I get people calling me all the time in a panic because their rabbit just left a big puddle of bright orange or red pee. They want to know what kind of awful disease that their bunny must have in order for him to eliminate in such vivid colors.
My answer is always the same: red or orange pee does not really mean anything and that your rabbit can occassionally pee those colors. It does not mean that there is anything wrong.
More importantly, you will want to watch your rabbit’s urine for signs of bladder sludge. Rabbit’s urine is very high in calcium, which does not dissolve well in solution. It can precipitate out very easily and it is quite common for enough calcium precipitate to be left in their bladders, which causes a serious problem called bladder sludge.
If your bunny’s urine appears gritty or thick in texture, this is a real concern. A rabbit’s bladder has the unique disadvantage of having it’s entrance and exit being near the top. This allows calcium to settle out and form a sludge that gets trapped at the bottom of their bladder. It can even form bladder stones, which an HRS friend’s rabbit is at the vet this very minute getting surgery to try and remove. They are painful and can cause other issues such as stasis or lack of appetite due to the stress and pain.
If you see crystals or grit in your bunny’s pee, it means that he needs to see his vet before the condition becomes chronic. Bladder sludge and stones are a very difficult situation for which treatment is not always effective. Sometimes surgery is necessary to correct the condition and other times the vet can express or remove it through other therapies.
The bottom line is do not wait until your rabbit is in agony to deal with the situation. Don’t worry about the technicolor urine if he makes it, but rather always be aware of the texture of his pee. That is the key to noticing the most common issue that rabbits experience with their bladders.
Bladder sludge is a common and serious problem that is much easier to fix if caught early. Please don’t make the mistake of ignoring the early signs. A good bunny parent stays in tune with their bunny and notices little things like this.
Rabbits are very good at hiding their illnesses and so you must be proactive when caring for them by checking their water and food intake daily. Observe their litter box to insure there are poops present every day and be on the lookout for any indication that sludge may be present.
I found this very useful but unfortunately a little too late. My 4 year old rabbit had very bad diarrhoea about a month ago but with antibiotics and looking after he improved. Unfortunately this weekend he stopped eating, going to the toilet and was in lots of pain. After taking him to the vets it was decided to put him to sleep which is making me very sad. The alternative was to put him on a drip and do x-rays but this might not have helped and he would still have had to be put to sleep. The cost was very high but if I felt it would have been worth it I would have paid. I just hated to see him suffer and they also found a large lump but they thought it might have been just his poo.
This is very sad, because I do not think I would have made the same choice as you did. Your rabbit was in GI Stasis, and the x-rays were necessary to see if he had an obstruction. If he did not have an obstruction, there was a very good chance he could have been saved without surgery. Proper diet and good grooming will help a bunny avoid this problem, in most cases. Pellets are one of the biggest causes of this, along with too many treats. The main reason that rabbits need a diet of mostly grass hay is so that the high fiber can keep this from happening. Pellets do just the opposite and many rabbit lovers never give them. It sounds like part of the problem was that your vet was not very experienced with rabbits. You should only take your bunny to a rabbit specialist vet, because a good experienced rabbit vet would have known that this is a very common rabbit problem that most of the times is not fatal, if treated properly.
I highly recommend that you do some homework before getting another rabbit. Learn about proper diet and how to find a good vet. I cover these topics extensively in my book, “The Bunny Lover’s Complete Guide To House Rabbits”. I personally have been through the exact same experience as you just did, so I understand how you were probably very upset and felt that you were doing the best thing. In hindsight, I know that I made many horrible mistakes and it finally pushed me into studying about rabbits. It was only then that I realized how wrong I had been about so many things with my previous buns.
This is why I wrote my book, to help teach others and hopefully help them avoid having to go through what you just did.
Thank you for sharing with us and remember to not buy your next bunny, but instead adopt one from a rescue or shelter. There are so many who need loving homes.
The Bunny Guy
re: Bright Red Urine….This morning I noticed extremely bright red urine is my unaltered male bunnys cage. It was just cleaned. I am very alarmed. I have two bunny’s they eat exactly the same things. I have seen different urine colours but this is NEW!. He is drinking and eating; perhaps not as aggressively. He has hay (first cut from farm-I buy buy the bale as I have g. piggies too) and a good quality pellet (I usually use Martins, but they were out so I purchased a bag of Oxbow) I read to try cider vinegar and let him exercise more…He was out with me this morning and seemed his energetic, playful self.
