The color of a rabbit’s urine can give you an insight into its health. And you’d certainly want to know if there’s anything to be concerned about.
So what color should rabbit pee be?
Normal rabbit urine should range from light yellow to bright orange. However, there are instances where your pet might excrete either cloudy white, murky brown, or deep red urine.
If you have no idea what these uncommon urine colors signify, this article is for you.
Normal Rabbit Urine Colors
The color of your pet’s urine may change constantly, and this is completely normal. A noticeable change in the color of a rabbit’s pee may be parallel to the change in its diet and hydration, stress levels, and temperature.
These are the urine colors that are considered normal and safe:
Yellow Urine
A healthy rabbit normally releases pale to more concentrated yellow urine two to eight times a day. This means the rabbit is drinking just the right amount of water it needs for healthy digestion, absorption of nutrients, and removal of waste.
Orange and Brown Urine
When your pet’s urine comes in a stronger color of amber or orange, your pet might be drinking less water. The more concentrated and darker the pee, the higher the possibility that your rabbit is dehydrated.
Usually, rabbits know how to regulate their own water intake. However, there are times when stress in rabbits causes them to lose their appetite for food and water. It can also be that the water has an unfamiliar taste that they don’t particularly like.
Heat stress can be the cause of dark-colored urine as well. Rabbits’ may feel uncomfortable around temperatures higher than 30°C since their optimal temperature and humidity range from 15–25°C and 55–65%, respectively.
Conditional Rabbit Urine Colors
You may have seen your pet release transparent, chalky white, or pure red urine and wondered if they indicate anything serious. These occurrences may or may not pose any real threats to your rabbit’s health, but there’s certainly an explanation for each of them.
Is Transparent Urine Healthy?
Since pale yellow pee is healthy in rabbits, you might think colorless urine is far healthier—this is incorrect!
Usually, when rabbit pee is transparent, your pet is drinking too much water, which is a condition known as Polydipsia. This may be a sign of stress, excessive heat, and some serious medical concerns such as kidney failure, liver failure, and diabetes.
Why Is Rabbit Pee White?
White discharge from rabbits is actually the excretion of excess calcium from their diet, which is normal as long as it occasionally happens. However, a white discharge may be a critical symptom of an underlying condition if it’s a frequent occurrence.
Calcium is essential for your pet’s bone structure. However, too much of it can negatively affect a rabbit’s health and can cause Hypercalciuria (bladder sludge), urinary tract infection (UTI), and Urolithiasis (kidney stones).
Why Rabbit Urine Is Red?
Even though this color looks alarming, it’s not always a matter of concern. In fact, there’s an apparent difference between non-threatening red urine and one that can be a sign of a serious medical condition.
Harmless Red Urine
First, we’ll discuss the type that you shouldn’t worry about: when the urine is entirely red. This occasional but normal occurrence may be caused by any of the following irregularities:
Change in Diet
If your pet only started peeing red after you’ve incorporated a new addition to its diet, then that’s likely the reason behind the urine’s color. Maybe you’re feeding it too much carrot, which, contrary to popular belief, should only be fed to rabbits as an occasional treat.
Other foods that may cause your pet’s red urine are high beta-carotene vegetables and fruits such as spinach and red berries.
Winter or Summer Season
Exposure to extreme cold and heat can bring stress in rabbits resulting in red urine. However, this occurrence should last only a few days to a week.
Antibiotics
If, by any chance, your pet is under treatment for bacterial infections, it may be likely that the medication is the reason for the red pee. Antibiotics can increase pigment levels in urine, making it red in color.
Hematuria
Unlike the harmless type, Hematuria causes the urine to appear red because of the presence of blood, not just dietary pigments. You’d typically detect this condition when you see red spots or blotches rather than an entire red-colored pee.
Along with spotted urine, a rabbit with Hematuria will also display discomfort due to abdominal pain, development of lumps, an enlarged bladder, and bruising.
Final Thoughts
So, what color should rabbit pee be? Yellow to amber-colored urine is considered normal. On the other hand, white, transparent, and red urine can indicate some health concerns.
When your rabbit pees any of these unusual colors, it’s advisable to observe the factors that may cause such change. If unsure, checking with your veterinarian is the best way to go.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.