home.  That way you'll know whether further action needs to be taken.

Hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana