what is the right color of bunny urine?

[vivibee]

Recently I've noticed that my 5 yrs old mini-rex, Feichai, has been having expresso color urine, the texture is a little bit thicker than normal too. Is this healthy? What is the right color?
Please help me, I'm worried.... thank you very much

 

[GoinBackToCali]

Hey there! Your just up the road from me!

What is your rabbit's diet like? What they eat directly affects their urine color...although the thickness does concern me a bit..

 

[pamnock]

Normal urine can vary from creamy white to orange/red.

Urinary problems are more likely to develop in older rabbits. Low calcium foods/pellets to reduce urine sludge are often recommended in older rabbits. Watch for signs of straining to urinate or excessive drinking which can indicate a bladder infection. Adding moist foods to the diet can help to dilute the urine.

Pam

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

I too was thinking sludge too.

 

[vivibee]

Thank you thank you for all of your helpful informations! My rabbit is on a very simple diet, I give him the Oxbow pellet for adult rabbit, timothy hay (2 weeks ago he had only orchard hay, he never had that before, now is back to timothy hay), one chunk of carrot and water, oh, and 2 pieces of strawberry yogart treat (the Nutriphase brand).
Am I feeding him the right combination? He's 5 years old, is he getting very old? He's still very active and playful. What's the normal life span of a mini-rex? I'm always afraid to ask that question.....

thank you

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Please dont ever be afraid to ask questions, the only silly question is the one that is never asked. By asking questions, and reading you learn, and will educate yourself, and then in turn educate someone else down the road.



As far as his diet does he eat anymore veggies then carrots? A rabbit should have a varied diet of greens and things like that. Carrots should be given and treated as a snack, as that it should only be given in small amounts and occasionally. There are threads that have lists of the foods to feed and not to feed, i am sorry i cant get the links in here i am having computer trouble and dont have time to reboot :banghead:crash. As far as the yougurt treats there is much debate as to whether they are ok or not, I personally only give on very rare occasions, I still have a bag of yogurt treats from a while ago,lol. Someone else will hopefully chime in with the good and bads of them , and as far as life span I will leave that with someone who knows better about your breed. :bunny24

 

[vivibee]

Thank you for the insightful comments. yes, I do feed him mostly carrots, because he loves it! He is too spoiled. If I give him celery or other veggie, he would angrily push the bowl away and turn his back at me, when I put carrot in his bowl, he comes back. I will force him to eat a better variety of veggie from now on!

Thanks and good luck with your computer problem!

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

An adult rabbit should be getting very limted pellets, limited greens and unlimited grass hays of all varieties. Carrots have a lot of sugar and that can affect the kidneys. High calcium content of food can lead to lots of crystals in the urine...and possibly bladder stones and/or sludge. The darker urine could be a sign of sludge in the bladder or even an infection.

Hydration should be a priority. Make sure he is drinking lots of water. Some wet leafy greens such as romaine lettuce also help with hydration.

If you took him to a vet, most likely they would do a cytology of a urine sample. If there was a sign of bacteria, a full urinalysis. Probably an x-ray to see what is going on with the bladder...sludge shows up quite well on rads. And he would most likely get some sub-q fluids to help flush the renal system.

I would keep a close watch on this for signs of straining or signs of pain. I would suggest a vet visit. If it is an infection or sludge, early intervention is always good.

Randy

 

[vivibee]

Thank you all! I bought cilantro and bok choy for my bunny today, he finished them right the way! Afterwards he joined me on the sofa, licked me and snuggled with me, maybe a way to let me know that he likes leafy greens too! He doesn't have any sign of pain or strain. I'll watch him closely, hopefully the better combination of diet will help.
Thank you! :bunny18

 

[Offspring2099]

What is considered high/low calcium amounts in pellets?
We use Oxbow's Bunny Basics/T with Calcium max of 0.85%. Our Penny is about 4.5 yrs old, btw.

Thanks in advance.