
Urinary Incontinence in rabbits
|
Bacterial causes |
Urinary
tract infection (UTI), by Pasteurella spp, Staphylococcus spp.,
or other bacteria |
|
Cystitis
(inflammation of the bladder) |
|
Parasitic causes |
Encephalitozoon cuniculi, in this case it is often accompanied
by paresis of the hind limb
|
Toxoplasmosis
|
|
Presence of worms in the bladder
|
|
Calcium related causes |
Hypercalciuria
(increased calcium in the urine) |
|
Mechanical causes |
Urolithiasis
or the presence of kidney or bladder stones |
|
Vertebral fracture and nerve damage at the sacral level |
|
|
Subluxation or luxation of the spinal cord (usually at L6 level) |
|
|
Deformation of the female or male genitalia |
|
|
Ambiguous
genitalia (e.g. hermaphroditism) |
|
|
Gestation |
|
Nervous system causes |
Trauma of
the spinal cord, fracture or luxation |
E. cuniculi
|
|
Nervous
system causes |
Obesity, with a rabbit becoming “lazy” and unable to clean
himself |
|
Hypercalciuria (abnormal amount of calcium in the urine) |
|
|
Renal failure |
|
|
Polyuria / polydipsia |
|
|
Urolithiasis, or the presence of kidney or bladder stones |
|
|
Response
to estrogen in recently spayed female rabbits |
|
Pain
|
|
Surgical causes |
Response
to estrogen after an ovariohysterectomy
(spaying) surgery |
|
Polydipsia (increased drinking) |
Pain |
|
Stress
resulting in psychogenic polydipsia |
Thanks to Mary C. Cotter (USA) and Wendy Douglas (UK), for
their input related to the possible causes of incontinence.
e-mail: info@medirabbit.com
