Anyone have any luck retraining a rabbit to use their litter box again.

[Jada1]

BunBun is a Dwarf Lionhead who is 6 years old. She use to be uncaged and free to roam the living room and dining room. She loved running in big circles around the furniture and jump up to her favorite places.

In 2011 I started to have a problem of her not using the litter box all the time. I took her to the vet and found out it was the Kale that was causing the problem. That helped for a while, then she started getting worse about using her litter box again. I took her to 2 different vets who said after doing a urinalysis test that it was behavioral. I tried dealing with it, I finally called one of the vets again and she said let's try another urinalysis test. It showed that she had sludge and I ended up having her bladder flushed. The vet says that she doesn't know that she will go back to using her litter box. She has not. Does anyone have experience or knowledge with this problem? It is breaking my heart keeping her caged. :sad:

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Is she spayed?

 

[LakeCondo]

Are you avoiding all high-calcium foods. Per ounce of veggie, here are some mg calcium figures:
13 broccoli
91 carrot tops
11 celery
15 chard, swiss
28 cilantro
33 collards
57 dandelion greens
13 endive
68 kale
14 lettuce, leaf
41 parsley

 

[Jada1]

Yes she is spayed.

 

[Jada1]

BunBun does get 1 1/2 oz. of dandeline greens and 1 1/2 oz. of romain lettuce daily. She use to get other types of greens but they have been taken away because she also has a sensitive stomach.

 

[JBun]

Dandelion greens are a little high in calcium and you are giving her quite a bit, maybe they are causing problems as well. You could try cutting back on the dandelion greens and see if that helps. Also, what kind of pellets and hay do you feed her?

 

[Jada1]

I will try cutting it back to a 3/4 oz. and the rest romain and see if it helps. I wish she could have more variety but she can't have some of the other greens and the rest I have tried she won't eat. I give her oxbow pellets and oxbow hay.

Thanks

 

[whitelop]

So you're going to cut her back on dandelion greens and take all the romaine away? Maybe I misunderstood. The dandelion greens are the ones high in calcium, while romaine isn't.

 

[roxyllsk]

I think she meant she is going to cut back the dandelion and increase the romaine.

 

[Julie Bunny]

Julie has problems with calcium. Cilantro is low in calcium. Dandelion and Italian parsley are higher but are both diuretics so Julie can tolerate both in small amounts.

 

[Jada1]

I give her a total of 3oz. of greens daily, so I did mean that I would increase the romaine. She use to eat cilantro but it started causing her problems, she has always refussed to even try parsley along with other greens like chard and collards. She is a picky eater.

 

[Jada1]

I give her 3 oz. of greens daily. I meant that I would increase her romaine. I use to give her cilantro but it started to cause problems. She has never even been willing to taste the parsley when I have given it to her, she is a picky eater.

 

[whitelop]

Sorry, I misunderstood! It sounds like you have a good handle on what she's eating then.

 

[Jada1]

Thanks, I sure wish I could get her peeing under control.
P.S. I'm new here, I typed my reply twice because I didn't see that there was a page 2.