Urine Scald |
Urine scald and how to handle it.
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What is Urine Scald?
Urine scald occurs when urine is left to soak on a rabbit's body, causing severe urine burn, skin inflammation and hair loss.
Why Urine Scald and Your Disabled Rabbit?
Urine scald often occurs when:
Disabled rabbits take on many forms. Those with fractures, congenital deformation, hip dysplasia, arthritis, amputation, paralysis, splay, or e. cuniculi (head tilt) are often not able to assume a correct stance for urination and, thus, are not able to project urine away from their bodies to remain clean and dry. In some cases, they may not be able to control their bladder at all and may have to sit on moist bedding for some length of time. In either situation, the rabbit's hindquarters become soaked with urine and urine scald starts to develop.
- Litter boxes and/or bedding is not cleaned often enough, leaving a rabbit to sit in his/her urine
- A rabbit suffers from health problems (such as the inability to control urine retention and/or voiding of the bladder)
- A rabbit is unable to assume a correct stance for urination
Disabled rabbits take on many forms. Those with fractures, congenital deformation, hip dysplasia, arthritis, amputation, paralysis, splay, or e. cuniculi (head tilt) are often not able to assume a correct stance for urination and, thus, are not able to project urine away from their bodies to remain clean and dry. In some cases, they may not be able to control their bladder at all and may have to sit on moist bedding for some length of time. In either situation, the rabbit's hindquarters become soaked with urine and urine scald starts to develop.
How Do You Treat Urine Scald?
The key to managing urine scald is careful and constant maintenance. When you notice your rabbit's skin, most likely around their private area or bottom, become reddish and inflamed, begin applying ointments to soothe and condition the skin. There are many ointment options available. Talk with your vet about which one will work for your rabbit. Here are a few we have used or have heard recommended by disabled rabbit-savvy individuals:
Natural options:
Many of these options are available online at websites such as Amazon.com, or through veterinary supply stores. Neo-predef and Silvadene are available through prescription only. If you are in the U.K., look for Heal-X or Sudocrem.
We personally recommend Neo-predef and Silvadine. Neo-predef adheres to moist skin well and is very quick at relieving inflammation. We apply Neo-predef after every butt bath (which we usually do in the evenings so as to leave the powder to work overnight). Silvadene is great for soothing the skin and helping it to heal. We recommend Neo-predef after butt baths for the general scalded area and Silvadine for maintenance of problem areas. Try putting a thin layer of A&D ointment over the top of the Silvadine to lock it in and to keep urine from scalding the skin.
- Neo-predef - topical powder that is excellent for inflammation and helps to relieve pain
- Silvadine - topical cream that is soothing and excellent as an antibiotic and great for minor cuts or dermatitis issues
- A&D Original Ointment - topical ointment used to treat diaper rash and as a soothing skin protector (MUST BE ZINC FREE)
- Neosporin Original (NOT PLUS)- topical ointment that fights infection and provides a barrier to the skin to allow for healing
- Heal-X - topical ointment with excellent anti-inflammatory and antimicroial properties
- Sudocrem - topical cream for soothing inflamed skin and providing a barrier against irritants
- Panalog - topical ointment that acts as an antibiotic and fights itching and inflammation (aka sulfodene)
Natural options:
- Rescue Cream - made by Rescue Remedy, topical cream for treating skin conditions such as dry skin, urine burn and rashes
- Calendula Cream - topical cream that uses organic ingredients to promote healing and hydration for a variety of skin conditions
- Bag Balm - topical ointment that softens and heals dry, irritated skin while protecting it from further damage
Many of these options are available online at websites such as Amazon.com, or through veterinary supply stores. Neo-predef and Silvadene are available through prescription only. If you are in the U.K., look for Heal-X or Sudocrem.
We personally recommend Neo-predef and Silvadine. Neo-predef adheres to moist skin well and is very quick at relieving inflammation. We apply Neo-predef after every butt bath (which we usually do in the evenings so as to leave the powder to work overnight). Silvadene is great for soothing the skin and helping it to heal. We recommend Neo-predef after butt baths for the general scalded area and Silvadine for maintenance of problem areas. Try putting a thin layer of A&D ointment over the top of the Silvadine to lock it in and to keep urine from scalding the skin.
