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This rabbit has a bladder full of sludge (dense white area) but there is also a deformity in its spinal column that is affecting its ability to urinate properly.

The colour of normal rabbit urine is variable. It may be any shade of yellow, orange, red or brown. It often contains calcium carbonate sediment. Excreting surplus calcium into the urine is the rabbit's way of regulating the amount of calcium in the body so the presence of sediment is normal.

This embryo was inside a swelling in the uterus that was removed during routine ovariohysterectomy. Other swellings contained resorbing foetuses.

As in other species, rabbit kidneys are retroperitoneal and are situated on either side of the aorta and vena cava. The kidneys have a reddish brown colour, with a smooth surface and a simple structure. The size of the kidneys varies with the size of the rabbit, but they are approximately 3cm long, 2cm wide and 10 cm thick. The ureters can be seen in this image between the hilus of the kidney and the thin walled bladder.

The amount of grass that would provide the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium also contains 350mls water, which is an important consideration, especially for rabbits with urinary tract disease.

Mineral blocks can provide an alarmingly high amount of calcium to rabbits that chew large amounts. The calcium content is approximately 19% and there is very little water. A rabbit would only need to eat a nineteenth of one of the bars shown in this image to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance of 500mg. If the rabbit chews large amounts, it places a high burden on the kidneys and bladder to excrete the large amount of calcium. This would be alright in a rabbit with a healthy urinary tract but could easily cause problems in a rabbit with compromised kidney or bladder function. Another problem with mineral blocks is the small particle size of the powder. These particles will be moved into the caecum by the motility of the hindgut and could add to impaction problems in rabbits that are dehydrated or have consumed large amounts of the block. They also have a very low phosphorus content and a highly inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio.