It’s really difficult to say. I know in my experience when my rabbits start having urine problems my first thought is a urinary tract infection.

Also in my experience rabbits with UTI don’t stop eating or drinking either – their symptons are different – like urinating outside their box or over their box, etc…

hmm – well since Bindi is still peeing in the box and seems to be peeing a lot, my first thought isn’t to panic. Below are some common symptoms with urinary track problems from an article by Dr Susan Brown

Urinating more frequently than usual and often outside the normal toilet area. Frequent inappropriate urination (especially “spraying” urine on vertical surfaces) can be seen as normal behavior in sexually mature intact male and female rabbits that are marking their territory. However, a rabbit that is experiencing bladder problems will usually not “spray” the urine on vertical surfaces, nor seem particularly interested in marking out a territorial boundary or certain items in a room. Occasionally a rabbit will be observed to “dribble urine” without knowing it and the hindquarters may be continually damp with urine. Please be aware that there are other diseases that can lead to urine staining of the hind quarters including sore hock, spinal disorders (arthritis, injuries, nerve damage), obesity (can’t clean the hind quarters) and reproductive disorders, to name a few.

Straining to urinate. The rabbit takes longer than usual to pass a smaller than usual amount of urine. This straining behavior is frequently mistaken for constipation. True constipation is an extremely rare event in the rabbit. Occasionally the condition can be so painful that the rabbit will cry out or moan when urinating, although this is rare. You should consider it an emergency if a rabbit is continuously straining without producing urine. This indicates that there may be a complete blockage of the urethra (the tube the urine flows through out of the bladder) and if this is not corrected it could result in the pet’s death within 24 hours besides being incredibly painful.

Blood in the urine. Normal rabbit urine can range in color from a light yellow to a deep orange-red (a “rusty” color) due to a variety of plant pigments that may have been eaten or pigments, called porphyrins, produced by the bladder itself. Blood coming from the urinary tract should cause the urine to be a uniform dark to bright red color. Often the amount of blood in the urine is so small it can only be detected by testing with a specially treated paper, or by looking at the urine sediment under the microscope. In addition, unless the rabbit is urinating on a light colored surface, this sign can be missed.

It is important to note that there is another condition that can cause blood to seen during urination and is often confused with bladder or kidney disease. Uterine disease in the female rabbit can result in bleeding. The blood collects in the vagina and when the rabbit urinates, the blood is pushed out usually at the end of urination. In these cases, the blood appears as a centrally located pool within the urine puddle. There may also be clots of blood within the urine pool and finally there may be blood staining the area under the tail and hindquarters of the rabbit, which is usually not seen in bladder disease. Please be aware that these signs represent serious reproductive disease NOT urinary tract disease. The urine will test positive on a chemical analysis for blood if you bring a sample to your veterinarian and it will be impossible to tell where the blood originated. Therefore, it is critically important that you observe a fresh urine sample and of course have a complete physical examination done on your pet by your veterinarian any time it is suspected that blood is being passed by your pet.

Sludge in the urine. Urine that becomes thick with calcium carbonate crystals is not only difficult to pass, but will tend to stick to the fur around the rabbit’s hindquarters. This sludge urine will leave a large amount of grayish – white residue on the fur and in the toilet area as it dries. This material has the consistency of very fine sand or chalk. Remember that a small amount of this material, which in a normal rabbit should not stain the fur, can be seen in normal rabbit urine as it dries as a consequence of clearing excess calcium from the body.

Loss of appetite and depression. This sign usually occurs because of pain due to the pressure, size or location of the stones, or because there is a complete blockage of the urethra. If there is blockage of one or more ureters the rabbit can quickly develop kidney failure which will result in severe depression and death within a short time. Loss of appetite and depression should always be considered an emergency in a rabbit regardless of the suspected cause and you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

It goes without saying that if you see any of the above signs in your rabbit that you should contact a veterinarian immediately. If you can collect a urine sample prior to your visit, this may be helpful. (Please see section below on Urinalysis for directions on how to collect the sample).

That’s good info Gravehearted – I’ve had quite a few rabbits with UTI and bladder sludge. Have one now w/bladder sludge.

I’ve never been able to get a urine sample though – sometimes the vet can get one if they express the bladder.