weeing, then sitting in it

[sammyp]

 Hi there all, 

I have not posted here in a while, I have two bunnies – grey boys called moogle and greyjoy. Moogle was our first rabbit and is the one we are currently experiencing problems with. He almost always has a wet bum, I’ve seen him wee and then sit in it! Often if I cannot clean after him in time he will sit in an older puddle and so forth. I did initially try to litter train him when we first got him, but he did not naturally take to the process and has just never learnt to use the box (tried keeping him in a smaller area and gradually expanding etc.. but no result, except that he would barbite his enclosure to be let out!)

So, here’s all the info I can give you:

He has been neutered

He is a young bun (Just over a year)

He was recently bonded to Greyjoy (also neutered)

The bonding process went exceptionally well, they love each other, groom each other, lie around together, get upset if they are seperated etc.

They get a local brand of good pellet, alfalfa and grass hay each day, as well as some greens (all good stuff from the list)

They don’t eat the grass hay as much as they should, especially Moogle (it is the only type I can get in the small town where I live in South Africa), but do eat the alfalfa (still giving this because the fact that they don’t eat the other is worrisome – can’t give no hay)

Moogle has to be cleaned regularly at the moment to stop his skin scalding – sometimes he STOPS this weeing behaviour for a week or so then starts again.

They co-exist in a 2m x 2m pen and often have free reign of the room they live in, with frequent excursions into the garden in their pen on sunny days etc..

We spend a few hours each day with them, snuggling, watching movies etc.

Moogle has been to the vet twice over the last few months for this behaviour and has had urinary tract problems and bladder stones ruled out as possible causes – the vet reckons this is behavioural.

I really don’t know what to do to sort this problem out – the fact that his bum is always wet worries me and I would really appreciate some advice from anyone here who has been in a similar circumstance.

Thanks alot,

Samantha

 

[LoveChaCha]

Hi there

There are some bb members that have dealt with poopy butt or rabbits sitting in their urine.

Alfalfa is the only hay available there? I’m not sure what is in S. Africa, but have you seen any Orchard grass? It is very fragrant and nice smelling. Rabbits are attracted to the smell of it Alfalfa should be given as a treat in small quantities.

How many pellets are your buns receiving? Perhaps reducing the amount would help with hay consumption. I’m not sure about the size of your bunnies, but they don’t need many pellets. They have lotsa hay to fill up on

[LoveChaCha]

Also, I do not believe the issues your bunny is having is behavorial at all. Are there other rabbit doctors in your area? It appears there are underlying issues and is not behavorial from the sounds of it.

[sammyp]

 Hi, thanks for the quick reply,

 

I am also concerned that the issue isn’t behaviour as everything I have read seems to contradict this, but Two different vets have both told me this is the case .

 

As for the hay issue, we do struggle to get anything besides the alfalfa here, but I actually spoke to a local lady today who is going to attempt to organise me some Teff, a better grass hay which will hopefully be more palatable, which will allow me to cut down on pellets.

 

I also need to start feeding them seperately I think, as Greyjoy is still younger than a year (eats alot of pellets) and Moogle always tries to steal his!

Umm, based on the fact that they are eating more pellets/alfalfa, do you think it could be a dietary problem?

[Beka27]

Does he seem to have any problems with mobility? He’s still really young (so probably not arthritis) but even young bunnies could have some kind of issue with their legs or joints. Maybe even something genetic or related to an injury when he was a baby that could inhibit the way he moves. Do you have a large litterbox for them? Does he ever use it, can he hop in and out without a problem?

[sammyp]

 Hi Beka,

 

He has no mobility problems at all, can (and occasionally does) use the litter box, no conditions that I know of or the vet could detect. I could try to make the litter boxes bigger? They are large cat-sized ones. Our other bunny Greyjoy was actually a rescue with a broken leg, so his mobility is lightly impaired (you can hardly notice though) but he has perfect toilet habits, and manages to use the same boxes with no trouble.

[Beka27]

Some bunnies are better with litterbox habits than others. He may never be 100% with pee. If there are no health issues, I would jsut keep working with him, cleaning up any accidents when you can. Some buns are very particular about the level of cleanliness in their box. You could try keeping the litterbox very, very clean and see if that helps, or add in a second box.

[Andi]

I agree with Beka.
Is it just pee, or will he sit and pee/poop at the same time and not move?

Honestly, I tried for about 2+ years to litter train a 3+ year old bunny I have to take to a litter box. He doesn’t get a wet bottom (Probably b/c he lives on shavings now to keep him dry) but could care less to use a litter box…. the world is his toilet. *sigh*

Is yours a sprayer?

[Sarita]

Have you tried changing the litter you use?

[sammyp]

 Hi guys,

Andi – Moogle doesn’t spray at all actually, just the wet bum puddle incidents.

Sarita – I mainly use shredded paper litter for the buns – difficult to source much else besides nasty things like pine shavings out here.

