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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A real bad urine burn, how to help

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    • jayne fine
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        My bun Millie ended up with urine burn on her legs/body; she was in a cage too small for a week with some friends and then as soon as I got her back I sprained my back and couldnt bend down; I’ve never had a rabbit before and I guess I overestimated her ability to tell that she had the ability to not be sitting in her own pee (ie, she would pee outside her litter box and then just chill there without moving out of the pee).  I feel horrible that I didnt notice- I don’t pick her up (because she wont let me) and I cant see her back legs unless she stretches in a weird way because her but is super fluffy and hides them (she’s a very fluffly lop).  Obviously I messed up, and I’m doing my best to get her back in shape.

         I got her to the vet; they shaved her/bathed her where they needed and gave me some antibiotics/probiotics.  I’m bringing her back monday so that they can clean her up more.  Apparently she was also dehydrated and underweight (I think because she refused to eat hay for a little while, not sure about the dehydration, maybe she isnt ok with a water bowl?  I’m going to get her a bottle tomorrow).  She has hay she likes now, and a lot of water, the right amount of pellets (the pellets and hay is oxbow) and a lot of dark greens daily.

         the vet told me VERY firmly that I needed to get her a cage with a wire bottom.  To my knowledge, wire is bad for buns.  She also said that plastic is not ok to use as a base in a cage.  Right now she’s in a medium dog crate (about 36 by 23″ I think).  SI’m confused, because everything I’ve read doesnt mention plastic and also I could only find 1 place that said wire was better for rabbits than solid base cages.

        I’d been using newspaper in her little bx, I have carefresh in there now along with her hay.  I have it in the front of her cage now to soak up the pee, but she’s been sleepingin her litter box and peeing in the very front of the cage so I’m not sure how to deal with her pee so she isnt standing in it?

        SO: how to I keep her so she’s comfortable while she heals and then afterwards so it doesnt happen again.

         AND: should I be worried something else is wrong with her? like, her peeing and then sitting in it and apparently not drinking enough water even though she has some? the vet suggested I add som gatorade to her water for a little while so she wants to drink it more, which I did.  I’ve seen suggestions that UTI’s or other bladder issues can cause incontenence and make it hard for them to control their bladder?

         I’m a full time college student and can’t get her to another vet for a second opinion without a whole lot of hassle but I’m worried and I want to be told that she’s going to be able to heal and be ok and make sure there isnt anything else going on.  The vet I took her to basically treated me like an irresponsible college kid who thought she was getting herself an easy pet, which I’m not.  They tried to start at the most basic level of rabbits with me, which I’ve covered already, and she basically claimed to have been working with rabbits for a few years and to have found wire floors better and that I needed to get her a real hutch or else it wouldnt go away.


      • tobyluv
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          Has Millie always peed outside of her litter box, or is this something new? If it is new, that could be an indication of a UTI or bladder stones. It could also mean that she got upset by being in another place, and in a too small cage, and now she has changed her habits.

          Wire is very hard on a rabbit’s feet. They can get sore hocks which is very painful. You don’t want to trade one problem for another one.

          You also don’t want her sitting in puddles of urine. You might have to buy puppy pee pads to cover the base of her crate, or use towels, changing them when they get wet. Imitation sheepskin pads are also good, and they wick away moisture.

          Here is a page dealing with disabled rabbits, that lists the various types of pads you can use for them. Not that Millie is disabled, but some of these products may be helpful in keeping her dry and clearing up her urine burn. http://www.disabledrabbits.com/bedding.html.

          Is Millie spayed? It’s more difficult to litter box train a rabbit that isn’t spayed or neutered.

          I’m not sure about the advice your vet is giving you. I know that the vet wants to keep Millie dry, but saying she should only be on a wire bottomed cage doesn’t sound good to me.

          I hope that she will heal soon.


        • jayne fine
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            I’ll get some puppy pee pads tomorrow; she doesnt usually shew on things so I dont think she’ll try to destroy them.

            I think I’m going to try and find a better vet; I just really dont agree with wire-bottom cages being good choices for keeping rabbits clean. She used to pee in her litter box more; she never peed there excluisively but she has been peeing around more. I think a lot has to do with her being moved around (she also got brought back 10hours to NY with me over fall break and then back again two weeks ago).


          • DethronedbyQueenB
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              Hi Jayne,

              Sorry to hear about your poor bun but so glad you are trying to do the right thing now.