How Do You Prevent Urine Scald?
Due to the nature of disabilities, it is difficult to prevent urine scald. Those rabbits that are just not able to project urine away from themselves or control their bladder due to an injury, illness or condition they may have are almost certain to face urine scald to some degree. However, you can minimize the severity of urine scald by:
1. Adjusting your rabbit's bedding to keep them as dry as possible
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Working to adjust and improve the effectiveness of your rabbit's bedding is the easiest way to help prevent urine scald. Wet bedding makes for a wet rabbit. If your rabbit is not able to move away from where they have urinated or is confined to a small area, the consequences of wet bedding are even worse.
Your bedding setup is going to require a process of trial and error to find what works best for your particular rabbit and their needs. Try to evaluate whether there may be a better setup option for your rabbit. Be sure you have a layer on top that helps wick moisture away from the surface and remains as dry as possible after use. Be sure you have a layer that soaks and holds urine away from your rabbit. Be sure that you change your rabbit's bedding as often as needed so that it remains as dry as possible for them. Overall, maintaining your rabbit's bedding and providing them with an environment that helps them keep dry and clean will help prevent painful urine scald. |
2. Expressing your rabbit's bladder manually
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Your vet can show you how to express your rabbit's bladder. Essentially, it is a process of gently pushing on a rabbit's bladder so as to empty it manually. This helps to reduce dribbling and resulting wetness, keeping your rabbit dryer and limiting urine scald.
The key to bladder expressing is gentle pressure (too much pressure can actually burst the rabbit's bladder). Place 2 or 3 fingers of one hand underneath your rabbit's belly, lift their body slightly and apply gentle pressure while moving your fingers along their belly towards their tail. Try to keep their head in the crook of your free arm with your free hand on their back or side to keep them calm. This process will be easier with rabbits that do not have control of their bladder as they are not fighting the instinct to urinate, but it is possible in all rabbits. Bladder expression takes some time and practice but, once mastered, is an enormous help in keeping a disabled rabbit dryer and preventing urine scald.
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3. Bathing your rabbit as needed
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Keeping your rabbit's skin clean and free of urine is essential for preventing urine scald. See our section Baths & Cleaning for guidance on how to keep your rabbit's skin clean. Maintaining cleanliness and preventing urine from remaining on your rabbit's skin for too long will help keep urine scald at bay. Be sure to apply something to soothe your rabbit's skin after you give them a bath, as the water (and any soap you may use) will be tough on their sensitive skin.
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4. Keeping your rabbit's hair trimmed
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Urine often gets caught in a rabbit's hair and it can be hard to get that hair clean. With the hair in the way, it can also be hard to fully clean your rabbit's skin, get it dry and apply healing ointments or creams to enable healing. Thus, it is often necessary to trim the hair around their bottom and/or where urine scald is most present. This can be done easily by a rabbit savvy veterinarian. It is called a "privacy clip." Do not try this clip on your own unless you are very experienced and possess the proper tools (rabbit skin is very, very delicate and is easy to cut accidentally). The clip may not be the prettiest of hairdos, but it will reduce the urine that is held towards the skin and, ultimately, help with urine scald.
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4. Diapering
Bonnie wears a diaper to help keep her clean.
Diapering your rabbit is another option for preventing urine scald by attempting to keep your rabbit as dry and as free of urine as possible. Diapering is a fairly easy process, but it will take some time to master. Smaller bunnies may need preemie diapers, or perhaps newborn diapers (depending on their weight). Try to find the size that will work best for your rabbit. There are some brands that contain a leak-detecting strip on them that will turn a different color when the diaper is wet. This can help you to know when to change the diaper. Regardless, be sure to check your rabbit's diaper often, especially for droppings. Do not allow your rabbit to sit in a diaper full of droppings for any extended length of time as this can actually cause 'fecal scald.'
In conjunction with bladder expression, diapering is a great way to help keep your rabbit clean and dry to prevent urine scald. Here is a great instructional video on how to diaper a disabled rabbit, featuring Princess Jasmine the bunny:
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