Sludge

[KeltonB]

Hi gang,

Seems one of my buns has developed a sludge issue...was hoping for some insight from the folks here who've experienced this problem.

Background: Clover, male, neutered, six years old, breed unknown (see picture). Diet is unlimited Oxbow timothy hay, Oxbow Bunny-Basics T pellets, a small piece of fruit each morning (apple, banana or strawberry), one treat approx 2-3 times each week (dried papaya or pineapple), bowl of fresh greens each night, generally a mixture of red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, endive, parsley, cilantro, celery, turnip greens, mustard greens and baby carrot. Unlimited water in bowl.

Anyone see anything in his diet that could potentially be causing the sludge problem? Today is the first day with this problem. He seems to be moving and acting normally, including appetite.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Flick]

It is not known for absolutely sure that diet causes sludge. On the other hand it's not known for sure that it doesn't.

A couple of my bunny friends have used MediRabbit's "recipe" with success. Add 1 cc of liquid magnesium to the rabbit's water (about 20 oz of water) daily. My friends use Eidon's liquid magnesium. Once the sludge has cleared up, add the magnesium every other day.

MediRabbit page:

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/LiquidMg/Liquid_magnesium.htm"

 

[Flick]

Also, you can give him about a tablespoon, or less, of unshelled raw pumpkin seeds which will help to flush calcium from his system. You can get pumpkin seeds at a grocery store in the "bag your own" aisle or a health food store. All my rabbits get pumpkin seeds at night and they all happy-dance for them. It's the only treat they get.

 

[tonyshuman]

Wow this is a new thing. I'd like to know the rationale for magnesium reducing sludge. I do trust Medirabbit but would like to see some more detail on this treatment before I'd recommend it.

Some of the veggies you mentioned are a bit high in oxalates and calcium, which can cause trouble. Turnip and mustard greens, along with parsley would be in this category. Removing them from the diet could be helpful.
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/calcium.html

 

[NDrAbBiTs58041]

Carrots are high in sugar and u did
Mention that u r giving fruit a well. Way
To much sugar given. I was giving carrots
Along with lettuce and parsley and I was told
That the carrots are high in sugar an should
Only be given as a treat.
I would cut back on the fruit and carrots given.

I have a bun that I think just is prone to
Sensitive tummy. I haven't have him any sense
We had a little scare with no poo. I just now
Give the veggies, pellets, and unlimited hay.

 

[carlysoup]

How is someone sure, exactly, that a rabbit has sludge? I feel like I know what to look for but I have never seen a picture? Just curious and not trying to derail this thread. I want to be more informed.

 

[KeltonB]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

carlysoup, I didn't take any pictures (but should have)...there is a good description at this page:

http://www.rabbit.org/health/urolith.html

What I noticed was after it had dried, it was almost like a small pile of very fine sand.

 

[Flick]

There are pictures of sludge on the MediRabbit site as well as x-rays of a rabbit with sludge and after receiving the magnesium treatment, he was still sludge free 10 months later. I would not so easily recommend this treated except I know the rabbit, Scotchie. I bunny-sat him for a couple of weeks for the owners. Scotchie isn't fed any veggies at all, just Oxbow pellets and hay and still he would get sludge and need to have his bladder flushed. I think, eventually, a little sludge did come back, but he hasn't had to get the bladder flushed since receiving the magnesium treatment.

 

[carlysoup]

Wow, all of this is very helpful. I always want to be aware of what to look out for in my little ones.

 

[tonyshuman]

Here are some other useful sites. I find the pictures of the range of what is normal for rabbit urine to be very illustrative.
http://www.petcarevb.com/wordpress/rabbits/calcium-metabolism-in-rabbits/
http://www.greendale.co.uk/rabbit_urinalysis.html

 

[rabbit_friend]

Aw, what a cutie! He looks like two of mine.

I know two of my bunnies (one that looks like yours) will excrete sludgy stuff when fed dandelions (high in calcium), but are not similarly affected by Italian parsley. One of them has a buildup of sludge in his bladder but the exotics vet said it was remaining constant so she was not as concerned as if it was increasing.

It actually doesn't sound like full-blown sludge, more like heavy calcium excretion. What you are looking for is yellowish stuff that feels clay-like. Here is the medirabbit page with a picture: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/generalities/Sludge.htm

An xray would be worth doing to know for sure if he has a problem. Sometimes they will excrete sludge-like stuff but not have any worrisome buildup in the bladder. Sludge will readily show up on xray as white areas in the bladder and can probably be done without anesthesia, if your bunny is calm enough. Would be worth it to see if you should worry or not ;-)