Hi Dawn –
Mimz and I have been “experimenting” with our Buns diets – as we both had Buns that were having similar sets of smeary poops.
I cut out all pellets ( and she was having Oxbow Bunny Basic) and went with her two BIG servings of greens ( which I dried as best I could) and tons of hay. Coco got three of four handfuls of a mixtures of Hay – Oat, Brome, Orchard and Botanical.
I also cut out ALL treats. No fruit. No extra non-green veggies. No papaya tablets.
After a few days, her poops were improving and I wasn’t finding the smooshy ones around…I re-introduced about an eighth of a cup of pellets that I would scatter into her Hay…Which moved her right back into Poopy Butt Land.
I cut out the Pellets again – and we seem to be back on the right track. I suspect that her diet is a bit too rich for the winter and the pellets were just extra calories.
I plan on re-trying the pellets after a couple of weeks of nice regular ball poops –
The worst thing that has happened is that she is eating a LOT more hay – which isn’t bad at all – rather than diving for the pellets.
As an aside, Coco is only about 4.5 pounds – so she was never getting more than 1/4th of a cup of pellets a day anyway. She also seems somewhat more active on this feeding pattern.
I also now have gone back to giving 1 papaya tablet a day, which she seems to handle all right.
It really is a test and see situation, though.