Anything else I should look for? I am going to check his bottom when I get home. …worried.
Shelly
Bright red urine alarms bunny owners the first time they see it but it is normal and means nothing. Bright red or orange pee is common for rabbits and I do not know why they do it but it is no cause for alarm.
My rabbit had orange urine this morning. The fur on her bottom also is matted together and smelly. I’ve been watching her pellets and they seem normal. I think this might have to with the fact that a week ago, she had a heatstroke. She pulled through, and seemed fine after a day. Our other rabbit also has the same bottom problems. What i wrong with our rabbits, what are the best ways to treat them.
Orange urine is usually a normal thing. Heatstroke is not. Hope you have found a way to bring your bunny inside so that it does not die from this serious problem. Heat kills thousands of rabbits every summer.
my bunny is constantly peeing on us or when he gets around us he jumps and pees I noticed today that his pee is a not clear it is a like a pasty off white it doesn’t have an odor and only noticed it today? Should I be concerned and take him to the vet?
Pasty white pee is urine that contains calcium sludge. Rabbits are calcium excreters and get rid of excess calcium by peeing it out. You do not want to feed them veggies with too much calcium in them because this calcium builds up in their bladders and causes a serious condition called bladder sludge. If he is unable to control his pee and leaving puddles of sludge around, then it is time for him to see the vet right away. These are classic symptoms. This is a painful and avoidable problem but you should consult with a rabbit specialist vet ASAP. Make sure that it is a rabbit vet and not a dog or cat vet because they will not know what to do about this problem. Too many veggies such as kale, spinach, dandelions, carrot tops, and many other dark leafy greens can cause this problem. Contrary to what many people think, you can easily overfeed your rabbit healthy green salads. There are serious health consequences for overfeeding anything to a rabbit. This is not intuitive, but a fact. In a human, the more salad you eat, the healthier you are. This is not true for bunnies. They should be eating mostly grass hays, not green salads. Most all veggies have a lot of calcium and feeding too much of them can create issues. Only Romaine lettuce and celery can be given freely without concern for calcium content. All other veggies have some issues if too much is given regularly. Consult your rabbit specialist vet for more guidance on this issue.
Wondering if you have any tips. Have 5 week old Netherland dwarf male. Urine was bright red, so took sample to vet and there was high amount of blood in urine. He is on amoxicillin 2 times a day to see if improves. I have been told he is too small to even catheter if there is a problem. Giving him timothy hay with limited pellets. Have heard few drops of juice in water to increase intake. Which juice, how much proportions? Any advice to help this little guy?
Hi Kris
Was the vet that you visited experienced with rabbits? The reason I am asking is that it is totally normal for rabbits to pee orange or bright red.
Unless you know absolutely for sure that it was tested positive for blood, I would be VERY suspect of the idea that blood was present.
People freak out all the time the first time they see a big puddle of bright red pee, but it does not mean a thing in bunnies, in most cases.
Also, some antibiotics are extremely toxic for rabbits. Unless this vet treats rabbits all the time, I would never give him an antibiotic from that vet.
The wrong antibiotic can quickly kill a rabbit and so this is why you should ONLY see a rabbit specialist with your bunny. Never take your bunny to a dog and cat vet, if you can avoid it. They will do crazy things like misdiagnose problems and prescribe toxic medicines that can hurt your bunny. I have lost several bunnies this way and I sure hope your vet know what he is doing.
I do not know if Amoxillin is OK for rabbits, because I am not a vet. BUT, you want to be very very certain that it is OK before you give it. Rabbits are fermenters and some antibiotics can cause irreversible damage to their guts and bring on a painful death.
I am aware that in some areas it is hard to find a rabbit vet, but often they are available but people do not know that they should only use them.
Stephan
The Bunny Guy
I am in need of help. I have a 2 year old bunny, and her fur is falling out around her bum. I don’t have money yo take her to the vet. PLEASE HELP ASAP!!!
Without seeing what you are talking about I cannot be for sure, but it could be that your rabbit is just molting. Rabbits molt a couple times a year and their fur all falls out and new fur grows in. He should not be bald, though. If he is bald, then he may have another problem such as ringworm (which can transmit to humans), fur mites (which will require a vet visit) or some other problem.
