At the local feed store one evening I heard a young man ask the store employee about how to treat his rabbit’s nasty looking backside. I engaged in the conversation and we quickly determined that the rabbit had what is known as Rabbit Wet Tail, also known simply as Wet Tail.
Rabbit Wet Tail: Does Wet Tail Kill Rabbits?
Yes, Wet Tail can kill rabbits. It is the general term applied to any number of urinary and digestive tract illnesses that cause urine scald or diarrhea in rabbits. These conditions often lead to further complications such as fly strike and can be fatal!
The videos in this article illustrate some nasty wet tail conditions!
Rabbit With Wet Tail
Wet Tail may seem like a curiously named condition, but it describes this dangerous rabbit malady well. Wet Tail effected bunnies literally have a “wet tail” because their bottom and tail are wet with urine spray, diarrhea, or both.
If your rabbit has Wet Tail, that is, diarrhea or urine spray near its genitals, hind legs and lower belly, then you should immediately call your veterinarian!
Can Rabbits Get Wet Tail
Yes, bunnies can get Wet Tail. The urine spray that causes Wet Tail may be the result of a number of urinary tract infections (UTI) or related mobility and urinary tract issues. Similarly, the diarrhea that causes Wet Tail may be the result of any number of gastrointestinal illnesses and is often combined with environmental stressors.
Wet tail is very dangerous for your rabbit. It can severely stress your rabbit and in some cases progress to become life threatening in as little as 48 hours.
How Do Rabbits Get Wet Tail
Bunnies can get wet tail via a number of pathways, with nine common ones including:
1. Environmental Stressors – Stress can cause or contribute to illness in bunnies. Stress taxes the rabbit’s immune system, making the rabbit weaker and more likely to get sick than be able to fight off an infection or parasite. Stressors may be things like:
- Bully Bunny – Is there a new rabbit in the hutch who may be a bit of a bully
- New Food – did you change the brand of pellets you’re feeding
- Dental Problems – Did the rabbit develop a dental issue that has it in pain all the time and stressed.
- Predators Presence – Is there a predator visiting the hutches at night
- Rough Play With Children – is one of the kids handling the bunny too much or too roughly
2. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) – Rabbits at risk for UTIs are those in dirty living conditions, those that are sedentary, overweight, older, eating poor diets, or just genetically predisposed to having UTIs.
3. Obesity – An obese rabbit may have folds of skin and fur that prevent it from being able to urinate cleanly and without getting urine on its fur.
4. Arthritis – Healthy rabbits urinate by spreading their back legs a bit, moving their tail out of the way, and directing their urine stream down and to the rear. This keeps urine away from their legs, feet and bottom. Rabbits with arthritis may not be able to move into the position that allows them to urinate cleanly.
5. E. cuniculi – (Encephalitozoon cuniculi) E. cuniculi is a fungal infection in rabbits. It is a fungal parasite that can impact rabbit eyesight, nervous system, kidneys, brain and heart. About 6% of rabbits will not be able to fight off the parasite. If the parasite is able to take up residence in the rabbit it will experience severe nerve damage. Eventually, a rabbit’s hind legs become less mobile and may become paralyzed. This results in immobility when peeing and Wet Tail is likely to develop.
Note that E. cuniculi is spread by fungal spores that are released in the rabbit’s pee. If a rabbit inhales or ingests the spores then it may become infected.
6. Traumatic Injury – An injury may leave a rabbit unable to move into the position that allows them to urinate cleanly. As a result, urine may spray or dribble and wet tail may develop.
7. Complications After Neutering – Sometimes rabbits have trouble urinating cleanly after being neutered.
8. Crystals In Bladder or Urethra – Crystals or stones in the bladder or urethra may cause urine to dribble out and drip down legs and soak the genital area.
9. Sludge in Rabbit bladder or Urinary Tract – Excessive sludge in a rabbit’s bladder or urinary tract is often related to eating too much calcium. Rabbits have a hard time expelling excess calcium from their bodies. The extra calcium forms a sludge in their bladder or urinary tract and causes them to spray their urine.
Regardless of the cause of the urine spray, if a rabbit suffers from repeatedly soaking the fur near their genitals, the inside of their back legs, and their belly, they are at great risk of Wet Tail. The soaked fur irritates the rabbit’s skin and will cause your rabbit causing burns or urine scald.
If not proactively treated, these burns and scalds will continue to break down causing open sores that become infected. The infection can quickly become systemic and threaten the rabbit’s life. Further, the extremely damaged skin (dermatitis) invites fly strike which is fatal.
Rabbit Wet Tail Symptoms
Symptoms of rabbit wet tail include the following:
- The rabbit’s bottom is dirty or wet and likely has a foul odor.
- Unusually strong smell of ammonia
- Yellow, urine stained fur on legs and belly. If advanced, then missing patches of fur, red or swollen skin, or open sores on hind legs and feet.
- Crying or squealing in pain during urination
- Urinating in places where the rabbit does not usually urinate
- Explosive diarrhea along with clumped diarrhea in the fur surrounding the anus.
How To Treat Rabbit Wet Tail
The most effective way to treat Wet Tail is to take your rabbit to the veterinarian.
As a bunny owner, your efforts to help your rabbit by treating Wet Tail with home remedies are well intended. However, as you now know, Wet Tail can be caused by a variety of things, sometimes by several things acting simultaneously. So to quickly provide the best care for your rabbit, and the best chance of recovery, you should take it to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis, medicine and treatment.
Here is a video of a Rabbit with Wet Tail.
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This Video provides an example of urine burn and scald due to a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Rabbit Wet Tail
Is Wet Tail In Rabbits Contagious?
Yes, depending on the cause of the Wet Tail it may be contagious. For example, if the problem is a bacteria based UTI, then the bacteria can spread and cause UTIs in other rabbits. Conversely, if the wet tail is due to obesity, then it is not contagious.
Can Rabbits get Tyzzer’s Disease?
Yes, especially newly weaned baby rabbits between 4 and 12 weeks of age. Not much is known about Tyzzer’s disease. If your rabbit, especially a young and newly weaned bunny, has diarrhea then immediately call your vet as diarrhea is a symptom of Tyzzer’s disease.
Final Thoughts on Rabbit Wet Tail
If you are visiting with your rabbits daily, observing their eating patterns, movements, health, and perhaps even handling them several times a week, then you will quickly detect problems such as Wet Tail. Domestic rabbits suffer from this condition more than wild rabbits as their daily living habits are different, and we emphasize that stress on bunnies creates a constant drag on their immune system, making them more susceptible to illness and disease!
Remember, the best things you can do for your rabbits are provide them with healthy food, great hygiene, and low stress environments.