What does your rabbit’s urine color mean?

Are you curious about what the color of your rabbit’s urine means? You’re not alone! This is a question that many pet owners have, and it’s pretty easy to answer.

In this blog post, we’ll look at the different colors that rabbit urine can be and what they may mean. So, what color is rabbit urine? Keep reading to find out!

Typically, a healthy rabbit’s urine can vary in color from yellow to golden orange. However, if your rabbit’s urine is red, brown, or white, it’s worth discussing with your vet. While it could be normal for your rabbit, it’s essential to rule out any potential health issues. The presence of sand-like particles or blood in the urine can be a cause for concern, as it may indicate underlying health problems.

Rabbit Urine Color Chart Table

Yellow Urine

Yellow urine is considered healthy. This will either be yellow or a slightly darker yellow but not quite brown.

Red Urine

Red Urine is typically a sign of a dietary change and is rarely an issue. This is commonly noticed when your rabbit’s urine is even red throughout rather than red or dark red spots. If this is blood, you will usually see this as blotches or spots of red. Red urine can come as a result of the following:

• Dietary Changes: A diet high in Beta Carotene (Carrots, Spinach, Dark leafy greens, etc) or Red Berries (Raspberries, Strawberries, etc) can cause their pee to be dyed red.
• Weather Changes: Usually, when the fall season or cold weather comes around, your rabbit’s pee will turn red for a few days. This is yet to be explained, but it is fine.
• Antibiotics: Such as Ciprofloxacin or Penicillin G can often cause a change in your rabbit’s urine, this is typically used to help treat a rabbit’s urinary tract.

When in doubt, you can take your rabbit to a veterinarian for a urine sample (Urinalysis) which will help determine if there is blood in the urine and if it is fatal. This can lead to x-rays of your rabbit’s abdomen for signs of bladder stones or calcium sludge in the bladder and ureters/urethra.

Orange / Brown Urine

Like yellow urine, Orange and Brown urine is considered fairly healthy and not a sign of any issues. If your rabbit’s pee is orange or brown they will need more liquids in their diet as it is a sign of dehydration.

If your rabbit isn’t showing signs of issues such as hunching, struggling to breathe, or being lethargic, they may not want to drink yet. You can help keep your rabbit hydrated easily with the following methods:

• Try using a water bowl – Water bowls are considerably easier to drink than water bottles. Additionally, water bottles have been known to cause issues when the ball inside is stuck. This results in dehydration for your rabbit.
• Wash some fresh leafy greens – Leafy greens are a fantastic way to hydrate your rabbit. During the summer, we regularly wash our greens and put them in a bowl without drying them off.
• Add unsweetened juice – If your rabbit is a fruit fiend, add unsweetened juices to their water. You don’t need to add a lot. A few drops of unsweetened apple or carrot juice can make a difference.
• Add ice to their water bowl – Sometimes, an excellent cold refresher can be just what your rabbit needs to drink water. We often add ice to keep our rabbit’s water nice and cold during summer.
• Refill your rabbit’s water daily – If you can, refill your rabbit’s water multiple times a day; alternatively, get a water dispenser as this will stop water from being stagnant and help top up their water as it evaporates.
• Use bottled water – We know this isn’t something everyone can do. Regular bottled water can be expensive. But keeping a bottle of water in the refrigerator to top up or replace your rabbit’s water can be crucial to keeping them eager to drink.

White, Milky, or Cloudy Urine

If your rabbit’s urine is white or slightly milky, this can simply be excess calcium being excreted. Your rabbit shouldn’t have any issues absorbing calcium due to having a higher blood calcium level than most animals. This is due to calcium’s nutritional benefits, which can be passed through urine.

A common sign of this is a high percentage of alfalfa hay rather than Timothy hay. Once your rabbit is three months or older, we recommend swapping them to timothy hay products rather than alfalfa.

If your rabbit has regular excess calcium for an extended period, you should take your rabbit to a veterinarian to make sure they are not building up calcium crystals which can lead to a urinary tract infection.

Frequently Asked Questions