Rabbit urine sludge

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 11:01:02 GMT

Yes....although the bladder does literally feel like a rock, it will 'break down' well with lots of flushing and gentle manipulation. You do have to be patient though so as not to damage the bladder.

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Julie Innes — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:31:08 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]I've had a few cases like this...bladder literally solid. I've managed to clear it with copious flushing of warm water through a small urinary catheter, allowing the sludge to run out around it.....and I mean copious flushing!! [/quote]

Interesting, Gillian! Did you manage to flush from the outside?

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 20:24:06 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]Went in thinking stone, but actually the bladder was horribly distended and filled with a substance akin to clay! [/quote]

I've had a few cases like this...bladder literally solid. I've managed to clear it with copious flushing of warm water through a small urinary catheter, allowing the sludge to run out around it.....and I mean copious flushing!!

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Julie Innes — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 09:54:55 GMT

Interesting and timely- I had a rabbit yesterday with recurrent urinary issues (scald, seemed to have difficulty urinating, discomfort over bladder. Rads showed a completely radiopaque huge bladder! Went in thinking stone, but actually the bladder was horribly distended and filled with a substance akin to clay! Scooped it out and flushed, still waiting to see how bunny will do, but I had suggested urinary diet (selective vetcare) in meantime (my old rabbit had a massive stone, and lived urolith free for 4 years afterwards with change in diet)

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

bevs2251 — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 00:50:28 GMT

[quote user="Robin Grimmer"]

Is sludge in rabbit's urine a normal finding? I thought as rabbits excrete calcium carbonate in their urine it is, but when does it become a problem?

[/quote]

Trying out the quote box. Sludge is a normal finding in rabbit urine due to calcium content and alkaline pH. Small amount in bladder ok but large amounts predispose to uroliths.

Have seen a couple of cases in rabbits and one guinea pig. One rabbit belonged to a vet nurse of mine so good learning opportunity. We gave him a GA, radiographs, loads of sc fluids, then tried to express as much urine out as possible. Another rabbit had a urolith stuck in the urethra. GA and radiographed it, sc fluids, bladder expression etc but was unable to grasp the stone as it was so round and kept going back up the urethra. Rabbit stopped breathing but my nurse got it going again with mouth to nose ! Had been under for quite a while by then. Woke it up and rang Sydney Uni to see if I could refer it for possible endoscopy to try and grasp the stone - didn't seem too interested to take the case (this was in the mid 90s) ! Kept it in O/N with plan to try again the next day. Lo and behold, there was the stone in the cage ! Thank goodness. Another GA would have been quite risky. The rabbit was overweight and on mostly pelleted diet.

These cases benefit from weight loss as they often can't reach their anus to eat the caecotrophs. Grass hay should be at least 70% of the diet, minimal pellets (25% at most) and dark green veges. The pellet mixes with some hay are not sufficient and freshness can't be guaranteed. Mostly fresh food diet for rabbits and guinea pigs - and humans !!

The guinea pig I saw had a urolith stuck in its uretha (male) but died during the GA when trying to remove it. He had very bloody urine.

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Marie Kubiak — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 15:02:25 GMT

A little bit in a bladder that has urine in is not usually relevant as that is just waiting to be voided. However if you have concretions or a disproportionate amount to the urine volume then it becomes abnormal. I've never really thought about the stage when I interpret it as a worry - thinking now, maybe >10% bladder filled with radio-opaque material would jump out as be abnormal to me. Could be a nice easy student project to review rads of rabbits with clinical cystitis compared with those that were clinically normal in that respect.

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Robin Grimmer — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:52:11 GMT

Thanks Marie - excellent advice as always. Interesting - so if you see sludge in the bladder on a rabbit x-ray, then it's abnormal? Is this a more common problem in house rabbits?

RE: Rabbit urine sludge

Marie Kubiak — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:46:59 GMT

Yes, the sludge in the voided urine is not of concern. Accumulation of sludge in the bladder is usually clinically relevant. It is most commonly there due to chronic issues with urination (lack of suitable urination site or most frequently a lack of ability to stand upright to achieve position to empty bladder properly) and not the ingested or circulating mineral ions.

I also smell snake oil! Where does the carbon dioxide go inside the urinary tract???

If anyone has a few rabbits at home and time to test urine pH repeatedly it would be interesting to see if it has any effect at all but I remain highly sceptical.

Marie