Cecal dysbiosis?

[Paisley&Sage]

Hello. My 1.5yr old holland lop Sage has been having a lot of soft stool since December. In December I moved so I thought maybe it was due to stress and would fix itself. She has some regularly formed stool, but a lot of soft stool as well. She acts normal otherwise. From doing research I am guessing she has cecal dysbiosis. She wasn’t a big hay eater so I kept changing the hay until I found one she liked. Orchard grass hay seems to be her favorite, but she still probably doesn’t eat as much as she should. Since being on this hay, it seems to have gotten slightly better, but she is definitely still having soft stool. Any suggestions of what I should do from here? Thank you in advance for the help.

[pinkiemarie]

My rabbit has very bad cecal dysbiosis but it is currently well controlled. Here are my suggestions.

Start by going to an all hay diet for a minimum of 2 weeks. You do have to watch your bunny closely during this time since she isn’t a great hay eater to make sure that she is eating enough. You can also purchase pellets that are made of 100% hay with no added ingredients to supplement her diet. Not sure where you’re located but I use these (pictured below) in the US.

After at least 2 weeks but preferably 3 or even 4, you can slowly start reintroducing foods to her diet. Many rabbits will have no further issues after a few weeks on hay only. Some rabbits are very sensitive though so you will want to reintroduce one food at a time in small quantities and watch for issues. Stick to low sugar items only and start with easy to digest things like maybe romaine.

If your rabbit continues to have mushy cecotropes then try to identify if it’s a single food or if it seems to be caused by everything. Unfortunately my guy seems to have problems with just about everything that isn’t dried and sugar free so on the advice of his vet I got him a bunch of dried herbs to give him some extra flavor and nutrition. I buy him bulk herbs and he particularly seems to like sage, mint and dandelion greens. He hasn’t had any issues with the dried herbs.

Another thing that can help in some cases is to feed her digestive treats (pictured below) and/or benebac after her hay only period is up.

(Edited by Wick – shop links removed and replaced with product images)

[DanaNM]

Can you describe her full diet in detail? Does she get pellets or greens, and how much? And have you consulted a vet on this? Sorry for all the questions! Just trying to get a sense of potential causes.. It is encouraging that she got a bit better with eating more hay

Going hay-only is often a first step for cecal dysbiosis, but it’s important to rule out other reasons why a bun might not be eating much hay before removing everything else, such as a dental problem (holland lops are prone to dental issues as well). Some buns also fill up on pellets, and in that case reducing pellets and treats helps with hay consumption.

There are also certain parasites that can cause this, so I think since this has been going on for a while a visit to a rabbit savvy vet would be good.

 

. . . 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.  

[Paisley&Sage]

Thank you so much for both of your help.

I do plan on bringing Sage to the vet in about a month time. Her condition has been prolonged but she has always remained alert and stable. Her symptoms often subside then act back up. I recently begun working at a new vet hospital which examines rabbits but I must wait the allotted time until my own pet can be seen, and since she seems stable I feel like it is appropriate to wait.

I have been really trying to push the hay and reduce the treats, pellets, and even greens given. She has been doing well the past couple weeks, but I have previously thought that she had come through it when it hits her again. So, I am not sure if she is doing better because of her diet or if it is because of her cycle.

Also, I have tried those exact digestive support treats in the past but over the past couple weeks I have been more faithful about diligently giving them.

Thank you both for your help. It has taken me a while to respond, but I have been applying your wise advice.

[Author]

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