behavior and health info please

[T]

Hi everyone I got a holland lop as a early xmas present about a week ago(she’s 7 wks now). I’ve had rabbits in the past but its been quite awhile so could use help.About 3days after I got her she starting having some weird poops.First there were small ones mixed with regular sized poop(she has timothy hay 24/7 but i increased the amount.She also eats alot of pellets).Then on sunday there was wet mushy poop mixed with the regular poop.So I took out the pellets and increased the hay and they have stopped so far but today again there were a few small poops mixed in with the regular ones.Im confused by this.She is drinking and definitly eating.Second is her behavior.I’ve had rabbits before that were loving but had a playful side.She is completely different.She would rather cuddle than play.If i put her down to play she’ll hop around for maybe 30min and then she is done.The other day I put her down to play and sat on the floor a few feet from her, she hopped around for about 5-10min and then she jumped in to my lap and snuggled next to me.I tried to incourage her to play but she just kept jumping into my lap.Does anyone else have a rabbit that prefers cuddle instead of play? Or is my rabbit weird:-P I do have a vet check app on Thursday but any advice/info would be great                        

[Roberta]

The vet check is a good idea and take a poop sample with you….. Mean while they could be cecal poops yar are seeing, that’s the poo they eat, generally you don’t see it unless they are producing extra. This could be because the pellets are too rich or it could be because at 7 weeks its still a relatively new process for your bun.

Is there any fur in the poo or is it strung together in any way ? Also what brand of pellets are you feeding ?. Usually for a young bun unlimited pellets and hay is the diet recommendation but if its a brand of pellets with lots of seedy rubbish or the fat and protein levels are too high that could cause a problem. Some of the unbranded pellets from pet shops are only intended for lab animals and will not provide a good diet for your domestic house rabbit. Are you feeding any fresh foods I.E. Greens or Fruit ?

 

[T]

It is fecal matter….the pellets I was feeding her were the ones she came with… Kaytee Forti Diet(crude protein min 17% and crude fiber max 18%) I’m wondering if there to blame for her poop issues? I haven’t given her any veg or fruit yet.Isn’t she too young for that?

[Roberta]

The pellets are one of several possibilities, thats why its a good idea to take a poo sample to the vets with you.
At 7 weeks I’d say hold off on the fruit as to green veg it depends on what they are use to. Mine grew up with their parents eating what they ate from the moment they first wriggled out of the nest so they had greens from the very start. If you’re bun has not previously had greens then it’s best to wait a bit longer before you start feeding greens.
It might pay to look about for a pellet with a higher fibre content, most people here swear by Oxbow… What ever you do though it will have to be a slow change over as anything too sudden can make their tummies even more upset.

[T]

Thanks for the info I”ll make sure to take in a poop sample.From what I’m told she was only given pellets at the pet store.I have heard good things about oxbow but can’t find the young rabbit formula.I might have to just order it off the internet.

[Roberta]

What’s your location, NO SPECIFICS, just country and closest city. Some of the others may know where you can access it. I have found some places in Western Australia.

[tanlover14]

Oxbow has a great Young Rabbit food! Also, if you go on their website and search your address all the places that sell it pops up. You could just give them a ring until you find one that carries it!

[AnnBunny]

The food could make all the difference. When my Bun got past a couple years old, he was having way more cecals than normal. It would even get stuck to his behind. A friend of mine who also cares for rabbits recommended I start him on Oxbow or a GOOD brand of just timothy food, no alfalfa and sure enough that fixed it right up. Obviously yours is still too young for that, but maybe not! It can’t hurt to get the vet’s advice, maybe they can suggest a food that will help.

[FrankieFlash]

BB sells the oxbow young rabbit pellets too. Just throwing that out there. That’s actually the reason I came onto BB in the first place because it was the first place I could find that sold it.

[T]

Thank everyone for all the info. I live in Arizona, the Peoria area. I”ve looked in some of the feed stores and Petsmart and Petco in my area but haven’t seen it.I”ll ask the vet, maybe I can get it through him.If not I’ll try the internet. Also I only know of this one rabbit vet and Thursday will be the first visit.Does anyone know of any other rabbit vets in the Phoenix Arizona area? I’d like to have options(and he’s only there 3 days a week).

[LoveChaCha]

T — here you go. It is not uncommon for some rabbit parents to go to other cities or drive a half hour to an hour to get their bunny to the vet. Rabbit vets are extremely hard to come by! Let us know how the exam goes!

http://www.bhrabbitrescue.org/vet.html

[LBJ10]

What was your bun eating before you got her? Is it the same as what she’s getting now? It is possible that her digestive system went funny from switching foods too fast. She also might be overly sensitive to something, like alfalfa.

[T]

I have no idea what they were feeding here at the pet store and she’s never had alfalfa, at least not with me.I’m hoping it’s just that she has a sensitive stomach. Her vet app is tomorrow…I’m pretty nervous.I know I’ve only had her for a short amount of time but I’ve fallen in love with her.

[Elrohwen]

If you can find the Oxbox adult formula, that’s fine. The young rabbit formula has alfala, which is more caloric for growing rabbits, but it’s not necessary.

Good luck with her! We’d love to see pictures 🙂

Oh, and for the playing thing, she probably just needs more time to settle in and get curious about things. It could also be that she’s just lazy. My holland boy has always been a little lump – he’s much happier lying around with his feet kicked out than running around (though unfortunately he doesn’t cuddle, like your girl).

[T]

My little one did great at the vet He checked her over from head to toe andsaid she was in great condition and healthy. He thought the pooping issues were from being in a new place and the pellets.He also thinks she might just have a little bit more of a sensitive stomach then other bunnies.He recommended oxbow and no fruit or veg until she’s 5-6 mo. He said her top teeth are short but a little crooked and will have to keep an eye on that in the future.I’m having problems with my phone uploading pics but will work on it

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad the vet check went well. Looking forward to pics.

[angelachristin]

You should be able to find the Oxbow pellets at Petsmart. I am in Nevada and we have them at all the Petsmart here.

[Snowytoshi]

Since the pooping seems to have been solved, I’m going to comment on the lack of playing. She’s not ‘weird’ she just hasn’t hit puberty yet! Once rabbits hit six months, they have much more energy and tend to be much more hormonal and naughty. Once she is six months, spaying will help her calm down, but she will just be very high energy. After a few months, they’ll grow up, and if spayed will be much more calm, but still capable of getting into mischeif *glances at chewed baseboard*

[tanlover14]

To piggyback on Snowytoshi — sometimes this happens younger so be prepared! My little rascals became quite the terrors at around 4 months. The spaying does wonders for these “terrible two” bunny version!

Also, I’m really happy she had a great vet visit!

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