Most likely he is just shedding (molting), but I am concerned that you mentioned that you cannot afford to take him to the vet. I need to tell you that a very important part of having a pet is providing the proper medical care for them. Not doing so is like you have a tooth ache and not having a lot of money. Rather than suffer, you find a way to get the money. I believe that this is the same way it should be for our children and pets.
That said, there are pet insurance companies that let you make a small monthly payment to cover your pet emergencies and vet care.
Thanks for writing and I hope your little bunny ends up being alright.
The Bunny Guy
Thank you for the information! I found it very useful. We just got a new bunny and she decided to pee on our bed and we became very alarmed when we saw orange pee. Seeing as we just got her yesterday and she had a change of diet and bedding. It sounds just about right. Thank you again!
Hello Bunny Guy,
I found your post and it was the only thing that made me feel a little better about the situation – NOT TOTALLY though. We just bought our lops on Sunday from a local rabbit breeder. She has her rabbits in a large outdoor area and their cages are hanging up above the ground. I found out, which I already know to be wrong, that she feeds strictly pellets and that is what she was telling me to do. I have no intention of doing so. Anyhow, that first night that we brought her home she was adjusting to her new home (cage) and after an hour or so we noticed that she made her first pee – and to the alarm of us all it was red. I quickly contacted the lady and she of course was unaware because her rabbits pee down to the ground which is dirt. There’s no way to tell. Now, she did say that she’d take the bunny back and give us another BUT my children have already fallen in love with this little girl and one of my daughters is afraid that if she is indeed sick that we will just take her back to die 🙁 I really don’t know what to do – I don’t even know how to find a vet who truly knows anything about rabbits. Now, I’ve read here that this is something that is normal. But why and for how long? Here we are on day 3 and she is still peeing this way. She is eating and drinking and seems to be perfectly fine. What do you suggest? She was born November 9th. I’m still only giving her pellets right now because that is what she is used to – I want to start feeding her hay but am afraid to change anything at this point.
Do not listen to rabbit breeders about how to raise and care for rabbits. I have heard them tell people the stupidest stuff, for example things like always feed your rabbit unlimited pellets or never to spay a female rabbit or they will get cancer. In both cases, the exact opposite is true and both were told to people I know by rabbit breeders who sell to the public.
First, they are farming rabbits… you are getting a pet rabbit. Unless you are planning on eating this bunny, I would ignore almost every thing this person told you and start learning for yourself the correct way to care for your new pet.
Get my book or another book about house rabbits, not farm rabbits and read. The more you learn, the less problems you will have with your little bunny. With rabbits, it is what you don’t know that ends up hurting them.
Feel free to email me for more info or advice, but please stop listening to this breeder before she has you hurting this bunny.
my rabbits are just medium size, paired color white.. and have this little worry, i always see a color caramel on their pee…. gosh! i dont know how to take care of them but iam trying to do it… iam from philippines.. thank you sir..
Orange, red or brown pee means nothing in rabbits. They do this all the time and it does not mean that they are sick. The one thing to watch for in rabbit pee is cloudiness and crystals. This is calcium and it means that they are getting too much calcium in their diet. Many vegetables are very high in calcium. The darker green the veggie, usually the more calcium it has. Kale and other dark leafy greens are highest in calcium. Celery and lettuces such as Romaine or Green leaf are the best for bunnies because of their low oxylate and calcium content.
I have a 7 year old spayed bunny. She is eating well.no pellets lots of hay cilantro parsley 2 stalks of kale and one romaine a day. She pees ALOT slight brownish tint . Is it normal for her to pee so much?
The color of a rabbit’s pee does not mean anything. Different reactions during digestion occur turning their pee from brown to bright red or orange. It is often quite alarming the first time to see a puddle of bright red pee.
What you need to be concerned about with their urine is calcium content. Rabbits are calcium excreters, meaning that they pee out excess calcium. The problem occurs due to calcium not dissolving well in solution and it tends to precipitate out in a crystalline form.
You will often see these crystals floating inside your bunny’s pee. A little is normal but lots where it looks sludgey or thick is bad. This is the result of too much calcium in their diets, like from kale.
The red flag from your post is the two big leaves of kale EVERY DAY. That much calcium EVERY day after several years can build up. I do not give my rabbits kale every day for this reason. Once or twice a week is all mine will get it and I have a garden full of the fresh stuff that they all love.
