Sludge in the urine

[luna21]

Gizmo is 3 yrs old and has been peeing on the carpet a lot lately, it seems like he has been having issues peeing ( straining ) he's been having accidents which isn't like him. He is well litter trained and there isn't anything new ( smells or bunnies) I know its not behavioral. Today he peed on the carpet and I noticed what looked to be white sand like material in the urine and it was hard to clean off, it was stuck to the carpet. I have seen pictures of sludge and that's exactly what it looks like. His appetite is normal as is his poos and his pees, he is not on a high oxalate diet, he gets 2 cups of mixed fresh veggies every night ( endives, escarole, red leaf lettuce, baby greens) I give him a mix of 3 different kinds and switch them every week but its not often he gets high oxalate veggies like ( spinach, parsley, swiss chard ect..). He is on 1/2 cup of Martin timothy pellets a day and he weighs about 9-10 lbs, he is a lop. I will be switching him from Martin pellets to Oxbow pellets due to issues with shedding a lot and hearing about health issues with other rabbits on Martin pellets. I wont be making the switch till I find out whats going on with him and I am wondering if maybe the pellets are to blame for the sludge or if he is just predisposed to having kidney issues?

 

[Elliot]

Hope someone has the answer for you, and your bunny is ok. I am in the process of switching to Oxbow also. He won't eat the old pellets at all now.

 

[luna21]

Wow he won't touch the other pellets ? I sure hope both of my buns take to the oxbow pellets that well, gizz is fussy so I'm nervous about switching but I know its better for him in the long run.Thanks for the well wishes, I hope to find out what's going on with him, I get paniky when my buns get ill

 

[caustin4]

Sludge in the urine can mean multiple things. Sometimes it's as simple as needing to drink more water other times it indicates kidney or bladder disease. What sludge means is that there is an excess calcium build up in the urine. If its coating the urinary tract it can cause rabbits to strain when urinating. You won't know for sure the reason behind the sludge unless you take him to the vet. They will probably want to run tests as well. In the meantime you can try increasing his water intake either orally, or by administering subq fluids if you know how. Lowering his calcium intake might help as well. These methods may help clear up the sludge on their own if there isn't a larger issue.

On the bright side it's sludge not stones so surgery (most likely) will not need to happen.

 

[LakeCondo]

Rabbit Health in the 21st Century says sludge can be caused by [or a combination of] too much calcium, too little water [add unsweetened juice to the water], or inactivity.

 

[luna21]

I will be taking him to the vet to find out what's going on, he is a good drinker though but I do notice he's not as active as he used to be, I have never administered sub q fluids so if need be, I hope the vet can teach me. Meanwhile I will look at how to lower his calcium content via his diet.I have started him on 1/4 cup of the oxbow pellets mixed with a 1/4 cup of his old food, I am also wondering wether 1/2 cup of pellets might be too much to be giving him ? Based on his weight I thouht he was on the right amount?

 

[ZRabbits]

luna21 wrote:

I will be taking him to the vet to find out what's going on, he is a good drinker though but I do notice he's not as active as he used to be, I have never administered sub q fluids so if need be, I hope the vet can teach me. Meanwhile I will look at how to lower his calcium content via his diet.I have started him on 1/4 cup of the oxbow pellets mixed with a 1/4 cup of his old food, I am also wondering wether 1/2 cup of pellets might be too much to be giving him ? Based on his weight I thouht he was on the right amount?

Wishing you luck with the Vet visit. While you are there ask your Vet the amount of pellets your bun should be getting. That's what I did. And if he/she is a good Vet, they will teach you anything that you need to know to care for your bun. I know Dr. Joe does that with me. He's amazing. He even wants to learn more about them.

K

 

[luna21]

I think that's a good idea, I really love my vet she's really awesome. I think I may be giving him too much pellets based on his decreased activity levels and he may be overweight.