Bunny Poop Question

[sierrakeka]

Just wanted to see if there are any other bunny owners out there that might have some insight on my rabbits situation.  I have a mini rex/dutch rabbit which we purchased from a farm store back in August 2015.  Ever since we’ve had him we noticed in the beginning his poop would be normal and at least 2-3 times a week he would have mushy poop (pudding consistency) and we noticed white tiny worm looking things in his poop.  I figured he may have had parasites, so I ordered special parasite liquid for him on 1800 pet meds, and tried otc probiotic supplements you can find at Petco in the small animal aisle.  We havent noticed the parasites since we tried “worming” him.  However, he does still have mushy poop 2-3 times a week and normal poop in between.

Since we had him, he has always been a picky eater from day one.  He will only eat celery and kale (he has no interest in anything else vegetable wise) , he eats apples (and thats about it for fruits).  He will not eat Hay at all, he just plays with it.  We have tried timothy hay, alfalfa hay, mixed variety hay and still he will not eat it, it is provided 24/7 in a hay bin for him.  I know hay is part of their diet, but I cannot for the life of me get him to eat it. Keep in mind, he is perfectly normal, acts and looks like a normal rabbit. Does not show any physical signs or sympotms of illness, except his poop.

Unfortunatley, I cannot find an exotic animal vet in my area to take him to for an examination.

Any thoughts on what might be the issue?  Thanks in advance!

[Mikey]

His tummy will not get better unless you can get him to eat much more hay. What other hays have you tried? If i remember right, any types of grass hays are safe for rabbits. Your bun might also be picky on what cut of hay he eats. It might also help to cut down on kale and celery for a day to see if that makes him want to eat his hay instead. Obviously dont let him starve if he wont even touch it after a few hours, but i think it might be your best bet since he is willing to nibble and throw the hay around. You also mention that his hay is in a bin, some rabbits prefer to have their hay scattered across an area or in a shallow but large litter box; it might be worth to try that too

[sierrakeka]

thank you, i will try that

[jerseygirl]

Does he get pelleted food also? If he does, how much of that do you feed?
What does he weigh?

It wouldn’t hurt to continue with the probiotics. I’d experiment with taking out veggies one at a time also but he’d really need to be eating hay before you did that. Reducing them now as suggested may get him interested in hay.

Definitely keep trying with the hay as Mikey suggested. If still no joy, try hay cakes or hay pellets (100% hay). These are not ideal for teeth but will provide the fibre needed to keep the gut moving at a good rate.

If diet modifications don’t help, then consider getting his poop tested. Do check at the regular vets because they may have some experience.

Have you seen him leave cecal droppings before? The dark brown ones that look like a cluster of small grapes? Does the mushy poop look like those informed or stepped on?

[Tgbarber]

I order hay on line from Farmer Dave’s. My bun didn’t like first cut. I figured first cut would be best but it’s too woody for him. I had no idea what first, second or third cut meant. He loves 2nd cut Timothy and especially the Spring medley that has clover in it. That’s his fav but it sells out fast.

[Author]

Messages