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Forum DIET & CARE Strange LARGE Poops (with pictures)

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    • Alex&Clary
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        So my rabbit Clary is about 3.5 years old, and has occasionally throughout her life had largeish poops, but this evening we discovered that she left a large pile of individual poops, and some of them are massive! Like diameter just a little smaller than a quarter, and they were wet. I will try to attach a picture. They are darker than her usual poop, and obviously much much larger, and they are wet, but not soft. Other than the weird poop she seems to be acting normal, so my question is, has anyone seen poops this large, if so what caused them, and what should my next move be with this new discovery? 

        If there is any other information that I need to provide let me know! Thank you!

        The coin in it is a quarter. I will try to get some pictures closer to the poop. 


      • Kiki
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          Is she molting ? Did you break them open to see if there is clumps of fur /


        • Bunny House
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            My lionhead always had issues with his gi tract. We think he had mega colon and the size of those poops are a bit smaller than he had. Can you have a vet do a barium test on her? How often does she poop? How often does she eat and what does she eat? Is she acting normally? I would be concerned with
            Mega colon( he also had variations in poop size from a 15pound bunny size poop to a 2pound rabbit size poop) which indicates megacolon or that his gi tract is not contracting At normal intervals so things get built up big or they don’t get built up enough


          • LBJ10
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              What color is Clary? Is she broken? Megacolon is linked the the broken gene.


            • Alex&Clary
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                Clary is a blue eyed white rex/mini rex. She poops multiple times a day, at the same rate as my other buns, she doesn’t seem to go more than them, or less than them, just average. She eats timothy hay all day, and she gets spring mix salads every night, along with some cilantro most nights and, 1/8 cup oxbow adult rabbit food pellets every night with dinner. She periodically gets treats, but they are the timothy based treats. She is acting totally normal and this just started last night. I just opened them up, and they don’t have hair in them, they are softer than usual poop, and crumbled into an almost dusty texture. 

                From what I read about megacolon that doesn’t seem to fit, because of her age and the fact that I haven’t seen other symptoms, she still eats normally, no issues with weight, she is shedding some right now and recently went through a huge shed, but she hasn’t been for a few weeks now. 

                Please let me know if there is anything else I can include to help give a fuller picture! 

                Thank you!!


              • Bunny House
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                  If she continues this for more than a week, I would consider getting a barium test done, they will take xrays throughout the day and see if any part of the gi tract isn’t working properly, buns, even young can have their gi tract become weak, there’s great meds to assist the gi tract.

                  I would stop pellets for a week or so and see what that does. Buns don’t need pellets if they are getting a full diet so they are just a supplement. Then if no change, you can give them to her and id call a vet


                • LittlePuffyTail
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                    Hmmm….I would have guessed hair as well as I often see the odd larger poop during a heavy shed.

                    1/8 cup does sound like a lot of pellets for a Mini-Rex. Do you know her weight?


                  • DanaNM
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                      As BunnyHouse suggested, my first thought when I saw the pic was megacolon/cow pile syndrome/ cecal dysbiosis. The fact that they are fine when broken open suggests they have cecal material mixed in, rather than being “sorted” into regular fecal pellets and cecals. Also the fact that you mentioned she sometimes does occasional large poops. I fostered a bun with this issue and his poops looked exactly like that.

                      Cow pile/megacolon typically onsets around 3-4 years of age, but don’t panic!

                      How is her weight? Does she have any other symptoms of discomfort?

                      Cow pile/megacolon buns lose weight (specifically they lose muscle) because their cecum isn’t functioning properly, so they don’t get the nutrition they need from them. it’s interesting that she’s white with blue eyes, because the Cow pile gene is very similar to Overo lethal syndrome in horses, which is found in white blue eyed horses (but horses with this gene do not survive long after birth). (http://vgr1.com/megacolon/) In buns the gene is linked to “charlie markings”, but not found in all buns with these markings. The thinking is that the pigmentation is linked to innervation of the cecum, and buns that carry the gene do not have proper innervation of the cecum.

                      That said, all of this is on the cutting edge of rabbit medicine. My rescue has a bun that presents all the symptoms of megacolon, but does not have the markings. He gets daily cisapride to keep his gut moving.

                      The recommendations for care all involve supportive care, and especially keeping the gut very hydrated and moving. The production of those large poops can cause scarring in the gut, which then leads to problems later on. So the more hydrated and full of fiber you can keep the gut, the better.

                      Megacolon usually causes bouts of stasis. At this point, I would monitor closely. If she develops any other symptoms, I would consult with the vet. If she is fine in every other way (including her weight), I would just keep an eye on things. She might benefit from a probiotic if her cecal flora is a bit out of whack.

                      . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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                  Forum DIET & CARE Strange LARGE Poops (with pictures)