              I am guessing maybe the vet may have been so insistent on a wire cage because while a wire cage is harsh and a bit cruel to me, it would probably be better than an owner allowing the bunny to get burned so badly. Perhaps a lesser evil? It sounds like you won’t let this happen again so if you can keep bunny safe this time then I would not do a wire cage. Before I built a larger, more appropriate cage, I kept my buns in one of those store bought cages and never had any issues with it being a plastic bottom but I cleaned it diligently, checking twice a day for any pee piles. I use a cat scooper and scoop out the wet stuff.

              Sounds like your bun has really had a rough go, sending best wishes for a lovely future.


            • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                I completely ditto Dethronedbyqueen-I think the vet was very concerned about the state your rabbit was in and suggested a lesser evil. A wire bottom cage is suitable f they aren’t being cleaned. If you can clean the cage/litter then a wire bottom cage would not be ideal.


              • jayne fine
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                  yeah, I know now I have to clean it more. I had rats before this, and it was never a real health danger for their cage to get a little dirty; I didnt realize that it could be so dangerous for rabbits, especially because I didnt think her cage was too dirty.

                  I might be looking for a different vet, I think. I’m going to call tomorrow to make another appointment for monday or tuesday, I forgot to make one on my way out today and then forgot again today. I’m definitely giving this vet the impression of irresponsibility, though, so I can only think they’ll treat me not so great again this time, though I cant say I’d blame them.


                • DethronedbyQueenB
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                    Lesson learned, don’t beat yourself up over what you can’t change- the past.
                    I think most, if not all, people have their moments.

                    I wanted to add that I have used the paper stuff but mostly the wood chips (I know there’s some types that are not good for bunnies), and I don’t know if it would be the same with other types of litter but in our rabbits litterboxes we can’t usually tell by looking that it’s pee filled.
                    I have to actually turn over the litter with a scooper and see whats under the top layer because somehow it’s always dry on top even when soaking wet underneath, as if they kick dry stuff on top of the pee.


                  • jayne fine
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                      ok I’ll check it now then; she’s also definitely not drinking enough water, I’m switching to a water bottle today to see if that helps.


                    • DethronedbyQueenB
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                        Reading here on Bunny not drinking enough water and it looks like a bowl of water should be lots easier than a bottle to drink from.

                        Here is something:
                        Has something changed the taste of the water? Is this water from a well, bottled water, municipal water, filtered water? Is the bowl or bottle dirty or new; either condition can cause the water to taste different. Has the quality of water changed for any reason? Do you drink the same water? Does it seem different to you?

                        Maybe the taste is off?

                        And this:
                        Ways to encourage your rabbit – or other small pet – to increase his water consumption:

                        ♦Provide both a crockery bowl and a water bottle: sometimes the novelty of a new drinking implement will get a bunny to drink more. Change the water frequently and scrub out the crockery bowl daily; rabbits are not inclined to drink stale or unclean water. Make sure the drinking tube on the water bottle is not blocked, and water still flows freely.
                        ♦Try putting ice cubes in the water bowl
                        ♦Add something tasty to the water. Normally, pure water is advised, due to the delicate nature of a rabbit’s digestive system, but if your bunny is in need of hydration, mixing a bit of Pedialyte, unsweetened juice (such as apple or carrot juice) or even a tiny bit of real vanilla (NOT vanilla extract) can encourage the bunny to drink. Do not give a rabbit Gatorade or other drinks high in sugar. Change the Pedialyte-water frequently to avoid the growth of bacteria.
                        ♦Wet your pet’s greens and other vegetables
                        ♦Try offering a small amount of watermelon, which is mostly…well, water.

                        I like the watermelon idea. Maybe on the chance that it is something with the flavor of the water (maybe it’s chlorinated high or something) I think I would try picking up some bottled water and putting it in bowl and see if that changes anything.

                        Crossing fingers for you both.


                      • JackRabbit
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                          It really is important to properly care for your bunny. Things can escalate so quickly with them. Bunnies must have fresh pellets and hay, fresh water, and fresh leafy greens every day. Cages and litterboxes must be cleaned regularly, and bunnies require out-of-cage exercise daily. Remembering to make follow-up vet appointments is a must. Bunnies do seem to require more time than many other pets — I had no idea until I got my three!

                          Being a full-time college student is a very busy life and many people can’t handle the time commitment of college and a bunny — I know I wouldn’t have been able to when I was in college. If you find that you just can’t do it all, there’s no shame in finding a good home for your bunny with someone who has the extra time to care for a bunny.


                        • Walter's Mom
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                            My bunny had the same issue. I took him off the wire hutch and that didn’t help so the vet gave us meds to keep him from losing fur and we put him back on the wire with a place to sit off the wire but blocked of the wood. If your cage is wood I suggest taking your bun off the wood because the urine soaks in and causes hutch/urine burn.


                          • jayne fine
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                              I got her a water bottle, she is definitely drinking from it. I initially had switched from a water bottle to a water bowl when I first got her because it seemed everything I read said that a water bowl is better. I did switch to a new bowl recently; the old one is a conjoined cat bowl that doesnt hold enough water so I tried getting a hang-on crate one. Obviously she doesnt like it, I’ll find another bowl option and replace it with the old one/keep the water bottle in there. I’ll also stop using the gatorade; I can understand why it would be bad for her.

                              I’m trying to find a way to keep her happy that doesnt involve adding a wire cage, because I cant get her a different cage than the one she has now, and adding a wire floor requires a lot of modification of the dog crate she’s in now, which from what I can tell from reading seems to be an okay cage for her anyways.

                              I finally gave in and put her litter box where she’s decided she wants to pee. It’s at the very front of the cage, which I had hoped she wouldnt use because it makes it more awkward to get her food and water dishes in and out of the cage without her getting out in the mornings, because I have early morning classes every day and dont leave much time between waking up and going to class (college, you know- gotta get that sleep). Thankfully my back is finally okay enough that I can reach like that and be able to clean her cage normally again; for awhile it was spasming every time I bent (I took a pretty bad fall off a pretty big horse who decided he didnt want me on his back anymore and havent really been able to give it enough rest because I’m always carrying heavy things (ie, a backpack filled with too many books).

                              I got a bunch of puppy pee pads to cover the floor of her cage in case accidents happen and also because they’re nice and soft on her feet and cover up the roughter plastic of the dog crate. She definitely prefers to lay in the back of her cage and pee in the front, she has even made all her poops from the last night in her litter box. I’m picking up a few more boxes today so I can put them around my room so I can start litter training her right.

                              From what I can tell she seems much happier. She looks more comfortable, she’s starting to move around normally instead of doing the weird hopping she was doing before.She’s more alert and curious and explores more instead of just sitting and grooming herself.

                              Also: I want to say that she gets a good amount of exercise. When I got her I stopped doing work in the library as much and started scheduling as much time as I could to come home and let her out. I usually come home between my morning classes and dinner, which ends up being from 3 or 4:30 to 6, depending on the day. I usually come home from the library at around 9 because she gets most energetic during that time. On the weekends I do work in my room so she’s usually out most of the day. Now that my back is getting better I’ve also been sitting on the floor with her more and am eventually going to bring her up on my bed with so she can cuddle (she’s a very cuddly, affectionate bun), once I feel better about picking her up.


                            • DethronedbyQueenB
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                                Oooooo The puppy pee pads are a GREAT idea. (Unless someone knows something I don’t know.)
                                If you have something you can put at the foot of the bed she would probably use that to jump up. Warning: Don’t be surprised by poo in the bed, haha. Queen is litterbox trained but still likes to leave exactly 2 poops on the bed that I have to throw away and once she pooped all. in. my. sheets. She sleeps with me at night though.

                                Horse accidents are no joke- take care of that back! Glad you are doing better as well as the bun.


                              • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                                  Sounds like you (and she) are doing great Good job!


                                • blubudgie
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                                    I keep my bunny in a dog crate too, I use a fleece blanket at the bottom and then puppy pee pads on top of that. works fine, I just change the pads pretty often.
                                    I caught my bunny eating the edges of the pee pads though, so be careful of that. I just fold the edges under and tape them so she can’t get to them.


                                  • Midorisu
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                                      Maybe you could use vet bed (or something similar) inside her crate? As long as she’s not prone to chewing stuff like that you could get two squares to cover the bottom of the crate & because they’re machine washable just switch one out every other day. It’s kinda expensive where I’m from but it might save you in the long run because you’ll have to keep replacing puppy pads.


                                    • Little Lion Head
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                                        Hope your bunny is feeling better! In regards to the water; I was feeling like Pumpkin wasn’t drinking enough for awhile and then I remembered that my childhood cat would ONLY lick ice cubes; never drink water. So I’ve been adding an ice cube to Pumpkin’s water dish twice a day when we change the water.I feel like she is drinking so much more!

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                                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A real bad urine burn, how to help