Oh no -Bladder Issues?

[Binkles]

So I’ve recently noticed that Little-Bit has been ‘dribbling’ a little. I first realized what it was as I was snuggling with her this evening -she began lifting her tail very breifly a few times with about a minute in between. She’d just gotten through unloading herself (on my bed..) so I figured that perhaps she was passing gas or reacting to my strokes. But when she moved and I moved, I realized that my sleeve was wet, and a small spot on the bed was as well.

It didn’t have a smell (granted her pee has never been very pungent anyway), didn’t have a colour, and was a very, very small spot. And actually, now that I think about it, this is not the first time I’ve encountered such a spot of mysterious small wetness. It hasn’t happened a lot, but when it did I’d always just dismissed it as being perhaps where she’d ‘groomed’ the bed for a while because they were, as I said, small, colourless, and odorless. =s

(Her pee IS generally light yellow to orange, based on whether or not I’ve given her a papaya tablet that day.)

So I read up a bit on dribbling and have come to find that it’s usually the sign of a bladder infection, bladder sludge, or bladder stones. Am I right?

She has also been inconsistant with her litterbox for the past few months. Not terribly so, but inconsistant none the less. I’ve always just attributed it to the fact that she likes to pee while she eats her hay. And indeed, in all of these instances, hay has been present. I have had hay out on my bed again a lot recently BECAUSE-

She has also been having a little bit of stasis issues over the past few weeks. Not complete stasis, but a general slow-down with gas. Which, I read, can also be a result of bladder sludge/ stones/ infection. I had attributed it to excess hair ingestation, because she was going through a moderate molt -her first molt- and I was finding a lot of hair in her poops as well as some larger mis-shapen ones which were hair-laden. I think that for the most part the stasis threats are over now. She’s eating, peeing, pooping, and acting normally now. And no longer in molt. But anyway, perhaps some bladder issues could have attributed to this as well?

So anyway, I think I see a vet trip in our near future..

(Which will be a NERVE wrecking event for me…because I haven’t been back to any vet since Binkles…had her…accident…)

I know this isn’t something that I should be abhorently distressed over, but I am. And yes, I have to say it -BECAUSE I have to take her to the vet..

Uggh..

I guess I’ll probably have a friend accompany me to help qualm my flashbacks..

My question to all of you is, how urgent an issue is this? Words cannot express how HORRIBLE I feel for having to ask that question, but I have exams this week and may not be able to get her to the vet (without causing myself undue stress) until Friday or so. From what I’ve read on HRS, it seems to me that the only real imminent threat to health in such a situation would be if the problem were bladder stones, but that bladder stones usually cause a complete GI shut-down, which she doesn’t have. Am I on target?

….and again, I’m sorry for being all hiatus-y and not having any new pictures to show you guys!! I promise I’ll have a photo shoot soon!

[BunnyBuns7]

I have to say that I’m no expert, but I think you should defenitely take her to the vet. I would think that any sign of digestion out of the ordinary, especially for and extended amount of time, would be worth a vet visit. Could be serious, but it could be nothing. The only way you’re going to truly find out is if you take her in as soon as you can. You could also call first and see what they think.

Let me know what you find.

Kayla

[BinkyBunny]

The lifting of the tail, but not urinating alot may have been “straining” which is another sign of UTI and because you also noted that there seems to be digestive issues that may be brewing well,  that could be a double whammy. (could be separate or related if she’s in pain or uncomfortable)So, I honestly don’t think it would be a good idea to wait unless you talk to your vet and they make that decision.

Sorry – I know it’s not the answer that is the easiest for you right now, but I would hate to have anyone encourage you to wait, and then something terrible happen because you made the decision to wait.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

And from what I’ve read it’s not tragic though so don’t fret-probably a course of antibiotics and it’s all cleared up! {{VIBES}]

[Binkles]

Yeah that’s what I’ve read too.

To be clear, she’s NOT having trouble urinating. At all. Haha. Like I said, she just got through EMPTYING herself on my bed not five minutes before this. Which is why I’m thinking it was dribble. She hasn’t been showing any signs of discomfort either, and actually has been quite excitable lately.