The shape and construction of the bunny bladder makes sludge buildup easy to occur. This is because the entrance and exit to the ball-shaped bladder is up high, allowing the calcium to build up below the place where pee exits. This makes excess calcium able to build up and create the sludge I am referring to.
Having to pee often is a symptom of a buildup of sludge. A rabbit who used to have perfect litter box habits will suddenly not be able to control where he/she goes. This is a sign that a vet needs to check this rabbit out before it is too late.
An experienced rabbit vet can take an x-ray and see if your rabbit has bladder sludge, but we usually only do this when there is a problem indicating the condition. You can actually see the excess calcium with the naked eye, but before you get to that point, I recommend cutting back a bit on the kale.
I just recently got my first bunny it is a lion head and about 7weeks old now. I have been feeding her the same pellets as the store was and just introduced her to alfalfa hay. I noticed a few days ago that she has a pasty pee in her liter so I took out the hay rack and gave her smaller amounts of the alfalfa with her pellets. The paste didn’t come back till today and it’s concerning me very much. She is still drinking her water and eating as normal and very playful. I’m not sure what I should do the paste isn’t as much as the first time but was still there this morning. Please help!!!
Pasty pee is from too much calcium in their diets. Are you feeding the rabbit greens? Greens that are high in calcium are the dark leafy ones like kale, dandelions, and spinach. Low calcium veggies are romaine lettuces and celery along with cilantro and a few others. Once the bunny develops what is called bladder sludge (the pasty pee), it may require vet care to save her. Also, you will want to start researching where you are going to have her spayed because female rabbits MUST be spayed or they risk a four out of five chance of getting uterine or breast tumors or cancer by the time they are four. For a happy long life, vet care is critical. You can locate a list of safe veggies and find a vet by visiting rabbit.org and then going to the link for your state or area. Once you do that all the vets for that area who are experts on rabbits will be listed. If you do not use a rabbit specialist vet, you will be wasting your time because a dog and cat vet will have no idea what bladder sludge is and how to safely spay a female bunny.
I thought you said spaying for avoiding cancers wasn’t true? Bunnies are not so simple I am learning… My sons bunny is peeing bright red/brown and vet said UTI and has her one meds. But now I feel it isn’t a medical issue. Idk what to do. She is peeing often and no sludge that I can see. However she was perfect litter box bunny but now she is pooping outside of it.
Spaying is necessary to avoid cancer in female rabbits. Bright red or brown pee is usually a normal thing. It sounds like you saw a dog or cat vet because a rabbit vet would know that red urine is extremely common in rabbits, as is orange and brown pee. It does not mean blood in their urine and it looks different than when blood is actually present (which IS a cause for concern).
I just got a lionhead a few days ago (adopted from a friend who can no longer take care of it). I googled and went to many sites but am still not sure exactly when can you say bladder sludge has developed. I saw the rabbit pee today. It wasn’t slurry or anything like that but there was some calcium precipitates I assume. Kinda looked like if you put a spoonful of salt in a glass of water without stirring to dissolve it. Does this mean the bladder has already developed bladder sludge? Diet-wise I’m trying to follow the recommended one with lots of hay and some leafy greens. Is rabbit normal pee totally free from solids?
Rabbits are calcium excreters and get rid of excess calcium when they pee. It is common to see this, but it is also a sign that their diet is high in calcium and they are getting rid of it naturally. Where the problem arises is that their bladders are round with the entrance and exit located up high on opposite sides. Since calcium forms solids, they can build up at the bottom of the bladder below where the exit is. This is what sludge is.
Once sludge fills the whole bladder, you will start seeing a thick white toothpaste like excretion when they pee, but at this stage it is in the final stages of a chronic and serious problem. You do not want to wait until you get to this point. Instead, you are wise to question this graininess in the urine because this could be a sign that the Lionhead bunny’s diet is has too much calcium. It is the darker leafy greens that have the most calcium. Kale, spinach, and dandelion greens some of the worst culprits. It is ironic because these are the cheaper greens that most people can find in the grocery store. Here, we get bunches of kale or spinach for less than a dollar a bunch, so many people will give the whole bunch to their bunny as a salad. Daily feedings of these high calcium veggies lead to the bladder sludge that you have read about.
