My 11 yr old bunny is getting very lazy with litter box habits

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JBG

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I have a wonderful 11 yr old bunny, which I got when he was 6 weeks old. For the past couple of weeks, he started urinating on the floor within his condo. He seems to be getting very lazy with his litter box habits. It's getting quite messy.

Does anyone have any suggestions to what I could do? :?

Thanks.


 
Have you had him checked by a vet? Whenever there is a change in bathroom habits, it's a good idea to get a check-up to rule out any health problems that may be an issue.

If there is no health problem, my first thought is maybe he has some arthritis and needs a box that is easier to get into. I bought a couple of these for my ferrets to use- http://www.leithpetwerks.com/prodpage.cfm?prod_code=MO400and they are pretty sturdy. The one side is pretty much open, it has a small lip so it might be a little messy.

Just some ideas. It'll be great to get some ideas from others so you have some different things to try.
















 
Thanks for the reply. My bunny does have arthritis in the spine. He was diagnosed with it a few years ago. He currently takes medication every other day for it. Being a Leithpetwerks customer myself, I had previously looked into the litter box that you suggested. It appears to be too big for the condo, built by Leithpetwerks, that my bunny has.
 
In addition to seeing a vet, I think it would be wise to invest in some puppy pads or vet bed to line the cage with so that your bunny doesn't get urine scald and to help with the mess.

I had a 9 or 10 year old bunny with arthritis, and I gave him a dose of metacam every day for pain management and cosequin every day for his joints.

That litter box also looks great!

Good luck!

Kathy
 
First off, congrats for having such a wonderful older bunny! He sounds wonderful, and very spoiled, which is as it should be. :biggrin:

One thing I will suggest, if your bunny is now having difficulty with a litter box due to health concerns, is purchasing some vet bedding for the floor of his condo. It's highly durable, washable, rabbit resistant, and is designed to keep animals safe and dry. The urine is wicked away from the matting and the top of the bedding remains dry, which in turn keeps bunny's feet/body from getting damp. I used it when I had a rabbit who became completely disabled, and it was the best thing I ever invested in for him, as it kept him not only dry and clean, but it protected his body from developing sores as a result of lying down. I now use vet bedding for my rabbit Yofi, who is prone to sore hocks...and ever since I put it in his cage, his sore hocks haven't returned.

If you ever do get some, see if you can also get something to put under it to help absorb the urine a bit (I currently use a mat that was designed for outdoor barbeques; also washable). The only drawback is having to change the bedding and do more washes, but it's definitely worth it.

Oh, and do you have any pictures of your bunny? Would love to see him! :biggrin:
 
My bunny is on Metacam for his arthritis too. He seems to be doing well on it.

The vet bedding sounds like a good suggestion. Is there a recommended place to where I could purchase it?

>> First off, congrats for having such a wonderful older bunny! He sounds wonderful, and very spoiled, which is as it should be.
Thank you. Caramel is wonderful and spoiled bunny. You're right, that's how it should be. :biggrin2:


 
After measuring the condo again, I decided to order the recommended litter box from LeithPetwerks - http://www.leithpetwerks.com/prodpage.cfm?prod_code=MO400 .

I also ordered a new Hay Rack that LeithPetwerks is now making. Hopefully, the hay rack will work to keep the hay out of any urine mess.

I just want to keep my little guy dry and clean. He's such a great animal :biggrin2:!!
 
I hope the litterbox helps!

I've seen the hayrack and really like the look of it (and price). I've been considering ordering it so I would love to hear what you think about it.
 
Evey wrote:
For the vet bed, I would check out Palace Petor American Pet Diner. It can be pricey, but the great thing is that you can wash it.
Thanks so much for the reply. The bedding looks great, but my little guy is a chewer and I think he'll enjoy nibbling on it.
 
The bedding looks great, but my little guy is a chewer and I think he'll enjoy nibbling on it.

My rabbit Anna is both a chewer and a furious digger. She has managed to fray the edges of the vet bedding I have (some of it now has taken on a pattern of it's own(!), but it's taken her a long time to do. The vet bedding with the thicker bedding (super deluxe? I think it's called) is the most durable for such things. What I do with Anna is, I secure the edges of the bedding as best I can (using multiple metal clips from a building supply) by clamping the bedding to the rungs of the cage; that way it's hard for her to grab the bedding. I can't completely outfoil her - after all, who can ever completely outfoil a determined rabbit? ;) - but the bedding has stood up to her digging and tugging and chewing quite well over the years.

Just thought I'd share that, in case you ever do decide to give vet bedding a try. :D Oh yeah, and this is tested by a rabbit who used to rip the diapers right off of Raph, the disabled bunny I had, as soon as I'd put them on him. Guess she didn't care for the little teddy bear design they had on them...
 
Some of the things I've done for cats and rabbits who have trouble hopping into a regular plastic litter box is 1) cut down one side of the plastic box with a saw or dremel and file down any sharp edges, or 2) just use a disposable cardboard litter box make out of box lids or cut-down boxes, line it with newspaper and throw it out when its full.

:goodluck:


sas
 
I callled LeithPetwerks and spoke to the owner, Scot. I was so surprised that he answered the phone. I told him I ordered the litter box without the front side (as suggested above), as well as the new hay rack he is now making. Scot told me that it is very common for an elderly bunny to lose bladder control. He said it usually occurs at 8 yrs old and it's amazing that my bunny, at 11 yrs old, just started now.

BTW: Scot also told me that at 6 yrs old, a bunny is considered to be a senior bunny.

I'm so thrilled that my bunny is doing great for his age.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
LeithPetwerks is an awesome company.

Generally I like to say that seven is senior, but the big guys don't live as long as the little guys, so its more of an average.

Five is a senior Flemish, but we have a number of 10+ dwarfs here. And we've had a couple of 15 and 16 year old mid-sized rabbits I do believe.

Still, a healthy 11 year old with just a bit of arthritis is a joy to see. :)

Congrats on good genetics and stellar care!


sas :bunnydance:
 
I purchased the vet bedding and it's been great for my senior bunny. It definitely keeps the urine away from him. In addition to the vet bedding, we've been putting antibiotic ointment and bag balm on his sore hocks. His sores are also healing making Caramel a very happy bunny again :D.
 

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