How do you know if a bunny is just letting out regular calcium?

[CutieMoosh]

Hi! I just noticed a pee stain in the corner of my bed. There was one big puddle, and then some little droplets around it. The pee was my bunny’s regular colour, but there was calcium in it too. I don’t normally catch calcium in my bunny’s pee, so this was a little scary for me. When he pees, his tail goes up, but I’m not sure if that’s normal. He’s two years old, and hopefully will be neutered soon once appointments open up. Is he okay?

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

If you don’t see any other strange behaviour, I’d say he’s okay. (Look for general energy, appetite, whether he withdraws from you, and general litter box habits). I’d take him to the vet if it recurs often, if he has general incontinence, if he has a wet bottom/legs, or if he has blood in his urine. Lifting up his tail is a normal behaviour, this way they aim behind them.

Peeing in soft places that smell like you is a common behaviour of intact rabbits. It’s their way of saying “You and me, right?”. You may want to block off access to your bed until he’s neutered.

Tip: white vinegar is really good for pee stain removal, and it also removes the smell, so he’ll be less likely to go there again. You can use food grade or cleaning vinegar as long as it’s not perfumed.

[Wick & Fable]

If cloudy urine is occuring most of the time or if the urine is leaving behind a lot of sediment/build up behind, then that may be a sign to back down on calcium.

What is his diet, in terms of both content and quantity?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[CutieMoosh]

It’s only happened today. He eats about 2 cups of leafy greens (mostly green leaf lettuce mixed in with other small veggies) twice a day and eats hay constantly throughout. I don’t give him any pellets or those dried treats, since I found it makes him gassy. However, yesterday he did have a banana after about a few months of not having it. Thank you for helping out!

[Wick & Fable]

Your rabbit needs to be on some pellets if you’re not doing more intentional planning around veggies. Pellet free diets are very difficult to maintain and not doing it well means poor nutrition. Pellets are the only realistic way to ensure he is getting a nutritionally complete diet: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Pellet-free_diet

Make sure you are trying a good quality pellet and doing so in small quantities.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[CutieMoosh]

Thank you for your comment, but pellets aren’t necessary for bunnies. I’ve already found dried foods make him gassy, which is why I don’t give him much of it. Pellets technically don’t have good nutritional value since it’s just compressed timothy hay with preservatives.  The only bunnies who need pellets are babies, adult bunnies don’t need them. Please stop spreading this ‘propaganda’, especially since pellets can lead to obesity.

[Wick & Fable]

As I directly mention, a rabbit needs to be on pellets if veggie selection is not being done in an intentional way (i.e., looking at the nutritional values of each and discerning daily quantities from there). The link I provided gives resources on examples of cases of pellet-free diets, including this: https://bunnyapproved.com/bunnys-pellet-free-diet/

And also gives testimony from some vets on their insights into pellet-free.

I simply provided a resource that gives more formal feedback and guidance around pellet free diets because of you mention that you provide primarily green leaf lettuce, which is not going to hit those all the nutritional needs. If that is the primary, my advice is to provide a small quantity of pellets to compensate.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[DanaNM]

Hi @CutieMoosh, welcome to BinkyBunny!

Please review our forum etiquette guide (https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/our-forum-culture-2/) and the forum rules on etiquette: https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/forum-rules-and-guidelines-please-read/

I’m going to be closing this thread now due to communication breakdown, and as the original question has been addressed. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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