When mostly grass hays are fed and not too many veggies are given, they will usually not have the problem. Some of the latest reports lead some vets to believe that some rabbits who easily develop sludge have some underlying physical problem. When they remove all the calcium from their diets, the still leach calcium from their bones. So they are still studying this issue, but we know for sure that over-feeding them high calcium veggies will definitely cause this serious problem.
I recommend analyzing your bunny’s diet and only giving high calcium veggies a couple times a week and not every day. Watch the urine and if it starts looking thick or full of crystals, I would consult with an experienced rabbit vet (not a dog or cat vet because they won’t know a thing) about it.
I too am worried bout my bunnies wee. Also confused. Some bunny sites say orange – red urine is normal while others say it should b investigated cause of imfections etc.
In most cases red or orange urine is normal. I have heard of blood being the cause of this but that is not as common as just plain red urine which bunnies seem to make for no apparent reason. It always freaks people out the first time they see the bright orange or red pee, but bunnies just do that. I have been told that kidney and bladder problems can cause blood to be present in the urine and so that must be differentiated from just the typical red or orange urine. I have been told that it is fairly easy to tell the difference because blood will often not fully mix, where as the red urine will be homogenous and all one color without any variation. Let it be said that fortunately, I have never actually seen blood in their urine. I am only going on what I have been told.
I have a noy rabbit who pees orange and have done for a long time now the brother dont do it so why just one i have hay in the cages and they seems them selves no reason to think they are ill . But its all up my walls and doors everywhere every day if i give him romaine lettice or celery wiĺl it clear it please help as dont feel the need for a vet visit as his not ill
A boy i ment not a noy its a boy
It is normal for a rabbit to pee orange or red, but it sounds like these boys are not neutered. Neutered boy rabbits are much less likely to pee outside of their litter box, therefore once they are fixed this problem should go away in about four to six weeks.
Hi,
Just want to say your website is very handy. Sadly our Bunny is going to have to be put down as she has a very bad case of sludge. She is having to be expressed by the vet every 2 weeks and very harrowing for her.
The vet was great and has tried everything, we got her to drink more and only eat non alfalfa hay. But still the worst case he has seen.
She got expressed yesterday and we have her home for the next week or so to say goodbye which is so hard.
Alfalfa is too rich for a normal every day diet for an adult bunny. We only give that to young bunnies under six months old or seniors who are having trouble keeping weight on. I wish people would learn the proper way to feed their pets. Most of the time this kind of problem is completely preventable and is the result of a bad diet from lack of knowledge. I hope that your bunny has taught you something so that no other rabbit will ever have to suffer the same fate as this one. I try and explain to people that it is what you DON’T know that always ends up hurting pet rabbits.
Ok so I’ve got this lop-rex mix and he has Bern fine until today when I found reddish orange pee. Yes I’ve read through all the other posts. I did not realize we weren’t to only give him pellets as per I was to by the gal I got him from. So we started giving him Timothy hay an out a 2week’s ago and now
Sorry.
I was giving him a baby carrot about every 3days.but have stoped a week ago. Could I being doing something else wrong.. I give him fresh water every day . And change his home 2times a day. Let him run in his outside play area . Am I missing something ?
Letting rabbits outside to play is dangerous. It is hard to bunny proof a yard. They can eat something poisonous or toxic in your yard and you would probably never know it. Then there is the issue of them digging out or a predator getting into the yard.
In most cases this is not a problem. Rabbits will normally pee in colors from bright orange to red on occasion, depending on what they have eaten. It can be from blood in the urine, but most likely it is a normal thing. If in doubt consult your vet, but all bunnies produce orange urine from time to time.
My Netherland dwarf left a small puddle of red fluid on her food bowl. It’s too diluted to be blood, and I can’t tell if it’s urine because it’s too little to be her normal urine.
It is common and normal for bunnies to pee bright orange or red. Occasionally, it is blood, but nine times out of ten it is just something that they ate. It freaks out people the first time that they see this but it is not usually a problem at all.
I got my American Chinchilla bunnie from someone who found him hopping down a road. He is very friendly and loves to roam around our pool cage with our cats. Very funny to watch. Saw that he had white (watery milk) looking urine this morning. It was not thick or sludge looking. I have been feeding him pellets and Timothy grass. Some occasional romaine leaves. He loves apples. He gets a slice of mine and core minus the seeds. Occasional about 2 in. Carrot. I saw him eating a pepperonia leaf the other day. Should I be alarmed with his white pee?
