Female Rabbit - blood in urine

[binky_bunny]

Hi, I have a 1 year 9 months old female rabbit. She is unspayed. She has been losing blood since yesterday morning. The discharged blood also has clots. We took her to a vet. At first, they said that she might have some infection / growth in her bladder - but later said that it is not because of the bladder, but her uterus. The vet said that she could have some lesions and but wasn't sure of any growth and that surgery to remove her uterus would be the best treatment option. I wanted to know whether this course of treatment and assessment makes sense? If yes, how risky is this surgery (please note that here in India we have very few rabbit savvy vets)? We didnt get her spayed when she was young because the same vet said it's a very high-risk surgery (30-40%+). Now the same doctor is saying it only has 10-12% risk. Wanted to get a second opinion before getting her surgery done. Is this the best course of action? I am sharing some of her pictures, and her prescriptions and reports. Please let us know what you think - thanks a lot in advance!

 

[JBun]

If that is actual blood in her urine and the vet determined the blood wasn't from a urinary tract infection or kidney issue, but is bleeding from the uterus, then spaying would be the appropriate course to take, as this is likely related to the development of uterine issues or cancer.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Urine
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bloody_urine
Though if the vet hasn't done any testing to verify it is actually the uterus and not the bladder or kidneys that the blood is coming from, I wouldn't want them doing surgery until this was verified as the likely cause of the bleeding. But if there is severe bleeding, which it appears there is, this needs to be determined immediately and the appropriate treatment or surgery done right away or severe blood loss could occur.

The risk involved depends on how knowledgeable of a rabbit vet the vet is, and how severe the problem is your rabbit is experiencing. As with any surgery there is some risk, but having the best rabbit vet possible performing the surgery helps minimize those risks. If you're near Mumbai, the link below has a recommended rabbit vet listed. If you aren't near, maybe your vet could consult with this vet.

https://www.facebook.com/nomnomindia/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits

 

[binky_bunny]

Thanks a lot, JBun! We have scheduled her surgery for tomorrow. The vet did an ultrasound and is suggesting its coming from the uterus. Thank you for your advice and suggestions - it was very helpful!

 

[TammyP]

Thanks a lot, JBun! We have scheduled her surgery for tomorrow. The vet did an ultrasound and is suggesting its coming from the uterus. Thank you for your advice and suggestions - it was very helpful!

I was wondering how everything turned out for you and your bun? My bunny is experiencing some bleeding with clots. Took her to the vet who said she had a UTI...a bad one (there were casts cells present in her urine). My female is the exact same age as yours was at the time of post. She was prescribed Bactrim and appeared to be doing better. However, today I noticed she's bleeding again with clots. I'm going to try to get her in to see a vet that treats the bunnies at our state HRS (Ga). I have been planning on having her spayed, but have been in poor health. I am worried about the blood loss. What is too much, etc. Are there other ways to distinguish between uterine and urinary difficulties? I would appreciate any input!

 

[JBun]

If a rabbit is unusually lethargic or stops eating well, those can be some indicators that too much blood loss has occurred, enough to make a rabbit feel significantly unwell. Pale gums would be a definitive sign of excessive blood loss. A blood test can help determine if a rabbit does have anemia.

An ultrasound or xrays may help the vet better determine if there's something going on with the uterus, and if that's the cause of the bleeding and not the bladder. I would be inclined to think it's the uterus, as severe blood loss and clots from the bladder doesn't seem as likely without first having other bladder issues going on like bladder sludge.

This goes over some of the indicators of uterine problems, not necessarily cancerous.

https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/reproductive/c_rb_uterine_adenocarcinoma#.UHZcbsXA-So