Let’s face it, we’ve all been there! That moment when you look in the corner of your apartment (or in the corner of your bunny’s apartment) and there’s a reddish-brownish puddle, and your heart sinks to the bottom of your feet because that is most definitely not what pee is supposed to look like!
The most common cause of red pee in rabbits is simply that the rabbit has ingested pigments in its food (usually certain vegetables) which have affected its color. For example, the red pigment in beetroot can may be mistaken for blood.
There are usually two reactions to this. Half of us run for paper towels to clean up the mess before we google ‘My bunny’s urine is red’ while the rest of us google ‘What is the normal color of bunny urine’
Let’s cut to the chase because in both cases, what these people have in common, is that they are really, really worried about their fluffy little friend.
Firstly, it’s normal to worry but you can take a breath. Your little sweetheart is ok. Even though his fluffy onesie may be a little dirty, in most cases, that’s not blood. Rabbit pee varies in color from yellow to brown, depending on what they eat, and oddly enough, the seasons.
Medical literature only has a few lines about this, since it’s not a big concern in almost all cases. Examples like this from Diseases of Domestic Rabbits (1988) by Lieve Okerman:
“Red color of the urine is sometimes observed in rabbits. It is probably caused by a plant pigment and does not affect the health of the animal.”
Red(ish) or brown(ish) urine in rabbits occurs for many reasons
The seasons, or more precisely the temperature, is an odd one, but regular like clockwork. For example, the House Rabbit Society reports a huge increase of calls every late fall when the temperature drops with worried bunny parents asking about red or brown urine.
Red urine may also occur while our little buddies are on antibiotics. This is particularly traumatizing since they are already sick and, seeing the red(ish) or brown(ish) puddle, or dirty red bunny-butt, makes bunny parents jump to the conclusion that something must be going terribly wrong, or getting terribly worse. But no, it’s normal, while on antibiotics, sometimes their urine gets darker.
If you take your bunny outside, and depending on the time of year, and depending on where you live, it’s possible that the little muncher indulged in some leaves. In fall, when there are lots of leaves on the ground, your fuzzy overlord might sample a few from the buffet nature has provided. These leaves have tannins in them, just like tea (which is basically leaves), and those tannins change the color of the pee to red(ish) or brown(ish) (just like tea changes the color of water).
FYI: Most leaves are harmless to rabbits. For example, bunnies can happily munch on the bark, branches, and the leaves of willow, spruce, ash, birch, maple, juniper, poplar, apple, pear, hazel, rose, hawthorn, amongst others; the only side effect is darker urine.
Pro Tip: If the tree produces a fruit with only one seed, you should consider it toxic to your bunny! I.e.: plum, cherry, apricot, peach, etc.
And lastly, the simplest explanation for red(ish) or brown(ish) bunny pee – beta-carotene! Like in carrots! But not just carrots, beta-carotene is also found in large amounts in all the following fine, fine veggies, herbs, and fruits: most dark leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, romaine lettuce, cantaloupe, red and yellow peppers, parsley, cilantro, marjoram, sage, coriander, and many others!
Further Reading
Red Urine: Blood or Plant Pigment? rabbit.org
What To Do When You See Red In Your Rabbit’s Urine be.chewy.com
Red Urine in Rabbits: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment petcoach.co