Though I think I may know what you mean. I’ve had a UTI before, and it basically made me feel like I ALWAYS really had to pee. So I’d sit there trying to do so just to try and alleviate the discomfort. Even though I was empty.

Ergh…earliest I could still get her to the vet is Friday. Like I said, it’s exam week, so it’s through no choice of my own. Thus, the reason I asked. I’ll definitely be talking to my vet in the mean time though.

Does dribble happen without the bunny pushing, on it’s own accord? Or does the bunny have to push it out without knowing it or not?

[Sarita]

That does sound like a UTI and it can be very uncomfortable for the bunny. I’m not sure how the dribbling happens though.

[Beka27]

poor Lil Bit! if friday is the earliest you can get her there, i’d call today and set up an appt for friday, but keep an eye on her cause you might end up needing to go in early.

so has she seen a vet at all since her ear problems as a wee babe? did you find a new vet in your area?

[Binkles]

Well my usual bunny vet wasn’t the problem vet. The problem vet was the local vet down the street whom I took Binkles to for some IV fluids and palpation, etc. My bunny vet is about an hour away, but it’s obviously worth the drive even if the circumstances seem small..

She went to the vet about a month before Binkles passed to have her spay surgery, which went well. The vet checked everything and her ears were all clear. There was a bit of gunk in what was previously the problem one that she cleared out, but it wasn’t infected or anything. Just…you know. Ear gunk. I’m fairly certain that her brush with ear problems is over. ^.^ But that does give me the idea to have the vet check again when I bring her this time, just in case.

I’m monitoring her very closely. Yesterday seemed to be a good day for her. Plenty of well-formed poopies, bunny 500’s, and no dribble from what I could see -then again, the dribble is so small, it would probably dry up really quickly too. =/

[Binkles]

Well, I just spoke with my bunny vet and she didn’t seem too concerned. She suggested that I try to extract some of her urine from her litter box and bring it in for testing.

Does that sound like a good plan of action to you guys, or should I physically bring her in?

[Sarita]

Well the litter box has to be absolutely clean and the specimen cannot be contanimated…do you think you would be able to get that? It’s a good idea to do a urinalysis if it’s a continuing problem and if that is what the vet advises and you don’t have to pay for an exam then it might be worth it. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a urinalysis done for any of my rabbits – might want to find out the cost too since I believe it’s usually sent out to a lab.

[Binkles]

What could contaminate it? Old urine? Poop? I’ll do a REALLY good deep-clean of her litterbox to get any old residue out.

Or I could just wait until she decides to go on my bed again. xD

[KatnipCrzy]

You would need a urine sample collected in a very clean litter box with non absorbent litter.  The urine still needs to be in a liquid state for the tests to be run on it.  The risk on collecting a urine sample at home is that the results are more likely to be inconclusive.  Standard urine test consists of a “dip strip” – indicates PH, protein, Leukocytes, etc…. and also the specific gravity (density) of the urine is tested to determine how concentrated the urine is (extremely dilute urine can indicate kidney problems, etc).  And then the 3rd test that is usually done is that urine is spun in a centrifuge, and all the “stuff” that collected at the bottom is looked at under a microscope- stained with dye and sometimes an unstained sample also.  The urine sediment is examined for bacteria, crystals, white and red blood cells, and other cell types.

If you collect a sample at home- and any “free catch” sample- can have falsely reported bacteria due to contaminants and crystals due to urine sitting and developing crystals.  Other parts of the tests can be examined to try to evaluate if these are true results or not- but sometimes that is not definitive.  If they are able to get  free catch sample at the clinic- if they look at it in house (at the clinic) the results can be more accurate as bacteria will not have had time to grow from an outside contaminant.

I would call your vet and see what they recommend- at my vet clinic we rarely run a urine test without seeing a pet as any indication of infection requires an exam anyway.  And most people do not want to pay for initial urine test- get inconclusive results and then pay for another cleaner urine test.  Your vet will determine if urine is run in clinic or sent to a lab- depends on vet and medical situation usually.

 

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