Dr Vicky’s Patient Pick: Obi

It’s really important that, if ever your bunny shows the slightest signs that they may be unwell, you bring them to the vet for a check-up. Being a prey-species, their survival depends on their fitness and if there is anything that shows a predator they may be weak, they will expertly hide it. This means that we often find spectacular illness in rabbits which are only actually displaying very mild signs of being unwell. They are the masters of deception! 

Obi’s mum came to see us because she was worried about his wee, he hadn’t been as great with his toilet training lately and she had noticed some redness. 

Bladder problems are very common in rabbits, and for the most part problems with urination can be due to infection or thickening of the urine to form a sand-like sludge. However, Obi’s x-rays showed he has been keeping a big secret for quite some time. 

Obi’s X-Ray

Obi’s X-Ray with Annotations

Within Obi’s teeny little rabbit bladder was a massive 1.5cm rock! The bladder stone was so big, that looking at the x-ray, you could almost miss the numerous little stones behind it. 

Obi’s blood test results came back clear, and so was prescribed some medicine and seen in the coming days for bladder surgery. Dr Vicky and Dr Emily carefully removed the stone, whilst Dr Mananya managed Obi’s anaesthesia. The procedure was a success, and Obi was placed in the recovery bay with his companion rabbit for moral support. 

Stone removed from Obi’s Bladder:

Obi was drinking within an hour of surgery and eating not long thereafter. Within a few hours, his intravenous fluids were stopped, his IV cannula removed and he was sent home to recover. Rabbits are highly sensitive to stress, and this alone can make them very sick. Because of this, we work very hard to get rabbits back home as soon as it is safe to do so. Obi was lucky to have his companion rabbit to keep him company during his hospital stay, she kept his spirits up – but also ate all of his lunch! 

Obi’s now fully recovered from his surgery and is beginning on the long journey of diet change and weight loss to help prevent future bladder problems. 

“It’s a long road ahead, and Obi’s going to fight his mum every step of the way with these diet changes, but we’re going to do the best by him”, says Dr Vicky. 

Obi, you’re a star!

Are you lucky enough to be sharing your life with a rabbit? Have you got questions about their health and lifestyle? Book an appointment for advice from a professional and trusted source.

Dr. Vicky Wade

Veterinarian