White pee with crystal floating in it is a sign of bladder sludge. It can be caused by overfeeding veggies high in calcium, such as kale or spinach. It can also be caused by a medical condition and if this persisted for more than just a day or two, I would consult a rabbit specialist vet. Rabbits are calcium excreters and get rid of excess calcium in their urine, but too much can precipitate out of solution and cause a sludge which has long term health implications.
We have a 1.5 yr old altered Holland Lop (Waffles). Recently (and sporadically) he has begun leaving pools (small…1″ – 2″ in diameter) of clear, odorless urine. He did it once early in the week, was fine the rest of the week, and then last night it happened again. No groaning while urinating, and he does not act as if he is in pain. He is eating fine – pellets (only in the AM), unlimited Timothy hay, lots of greens – Parsley, Kale, Cilantro, baby Green mixes and the occasional carrot wheel (his favorite). He is drinking normally, not over drinking or gulping water. He is VERY active and there hasn’t been a decrease in his activity level. He seems fine otherwise. No recent or past illnesses. He spends most time in his 8×4 indoor cage with his 3 neutered brothers (All bonded). He and his crew go outside for about 4 hrs in the morning while its cool and then again in the evening. Litter tray is cleaned every other day.
We are a little concerned because we lost a bunny last year to kidney failure. His symptoms were a little like this but he was leaving large pools of urine all over, and he would gulp water constantly. He too was a Lop and his kidney failure came on extremely quick and he had to be euthanized.
Any ideas????
Thanks Bunny Guy 🙂
Any change in litter box habits is cause for concern. As you mentioned, suddenly leaving pee around when he was well trained before is a bad sign. I would definitely not hesitate to get him to the vet for some radiographs. More likely than kidney problems is calcium buildup in the bladder called “Bladder Sludge”. It is a very common rabbit problem and it comes from getting too many high calcium greens (dark green leafy stuff, such as kale, spinach, parsley, etc.) Rabbits excrete excess calcium in their urine and when they get too much, it overwhelms their system and starts depositing the excess calcium as a sludge at the bottom of their bladders. The sudden loss of bladder space causes them to have sudden and frequent urges to go pee. It is possible this is not the cause of the problem, but only a rabbit specialist vet can truly determine that. Be sure to only take him to a rabbit specialist vet because a dog and cat vet will not be familiar with treating bladder sludge in rabbits. Good luck.
What can cause urine to be bright green? Also, would u suggest unlimited Timothy hay for a young rabbit? My daughter had been feeding kale everyday, which we have stopped since reading what you have suggested to others. She also eats pellets. Any help would be appreciated. We are new to the bunny world! Thanks
I have never seen bright green urine in all the years I have spent with rabbits. That sounds like something a vet should be looking at. Kale every day can cause bladder sludge. It turns the urine a crystalline or thick sludgy white or grey. I would have a rabbit specialist vet involved ASAP if this strange urine continues. Seeing this once and then not again, is not an emergency, but if it is like this every time the bunny pees, then it is a big cause for concern.
Pellets are important for swiftly growing baby bunnies and necessary if the bunny is not getting a proper selection of different greens. Many people do not want to prepare a salad of four or five different greens every day, so they are given some pellets to supplement their diets. If no salad at all is given, then more pellets are given. More salad, then less pellets. We try and balance their diets and keep their weight in check through their diets. Other things such as good bladder health and teeth health are also encouraged by the proper diet. Just don’t forget that their main food should be grass hays. Salads and pellets replace a lot of hay in their diet. In order to get them to eat more hay, you need to give them less salad and pellets in the long run.
Ok thank you for the help!! And I like your website!
my female bunny’s urine colur is red i am sure that it is blood why is it happening she is jumping nd playing and eating well than what is the problem?
Red urine can mean blood which is a serious problem, but if it is very clear and red or orange then it could most likely mean nothing. Usually when it is blood, you can see the blood swirling in the urine and not evenly mixed in color. Blood in the urine means a rabbit vet visit is very important.
