Mystery with rabbits poos and suspected mehacolon

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This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 2 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 09/19/2020 at 9:48 AM
  Sparkybunbun
  Participant
  1 posts
  Hi everyone,
  
  So I have a rabbit with digestive issues. Going back to where this all started. Sparky is 2 1/2 years old and he has been with me since he was 12 weeks old. He is a double maned lionhead cross with angora so has very long fur. Ever since I’ve had him he has had issues with having string together poops despite me brushing him as much as possible, the girl he is bonded with is also a double maned lionhead so he ingests a lot of her fur when he grooms her.
  
  Not long after he had been with me he starting having misshapen poops which are all different shapes and sizes, this happens every day. He then also stopped eating his cecotropes all the time and we would find very large ones in the litter tray uneaten. Last year was awful for him as he went through GI stasis many times and also bloat. We came across the information about megacolon last December and he fits the criteria for that and we have had vets say that is most likely what he has going on. After this we changed his diet so he no longer had any vegetables or fruit and only pellets, unlimited hay and herbs. We managed with this diet to stop him going into stasis but despite this he continued to have bad poops. At its worst last year he was needing bum baths nearly every day as he would get so messy.
  
  We recently sent off poo samples to the vet for lab tests and I was actually surprised when everything came back clear. So we now have an appointment with a rabbit specialist on the 30th.
  
  His tummy Is soft, he is a good hay eater, he only gets a very small portion of grain free science selective pellets each day, he is an indoor rabbit, bonded with a female, completely free roam 24hours a day with good mobility. He is neutered and up to date with vaccinations. His teeth have been checked and are fine. He is a healthy rabbit in every way other than his digestion. Although its great that the poop sample tests came back clear, we now believe there is an underlying issue as to why sparky is like this.
  
  Its a bit of mystery to us all at the moment. He currently has good appetite, is drinking well etc but his poops are the cause of concern. He recently stayed with a rabbit sitter whilst we had decorating done in our home and she was just as baffled when she saw his poops as to why he is this way. She has 25 years experience with rabbits and said usually a rabbit with bad poops and digestion would feel ill when palpating the belly but sparkys belly feels fine. If anyone knows what this could be or wants to ask me any questions im happy to reply. I really just want to get to the bottom of what this is and getting sparky well so he can live a long, healthy life.
  
  Sorry for the long post, thank you if you read to the end 😊
- 09/19/2020 at 10:19 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  Are the “bad” poops characteristically different than poops that are mis-shapen in one way or another due to fur? With him and his bonded mate being lionheads, I am not surprised there are common occurrences of furry poops. It can be seen as positive to know that 1) your rabbit is ingesting more fur than what one would typically expect, and 2) that the rabbit in question is frequently pooping it out. That (hopefully) suggests it’s all moving through, rather than getting stuck. My Fable, who is an American Sable, very commonly has a string of pearl poop once or twice a day, and she is not even a long-fur breed…. she is a big girl who has a lot of fur generally.
  
  How much pellet is he getting per day? I’m wondering about the cecotrope incident. Also, any thoughts of doing some slight fur trimming to reduce the amount of fur ingested?
  
  I’m sorry I do not have direct experience with megacolon.
  
  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.
- 09/19/2020 at 10:26 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  I agree with Wick that the fur could just be from ingesting so much fur.
  
  That is great that you have hit on a diet that prevents stasis. With megacolon buns, the poops may never be normal, but preventing the stasis-diarrhea-gas cycle is the main goal, and maintaining muscle mass.
  
  How is his weight? Megacolon buns tend to lose muscle mass and have a hard time keeping weight on because their cecum isn’t working properly, so they have trouble getting the nutrients they need. Some owners end up having success free-feeding pellets for that reason.
  
  This page is a very good resource for megacolon (or suspected megacolon) in buns:
  
  https://www.vgr1.com/megacolon/
  
  . . . 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.
- 09/19/2020 at 10:31 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Also, I remembered this thread from several years ago of another member with suspected megacolon:
  
  Bun in GI Stasis not responding to meds
  
  There is a balance with megacolon buns that has to be struck in not drying out the poops too much, and not causing the soft unformed dysbiosis poops. When the poops are too dry and hard, they end up scarring the intestine over time because they are so large. Some buns seem to be more prone to the huge dry poops and stasis, and others more prone to soft cecal dysbiosis poops (cow pile syndrome). In the thread she mentions giving lactulose to keep the gut contents hydrated and help prevent the scarring.
  
  It is good that your vets know about megacolon, as many vets have never heard of it. But like I said, it’s great he is pooping regularly now!
  
  . . . 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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