Cecal poops

[Florida_Bunnies]

So I’m just curious about this. I have never ever seen Nibbler eat or even produce cecals. I’ve had him for about 3 months now, and he seems perfectly healthy. He eats lots of hay, drinks water, eats his veggies and plays and flops and all that good stuff. I’ve just heard how important cecals are to rabbit health but I’ve never seen one! I know they are known as “night droppings” could it be he is doing it but I’m just not seeing it because he is doing it late at night while I am asleep? I don’t know whether to worry about this or not.

[MimzMum]

Generally, bunnies don’t ‘let on’ that they are eating their cecals and not seeing them doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t eating them.
Since these are usually taken by the bunny directly from the anus (I know, ew!) it may appear as if your bunny is doing a deep belly groom and yet when he comes up you’ll see him munching away. I see my lop do this from time to time, but have never seen even one of his cecals. My lionhead cross and my mini-rex sometime leave them on the flooring of their habitats or in their litterboxes, usually when the cecals are too nasty to eat, or during times they have both been overweight and couldn’t stretch around far enough to get to their bottoms. Fiver is actually being treated for a condition where his cecals are too pasty to pick up and chew.
I know there’s an article on it somewhere around here:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html
The Mystery of Rabbit Poop by Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

Surmised it here:
Unlike most other mammals, lagomorphs (including domestic rabbits) produce two types of droppings, fecal pellets (the round, dry ones you usually see in the litterbox) and cecotropes. The latter are produced in a region of the rabbit’s digestive tract called the cecum, a blind-end pouch located at the junction of the small and large intestines. The cecum contains a natural community of bacteria and fungi that provide essential nutrients and may even protect the rabbit from potentially harmful pathogens.

How does the rabbit get those essential nutrients? She eats the cecotropes as they exit the anus. The rabbits blissful expression when she’s engaging in cecotrophy (the ingestion of cecotropes) will tell you that she finds this anything but disgusting. In fact, rabbits deprived of their cecotropes will eventually succumb to malnutrition. Cecotropes are not feces. They are nutrient-packed dietary items essential to your companion rabbit’s good health.

A rabbit may produce cecotropes at various times during the day, and this periodicity may vary from rabbit to rabbit. Some produce cecotropes in the late morning, some in the late afternoon, and some at night. In any case, they usually do this when you’re not watching (quite polite of them). This might be why some people refer to cecotropes as “night droppings,” though cecotropes are not always produced at night. A human face is apparently an excellent and refreshing palate-cleanser, as a favorite activity immediately post-cecotrophy often seems to be “kiss the caregiver”. Mmmmmm.

Had to lol at the last part. I have never gotten a face washing by a bunny after corophagy, thank goodness! ^_^ I’ll take one any other time though!

[RabbitPam]

MM, are you sure?

Seriously, I couldn’t have provided better info. than MimzMum just did. Just want to add that it actually is a good sign that your bunny is not leaving any visible cecals and that you’ve never caught Nibbler in the act. If he is healthy and behaving normally, then he’s eating well. Not to worry.

[Florida_Bunnies]

As usual thanks so much for the info! I was just curious about this and now I feel more at rest about the subject.

I just love that part of being a rabbit owner is constantly talking about their poops. My husband and I find ourselves discussing them all the time and then laugh about it as we realize it, haha.

[Sarah]

I realize this is an old post, but did not want to ask a question that has already been put out there.  I have a 9m neutered Lionhead, since he has been neutered he leaves poops under his tunnel (usually sleeps in his tunnel haven) in the living room.  He is free roamed but lately he has been spending a lot of time in his bedroom afraid of my partner, he has not done anything to harm him, he comes when called if I call him, nothing but run and hide to my partner.  That is a different problem sorry, back to his poop.  they seem really dry and broken the ones I see in his hideout or his tunnel etc…

i am not sure if he is leaving his cecal poop around and what would that mean if he was. And when leaving singular poops around his bedroom is that a territory thing?  Loki was neutered late April.

Loki is litter trained but honestly he was cleaner prior to getting neutered lol

[DanaNM]

Hi @Sarah, since this post is really old you may not get any replies. You will get more responses if you start a new topic with this info. 🙂

I’m going to lock this thread to avoid confusion, but feel free to DM me if you have any trouble creating a new topic.

. . . 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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