Hello,
What is considered too many greens? I see that too much dandelion, carrot tops, etc can be bad for rabbits. I have two rabbits and I’ve been feeding them a hand-full of these sorts of greens three times a day. Is this too much? They also get unlimited hay and pellets. One rabbit is 6 months, she’s about 2.5 pounds. The other is 4 months and about 3.5 pounds. Thanks for your help!!
At this age, they can tolerate more food than they will once they are mature and adults. Right now they are both still growing. Rabbits grow a lot until they are six months old and then only grow another 20 percent until they are a year.
The proper amount of greens (four or five different kinds are best) is equal to twice the size of their heads, ONCE A DAY. This way larger bunnies get more and smaller ones get less. Three times a day is a lot, so I would measure out their daily salad for the day and then dole it out two or three times a day. Otherwise, you CAN give too much salad and cause health issues in rabbits.
Also, beware of high calcium veggies such as kale, spinach, and all the dark green vegetables. They have a lot of calcium which rabbits must get rid of in their pee. Too much causes a sludge to develop in their bladders and causes kidney stones. Too much parsley is a common culprit but kale is one of the worst. Carrot tops are bad, too. That is why you should rotate their veggies and limit to these small amounts.
The two veggies that are safe and without calcium are celery and romaine lettuces. They are mostly water and therefore the safest veggies to give. With rabbits you learn that too much of anything causes them problems.
Thanks so much, I appreciate your advice!
PLEASE HELP!
My rabbit bugs is gurgling not him his stomach also he won’t eat any treats I give him and he spills his water and won’t drink out of a water bottle and I’m worried help get wet tail please help me thanks
When your rabbit will not eat or drink, it can be a serious problem. Most of the time it means that he is sick for some reason. You should take a bunny who is sick or not eating to a rabbit specialist vet, ASAP. IF you don’t there is a good chance that he could get worse or die. If you have a pet, you should expect that there will be times he will need to see a vet. IF you don’t plan on getting medical treatment for your pet when he is sick, then why do you even get a pet in the first place, if you are just going to let him die when he gets sick? The more you do not know about pet bunnies, the more they are going to get sick and need to see a vet. This is why I wrote my book. This is why I recommend that you study about rabbits and learn everything that you can about them. The more that you know, the better care you will be able to provide for them. They are complex and fragile creatures, not a simple child’s pet. I hope you decide to seek medical attention for this bunny and learn why he does not feel well.
I’ve kept my bunny in the faces off backyard for 4 years now. It is raining and it will be raining for the next week where I am, should I take him inside? What if there are snakes?
Another question.
Recently my bunny’s partner past away and I’m not sure if I should get another one so he always has company, but is it true they will fight? That’s the last thing I would want for two bunnies. Would they stick together? What if they don’t hang out with each other, will they hang out?
I do not know why you are writing me asking advice about an outdoor bunny. My site clearly says that I ONLY discuss indoor pet rabbits. You have a farm rabbit who lives outside in a cage, not a pet rabbit. If this was a pet, you would not be asking me if it was OK to bring the bunny inside out of the rain.
AND YES, if you put another rabbit into that cage, they most certainly will fight. Rabbits that live together must be bonded. Not all rabbits will bond together and I feel that you need to learn a lot more about pet rabbits before you get any more bunnies. Do you even know why your previous bunny died? Rabbits just don’t die. They live ten to fifteen years.
Why don’t you read my book or do some studying about rabbits before getting any more.
My bunny is peeing blood but is acting normal he’s eating fine and drinking fine what could it be ?
Rabbits will often pee bright orange or red. It does not usually mean anything. If the pee is clear and not cloudy, it is probably not blood. Blood in the urine does not mix completely and looks more cloudy. If you still suspect it is blood, you should take your rabbit to a rabbit specialist vet to be checked out.
Can rabbits have a cold such as a runny nose? My rabbit has wet fur around her nose..
I have 4 rabbits 2 couples kept in seperate enclosures and runs as they dont get along today we had 1 couple running around and checking out the other couple and niping each other we noticed 1 of the boys geting excited and was spraying whitish wee so we kept them apart about half hour went to clean the wee up and it was dark orange /reddish is this the same thing? All have been castrated and spayed and weve had them for 2 years and its never happend before?
In order to have rabbits live in a group without fighting, they need to all be spayed and neutered. If they are not fixed, then they will fight all the time and you will have lots of babies.
Is it normal for a rabbit to pee two three times a day? And that too orange pee
Yes