Bladder Stones in Rabbits

It is still unclear as to the exact mechanisms that lead to bladder stones or a similar condition called hypercalcinuria in the rabbit. Hypercalcinuria is a high calcium content of the urine where large stones do not form, but rather there is an abundance of smaller crystals that cause the urine to be thick, white and difficult to pass. This condition is often referred to as bladder sludge. It is likely that a combination of factors is necessary to create sludge and stones in the bladder. Stones or sludge may form in both the kidneys and the ureters that are the tubes that pass urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Most of the stones seen in rabbits are primarily composed of a mineral called calcium carbonate. Varying amounts of calcium carbonate are normal in rabbit urine, but what causes the amounts increase in volume or clump together and form stones is not entirely clear.