RABBIT - CAUSES OF RED COLOURED URINE

In rabbit's the normal colour of urine is yellow but in sick animals it may be red, brown, or orange and this condition is simply called "red urine".

Causes of red urine
1. Plant pigments: The red color of urine can be due to porphyrins present in plants. Sometimes diets with large amounts of plants high in beta-carotene, such as carrots and spinach, can cause the reddish discoloration. Generally, the changes in urine color caused by diet are intermittent and only last 2-3 days.
2. Antibiotics: The administration of some antibiotics may increase the levels of pigments in the urine.
3. Stress: Stress or even a change of season may result in reddish discolored urine.

4. Dehydration: Dehydration will concentrate the urine to give it different colour.
5. Blood: If the red coloration is due to hematuria, it is a sign of disease in the urinary tract i.e. Kidney or bladder infection, Kidney or bladder stones, Kidney or bladder cancer
6. Blood in secretions from the uterus or vagina normally appear as a bloody discharge on the vulva, or as several bloody drops before or after urination.

7. Bilirubin and urobilinogen: The discoloration of the urine may be due to the presence of chemicals called bilirubin and urobilinogen.

WHAT DO DOG AND CAT SEE?

Dogs are red-green color blind. They see a brighter and less detailed world when compared to humans. Peripheral vision is better than humans, but distance is not judged quite as well. Dogs excel at night vision and the detection of moving objects.Dogs and cats have vision with a very limited color spectrum. Blue is visible but red, green, and yellow all appear similar.Dogs are better able to detect movement.


Dogs have much better night vision for 2 reasons:


# The have more rods (which enable night vision).
# They have a structure called the Tapetum Lucidum
This is a reflective surface behind the retina that reflects light back through it.
Although it is commonly believed that dogs and cats see only in black and white, recent evidence suggests that animals may have some degree of useful color vision. The perception of color is determined by the presence of cone photoreceptors within the retina. These cone cells function in bright light conditions and comprise approximately 20% of the photoreceptors in the central retina of the dog. In humans, the central retina is 100% cones. Behavioral tests in dogs suggest that they can distinguish red and blue colors but often confuse green and red.