Blood (?) and Mounting

[mdith4him]

Hi everyone,

 I posted this on another forum, but I’m very eager for some responses, so I thought I’d see if anyone here can give some input.

We woke up this morning to two interesting (perhaps one vet-worthy) issue.

First, our newest bunny (brought home yesterday) is still trying to mount Junie.  When they went away for their bunnymoon the woman who watched them and worked with them said she saw none of that.  It’s not constant, but when he approaches Junie, she hops away from him (sometimes).  Not sure what to do about this.  Do they just need more time to get used to each other?  Is he doing this because they’re in a new environment?

Second, there are funny-looking stains on the sheets in their cage.  It looks like blood to me (it has a redish tint).  Pee is usually white and chalky and this isn’t that.  Take a look:  Blood?

Both bunnies are acting their usual self this morning, running and eating, but if this is blood, that’s quite a lot.  I didn’t see anything on new bunny (I even flipped him over briefly), but I’m just not sure what to do.  Help please???

Also, Junie’s poops are much smaller than usual.  She’s been eating and drinking and pooping a lot, but they’re a weird size for her.  Is that a problem, too?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hi,

First of all, the mounting is perfectly normal in a newly bonded couple. They hump to show dominance. As long as their isn’t any aggression involved, there’s no need to be concerned. It will probably lessen with time.

To me, that looks like urine. It’s hard to be sure, just looking at a pic, but rabbit urine can vary in colour from yellow to orange or red. My female, Olivia, gets stains that look like that on her blankets. Check over each bun carefully, just to be sure there are no cuts, but my guess is it’s urine.

Smaller poops can be a cause for concern but my buns sometimes have smaller poos for no apparent reason. Try giving extra, wet greens and make sure she has unlimited hay. If they keep getting smaller or she poos less frequently, that would warrant a vet visit.

Hope this was helpful.

[Sarita]

That looks like urine to me.

I agree about the mounting – let them work it out. Sometimes it’s stress – maybe because it’s a change and a new environment.

[BinkyBunny]

I am torn because it looks a bit brownish and I remember Jack’s urine looking a little like that and it usually happened after he mounted – it was caused by a bladder stone that would rub against in bladder and cause a some bleeding. HOWEVER, it is also possible that it could be just dark red urine as that is not uncommon.   I’m just more cautious due to my own experiences. 

 If you still have the access to these stains or if you see them again — put hydrogen peroxide on them. If it bubbles up like crazy, it’s most likely blood. If it doesn’t bubble or just very slightly, then it’s probably urine.

In my case, since on of the stains bubbled up like crazy, then I took the other stained material to my vet and she was actually able to test it to see if it was indeed blood or just urine. Which is how we confirmed it was blood for sure, and then discovered the bladder stone, and then he had the bladder stone removed.  

Regarding the mounting, it’s normal when the environment is changed for some of that to go on.   Just be sure he doesn’t mount her face as she can bite his privates and that will cause injury (and blood).  It’s okay to allow him to mount as long as she doesn’t start getting feisty and want to fight.  You may want to let him mount for a bit and if he doesn’t stop, then make sure to give her a break so a fight doesn’t happen. 

EDITED TO ADD:  I forgot to ask — how old are they?  

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