by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails."©
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Finding a bunny with a backside or underside soaked in urine is cause for concern and can leave the pet parent confused as to why this is happening. Bunnies are generally very clean animals, but when their fur is soaked in urine it's called "Urine Scald. "
We recently found one of our therapy bunnies with this very problem, 2 months after he was treated for nystagmis (dizziness). To my knowledge, the nystagmis and the urine scald have no correlation.
A rabbit wetting itself means something is wrong with the rabbit's health and if you leave the bunny soaked in urine it results in a very painful skin rash (similar to diaper rash).
Step 1: Call the Vet and make an appointment
If it is obvious that there is blood in the urine and on the bunny, tell the vet it's an emergency and your animal must receive veterinary care ASAP. Otherwise, you can wait until the vet's first available appointment.
So you've called the vet and made an appointment, what next?
Step 2: Wash your rabbit's bottom in an Oatmeal & Aloe Vera shampoo made for dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens. Avoid any shampoo with flea medications, as it can be toxic. You must get the urine off. The water should be lukewarm in temperature and after you apply the shampoo to the affected area, allow it to sit 5 minutes. Oatmeal with Aloe Vera shampoo is very soothing to the skin. But it's important to note, that the aloe in the shampoo is at very low concentrations. If you think you're going to run out to your yard and pick Aloe Vera to rub onto the bunny's skin or add to the shampoo, STOP! Straight aloe vera applied to a rabbit is toxic if they lick it off. In light of this, too much of a good thing (Aloe) is a bad thing indeed.
Washing a bunny's bottom is a challenge; unless they are used to having baths, they're not going to want to have anything to do with it (and will put a lot of effort to get away from the water). Be patient with your bunny and gentle throughout the process of giving it a bath. Remember that they can be quite fragile and scare easily, so don't rush the process. Remaining calm, talking in a quiet tone (your very young children will refer to it as your "inside" voice) helps them to remain calm. After 5 minutes has passed, rinse off all the shampoo. Then towel dry the wet area as best as you can.
Step 3: Blow dry!
What? Did she just say blow dry? YES! Turn your hairdryer on to the lowest setting and begin drying your bunny's fur. Constantly test the temperature with the back of your hand, and if the skin on the back of your hand gets too hot, it's WAY TOO HOT for your bunny. In which case, distance the blow dryer from its' backside. Getting a bunny dry this way takes time, so make time in your schedule to dry it properly. Don't count on your bunny to do the work for you, thinking it will groom itself dry. It won't. If the bunny's bottom is wet, it wasn't able to clean it in the first place.
***It is so important for the backside to be dry and not leave it damp. The dampness creates the skin rash, and in severe cases, a skin rash on your bunny leaves it prone to infection causing the skin to literally fall off. Imagine how painful that would be. When I blow dry my bunny, I gently brush the fur (with a plastic bristle brush... do not use a metal brush). This seems to calm the bunny and make it an enjoyable event.
Step 4: Once your bunny's bottom is dry, apply a diaper rash cream equivalent to Desitin to any area where the skin is reddened. This is a zinc oxide cream and will help soothe the skin rash.
Step 5: REPEAT the bath every time that the bunny's underside or backside is wet with urine (NO EXCEPTION). If you don't keep it up, flies may be attracted to your rabbit and the result is "fly strike." Fly Strike is when flies lay eggs that hatch into maggots. The maggots could find their way into the rabbit which can result in death.
CAUSES OF URINE SCALD
Your vet will make a better determination of the cause of this problem, which include, but are not limited to:
URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Bacteria in the bladder or kidneys can create the infection. A urinalysis is needed to detect the existence of white blood cells.
Treatment: The vet will prescribe an antibiotic and possibly a pain medication.
(In my rabbit's situation, he had a UTI).
BLADDER SLUDGE
Rabbits excrete excess calcium and oxalate salts through the urinary tract. Normal urine will have a residue that appears "chalky." If the calcium and oxalate salts build up, it becomes too excessive for the urinary tract and can result in a thick, curry-colored sludge that sometimes has a consistency similar to toothpaste. Sludge buildup can be very painful and can cause urine leakage and incontinence.
Treatment includes: subcutaneous fluids to flush the bladder and/or a small dose of Valium (diazepam) to relax the bladder's sphincter.
BACK INJURY
An injury to your rabbit's back can result in nerve damage, even paralysis. Sometimes there's no obvious sign of a trauma and the injury could be due to aging, disc degeneration, or other skeletal problems. X-rays will provide a diagnosis.
Treatment: daily baths, anti-inflammatory, pain medication (Medicam)
KIDNEY STONE / BLOCKAGE
When calcium and oxalate salts create a mass, this is known as a stone and creates the blockage within the kidney or bladder. X-rays are needed to determine if this is the cause.
Treatment: surgery
ARTHRITIS
Arthritis of the spine or pelvis prevents a rabbit to posture correctly for urination. As a result, the rabbit's urine soaks into the fur creating Urine Scald. Arthritis is also diagnosed through X-rays.
Treatment: a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Banamine (flunixin meglumine) or Rimadyl (carprofen).
INCONTINENCE
Hormonal imbalances can cause incontinence and your vet will need to take blood work to determine if this is the cause.
Treatment: DES, a synthetic hormone
OBESITY
Is your rabbit obese (grossly overweight)? It might be so fat that it doesn't have the energy to posture correctly to urinate.
Treatment: daily baths, diet - feed 1/8 cup pellets per 5 lbs daily and all the timothy or orchard hay they want. Avoid treats such as bananas, apples, bread, cheerios, strawberries, grapes... instead, provide lettuce (romaine, green or red), parsley, basil or cilantro. Substitute sweets for greens.