On the plus side, I did finally get a bale of good hay today, so will cut down pellets and alfalfa AND found someone who actually sells orchard grass now in this country – will have some in stock for me to purchase soon, so that will be added to the diet. Well, Moogle’s bum has been dry again the last two days, but I can’t help but think this is going to be an uphill struggle for a while – you know how stubborn bunnies can be .

[Monkeybun]

you may want to try slowly cutting down on the alfalfa hay. they likely go for that first as most buns prefer the sweet taste of it.

[jerseygirl]

Welcome again sammyp

How did your vet rule out UTI and stones? I agree it does not seem behavioural. His sitting in it indicates something medical to me.
Keep cereal hays like oat in mind if available. Good to hear you got hold of some nice orchard.

[LoveChaCha]

You found Orchard Grass? GOODY I hope they love it!

[Kafrn]

There was a similar post on here recently about a bunny that was doing this. He had that disease / impairment that I think starts with a c that makes them not able to feel that they are sitting in their own wee? I can’t remember the name of it, but your post just rang some bells, anyone have any idea what I am talking about?

[Kafrn]

I just found the info I had read before on this:

 Please read:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

E. cuniculi can cause incontinnce, too, which is something you might want to ask your vet about.

[sammyp]

 Hi there,

 

Kafrn and Jerseygirl – I did read through that article actually, Vet tested the urine for a number of things pH, specific gravity and protein content, he also felt Moogles bladder for excess urine or any other abnormalities – nothing raised a flag though.

Well, at least they seem to be digging in to that hay now which is good, will have to see what happens.

On the plus side he is still clean and dry at the moment.

[sammyp]

 Hi all, just an update on this situation.

 

Since I last posted, I decided to try something. I realised that over the course of a week where Moogle’s veggies consisted mainly of herbs and parsley and such-like (other stuff was in short supply), he was perfectly dry. I decided to stop feeding him any frilly lettuce, spinach or other abundantly leafy greens and so far.. so good. It’s been about three weeks now and he’s been perfectly fine. I am slowly testing things and compiling a ‘safe’ list for if this works (ie: veggies he can eat) I will keep him on a modified veggie diet and see how it goes and update again in a few weeks time. 

 

 

[Francis73]

Hi, we are having on going issues with our bunny, been an issue with him since very early on.

He will pee and either stay where he is, or go and sit in his pee. Seems to like the “odour pee”. He also goes and pees if we annoy him.

He has no issues eating, drinking and moving around. Grooms himself regularly (more than his female friend).

He isn’t sore and lets us touch around his back end and the fur less areas. The vets a while back trimmed his tail a fair amount before and again since, so more rat than bunny tail at the moment.

So far:

We have 2 large litter trays In.

Mats that space off the floor (so the pee runs underneath).

Bath his back end.

 

Access to hay, eats that fine. Has some nuggets in the mornings and will go back and forth to eat them, then veggies later on (grape, straw, broccoli, basil, mint, corri, parsley, cucumber, pepper).

[Wick & Fable]

Welcome to Binkybunny Francis! This is an old post (from 2011), so you’re likely not going to get replies back from the OP. I recommend creating your own topic in the forum instead. I will be locking this topic since it is old.

Directly to your question for now though, a picture of his set-up would be helpful. Rabbits often pee while they’re eating/pooing, so staying in the same spot is not necessarily concerning, though if we’re not seeing his back arching when peeing, there may be a more acute mobility issue in his spine or something. There are times when it’s just the litterbox set up and layout is not matching the rabbit’s intuition, so some small adjustments can make things more successful.

Has he been tested for a UTI? If he is physically peeing on himself, it could be he’s peeing more frequently when he wants, which is a common UTI sign and needs medical tx. If this is an ongoing problem, it’s very possible this is a UTI that was never properly treated.

Of note, grapes are not veggies (those are very sugary treats, so not entire grapes nor one every day), straw is not a veggie (it is a non-nutritional fiber, so hay is better regardless and should be primary), and parsley specifically is an herb that can cause rabbits to pee a lot more often. I do not give one of my rabbit’s parsley because it makes him pee a lot…

I would check the diet section of the RABBIT INFO portion of this website to ensure you are feeding a proper diet to your rabbit daily that is both balanced and nutritionally whole.

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.

[cole]

Many online sources says Broccoli may cause gas – and even kill bunnies. They also warn against  iceberg lettuce, labeling it ‘poison’ –

I have a kind of unique experience as my bunnie friend (if she thinks of me so), was free – and part of a marvelous bonded pair – who lived happily – until a feral cat attacked the male. – I have her enclosed in a  300 sq ft enclosure, away from predators – but I had observed the bunnies carefully for a long period over security monitors. They have taught me much. About eating: these are field animals. They need big space – they go out and eat – but they also eat when going potty. They do this because pooing out in the field leaves their slight order out there, where the predators are trying to find their scent. They leave that scent out in the field and when the predators find it, they do find the bunnies because they are elsewhere – in their scent free spot.

This is why keeping bunnies is small cages – I feel, is not different from keeping a human in an outhouse. So, of course, this must present a quandary for bunnie lovers. Bunnies want to poo and pee away from their sleeping and living areas. It is the same with humans.

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