BLADDER SLUDGE

  What Is Bladder Sludge?

• Bladder Sludge also called hypercalciuria is a thickening of the urine with calcium salts that never form into stones. 
• Sludge may be comprised of any number of calcium salts and does not flow as normal, liquid urine should. 
• Consistency of the urine is chalk or fine sand, white to gray color. 
• Very thick sludge can have the consistency of toothpaste.
• Sludge can form in the kidneys or ureters, but most sludge is noted in the bladder. 

What Are The Signs Of Bladder Sludge?

• Your rabbit will urinate more frequently than usual and outside of the litter box. 
• They may strain to urinate.
• Or not be able to pee on their own and the bladder will need to be expressed. 
• Sometimes there will be blood in the urine. 
• Sludge ( thick white consistency urine) will appear.
• Your rabbit may have urine scald. ( appears as baldness and red, irritated skin)
• Loss of appetite and depression. 

What Kind Of Diet Should Your Rabbit Follow If They Have Bladder Sludge?    

• Consult with your vet first before making dietary changes.
• Switch your rabbit from current, to a brand like Sherwood. (This is what the rescue's vet suggested for Pepper).
• Follow instructions on the label for transitioning your rabbit's pellets.
• Introduce Sherwood's Urinary Tablet.
• Rabbits love the taste of the tablet supplement which is cranberry. 
• Increase their water intake.
• You can do this by adding fruit to the water. Either leave piece of fruit or infuse the water prior to giving them the water. 
• Increase activity. 
• Active body, promotes active gut mobility!
• Veggies:
• You want to provide your rabbit with veggies that are low in calcium. Avoid kale and spinach.
• Provide at least 3 different veggies daily.

What Are Safe Veggies To Provide Your Bun?

• Carrot Tops
• Watercress
• Dandelion Greens
• Romaine
• Cilantro
• Raspberry Leaves
• Chard
• Red Leaf

Pepper's Story

PEPPER

Pepper here is a beautiful Tan breed rabbit that came to the shelter back in December 2021. She was found outside and someone caught her and brought her to the shelter. Little did we know what kind of journey she would take us on. 

After being at the shelter for almost a month, was spayed, the volunteers and I just felt like something was off. Since she's at a shelter it's hard to observe her 24/7 and the shelter workers never provided any care for the rabbits. Every day we had 2 or more volunteers care for the rabbits. 

We noticed after being fixed that she was still not peeing in her litterbox, pooping EVERYWHERE, and when you picked her up she would pee on you. She would wasn't hopping with her back legs, for like a waddle (moving one leg than the other.) Her urine was thick, white, and had a milky consistency. One day the team at the shelter saw zero pee, she could not pee without being picked up! And instantly thought red flag and called the vet. I drove her to the rescue's vet, raised money since the shelter only pays for spays and neuters. She spent a few hours there and had spent a few days with a volunteer until she can get her back to the shelter.

The vet concluded that she has bladder sludge, to change from the oxbow pellets to Sherwood pellets as well as daily urinary tablet supplements from Sherwood. For veggies to give veggies that are low in calcium. To increase her water intake by adding fruit to the water to encourage more drinking and we may have to expel her bladder if we notice no pee. Also, check her groin area to ensure she doesn't get urine stains or to turn to urine scald. (Check post on Bladder Sludge.)

The volunteers became even more concerend about her gait. My thought was please not E.C, I asked if the volunteers just to observe her movement, as well as her poops, appeared to be cecal dysbiosis. Well, she began to wobble more so we brought her back to the vet. The prognosis was that her X-rays were clear and suspected a healed over spine fracture. She tends to favor one side due to this. This also causes more pressure on her bladder. Pepper also has megacolon. ( More info on our post about Megacolon). 

So Pepper is now a special needs bun. Her balance began to become even worse, slowly losing use of both her back legs. Volunteers expelled her bladder every day, every few days a butt bath, and extra cushion in her pen to provide comfort. A volunteer decided to adopt Pepper, as the shelter was not the place for her, especially with all her needs. 

She now has an amazing home, a wheelchair, and is very loved. She still isn't fond of moving around in her wheelchair, but she loves to clean herself as the wheelchair allows her to keep her balance. Being in the wheel chair relieves pressure off of her back legs. 

Her diet has changed since the shelter. She is on Sherwood Pellets and urinary support tablets, no veggies, and her treat options are extremely limited. The treats she was getting her bun mom was not thrilled with the ingredients, as it had sugars. Both Brittany and I have a mega soft spot for Pepper and wanted to create a treat for her, creating our Pepper BUNdle! Her treats (Pepper Mint Patties) are beyond small so she can get spoiled! Made with ingredients for her megacolon and bladder sludge needs. For her forage (UR-INe Love) has herbs and flowers that focus on urinary health, digestive help and pain relief. 

DRIED PLANTAIN LEAF

  DRIED PLANTAIN LEAF

Dried plantain leaf is our favorite herb, we refer to it as the holy grail! The health benefits speak for themselves! 

Our BINKY BITES are made with just dried plantain leaf. These are the perfect little snack as it is super healthy, tasty and helps their digestive system. 

Measurements:

1 to 3 tablespoons per a day, or a few times throughout the week

Our Megacolon buns get dried plantain leaf daily as it beneficial for their digestive tracts.

How much we give our buns:

• Trouble gets unlimited as recommended by his vet.
• Reese and Ryleigh since a bonded pair get 2 tablespoons with their morning pellets everyday.
• Butter get 2 tablespoons but is given a couple times a week. 
• Rain and Rudy each get a tablespoon a couple times a week. 

Some ways to include forage into your rabbits diet:

1. Just the dried plantain leaf in a bowl. (A ceramic bowl is best, and harder to flip)
2. With their morning pellets. 
3. Sprinkle into hay. 
4. On top/bottom of veggies.
5. Sprinkle on forage mat.
6. Inside a cardboard tube toy and stuff with hay.

MEGACOLON