New bunny

[charlierae]

We brought home a new bunny, Theodore, June 7th(2018). The breeder told me he was 8 weeks old. (although he seemed on the small side for 8 weeks) Our bunny has had bright orange urine since bringing him home. It doesn’t seem sludgey and he is drinking/eating ok.  I have read on multiple sites that orange urine can be normal, but everything I have read is that its temporary, but with no specification on how long temporary actually is. I have owned 5 bunnies in the past and have never seen any of them with anything but yellow urine, so this is new for me.  Can anybody tell me how long I should let this go before being concerned? 

[DanaNM]

Hello, welcome!

Bunny urine can vary a lot in color, and is mostly linked to diet. I wouldn’t be too worried about it as long as he is eating and drinking ok, and the amount of urine is good.

But, since is he is quite young, and you think he might even be younger than the breeder said, it would be good to get him a check up with a rabbit savvy vet.

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

If you suspect he/she is much younger than 8 weeks old, I would go to a rabbit-knowledgeable veterinarian soon so they can give you a professional opinion, and if needed, provide information on what the diet should be (i.e. Should the rabbit still be on some sort of milk?). It is a possible your rabbit is a runt, which is the smallest baby of a litter, due to positioning in the uterus I believe (?; unconfirmed). Wick is a runt, and at 8 weeks old, he was reportedly half the size of the rest of his litter mates.

Orange pee is natural, and it can be on and off. Wick would have the occasional orange pee, but I’d say since he’s been 1 year old (currently 1.5 years old), his pee is consistently orange. It’s uncommon for it to be clear or yellow nowadays.

Wick’s vet describes the yellow to orange color variation in pee with a tea-bag reference. Just like steeping a tea bag in water, what the rabbit consumes and it’s own biological characteristics can change color expression.

I would not be concerned, but be on guard if you ever notice it looks more brown (potentially dried blood) or has an odd consistency.

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.

[charlierae]

Sorry if that question has been beat to death! I tried to search but it wouldn’t work.
I will give our vet a call for a check up on the age of our bunny. I tried to contact the breeder asking for a date of birth and she will not respond to me.
I feed unlimited hay, pellets once a day and i also allow yard access, so our buns have daily grass. They do get occasional treats, also. I have 2 other rabbits, 1 is 3 months and the other is around 6 years. They do well on this diet and don’t have bright orange urine. So after it never changed to a yellow hue I was concerned. haha
Thanks a bunch!!

[Wick & Fable]

Always feel free to ask questions! We prefer people post new topics raher than responding to old ones, plus it allows everyone to keep up to date on the latest veterinary recommendations and people’s experiences.

Best of luck with your new addition! As a note I like to mention to people with multiple rabbits, make sure you understand that young rabbits will get along with a lot of rabbits because they are not hormonal yet, so it’s important to separate growing rabbits from others to prevent fights and accidental pregnancies. You never know when the hormones will show up.

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.

[charlierae]

All of our rabbits are in separate bunny houses inside and outside. 🙂 They are all males and I don’t trust them not to beat on each other. We also have not gotten our 3 month old buck neutered yet and he’s a bit of a hormonal jerk-wad at the moment. He isn’t even allowed to have play time with our other 2 rabbits. haha

[Author]

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