Urine and Rain Scald

Rain Scald / Chronic Wetness

If a rabbit’s skin is chronically exposed to moisture, then baldness, redness, and crusting may develop, and bacterial infection may follow. The source of the moisture may be the environment - water crocks, leaky water bottle, damp litter, over grooming by another rabbit, an obese bun’s tummy or bottom not up off wet ground, lack of dry shelter or the rabbit’s own body fluids - urine leakage, faecal staining.  Infection by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa sometimes causes a moist dermatitis which shows as a blueish discolouration of the fur. If drinking water is contaminated with Pseudomonas, rigorous disinfection or replacement of water containers is essential.

Urine Scald

Urine scald is not the yellow staining that can occur on the bottom of a rabbit’s foot from contact with urine, but is the burning that occurs when the skin is constantly exposed to urine.
Like saliva, urine is caustic and urine scald occurs when urine is left to collect in the fur or soak/sit on a rabbit's body. This it will burn the underlying skin causing severe urine burn, skin inflammation and hair loss. 

Urinary Incontinence
Loss of Voluntary Control of Urination in Rabbits
Urinary incontinence
Urine Scald: A Symptom of a Greater Problem
Urinary incontinence in rabbits

Treatment
Finding out where the moisture is coming from, eliminating the source and keeping your rabbit absolutely dry is the first and most important step toward a cure. Steps to address the cause may also include veterinary treatment for problems like arthritis or bladder problems, a change in diet to correct obesity, altering the rabbit’s housing so that it stays dry in wet weather etc. Rabbits with these problems should not be allowed outdoors until the issue is completely resolved because not only will they not heal if they continue to be wet, they are at risk of fly strike.

For both conditions the treatment is the same - daily care of the affected area is necessary and may include clipping to clear fur away from affected areas because with the hair in the way, it can be hard to fully clean your rabbit's skin, get it dry and apply healing ointments or creams to enable healing. So it is often necessary to trim the hair around their bottom and/or where scald is most present. This is best carried out by a rabbit savvy vet unless you are experienced with clipping your rabbit or giving a hygiene trim. 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.

The next step is cleansing with a gentle antiseptic such as saline,  F10 or dilute iodine solution, drying well and applying topical antibiotic/anti-inflammatory treatment. Intensive or prolonged use of topical corticosteroids can have systemic effects and should be avoided, but do have a place in treating severely inflamed skin in the short term to get things under control quickly. Systemic antibiotics (based on culture/sensitivity testing) are needed if there is pus, fever, or lethargy.

Once the skin has dried apply a topical treatment as listed below. Following this with a barrier cream can be helpful to help protect the skin from further contact with water or urine.

These links this demonstrate how to safely clean your bun's butt if this is necessary.
Baths and Cleaning - Disabled Rabbits website

Topical Treatment Options
The following products listed in some sources and elsewhere on the internet are not available in NZ or may not be safe to use -

* A&D Original Ointment

* Neosporin Original

* Heal-X

* Panalog

* Rescue Cream

* Bag Balm

* Sudocrem - Not recommended as it contains Zinc which can be toxic of ingested. Ok if rabbit cannot reach it to ingest it.

Some Options Available in New Zealand -

* Flamazine (Silvadine equivalent) - topical cream that is soothing and excellent as an antibiotic agent and great for minor cuts or dermatitis issues. This would be my first choice and is available from Pharmacies.

* Cavilon - A concentrated barrier cream that provides durable, long-lasting protection from body fluids while also moisturising the skin. The cream vanishes into the skin. Good to put on once Flamazine is absorbed to protect the skin from becoming wet. Cavilon is available from Westley's World.

* Kawakawa Balm - a unique NZ product - Soothing and healing
Organic Kawakawa Balm
Kawakawa Salve

* Calendula Cream - topical cream that uses organic ingredients to promote healing and hydration for a variety of skin conditions
Calendula Balm

* Veterinus Derma Gel - Swiss Formula with a barrier effect for the treatment of minor skin conditions. Fast skin and wound healing
Veterinus Derma Gel

* A recipe for a cream that helps treat urine burn in rabbits

Copyright 2019 - Jen Herd/Westley’s World