Diarrhea :(

[lmais]

I noticed Ruby has two little spots of diarrhea in her cage this morning, poor baby

She’s acting completely normal – eating, dancing and the favorite bunny 500 all morning. I’m worried because she’s been getting into A LOT of things that she shouldn’t be since I moved, as I am still in the process of bunny proofing and the little sneak somehow manages to get away.

When she was younger she got into mouldings and remote buttons which I honestly have no idea if they past – but that’s been over a year and a few check ups where I’ve been told she’s very healthy. In the past week or so she’s eaten a corner of a carpet, a bit of duct tape and some Electrical tape (small amounts or I would have rushed her to the vet already).

Should I take her to the vet? She’s always had a strong and healthy stomach so I’m not sure if I should take her – or if the procedure (whatever that is, any ideas?) would put more stress on her than necessary.

She gets a pile of greens every night, as much hay as her little heart desires, and some pellets in the morning (about 1/4-1/2 cup a day). For treats she gets 2-3 small treats a day like craisins.

Any ideas? I’m not sure if I should be worrying since she is acting so happy and normal.

[RabbitPam]

I think eating tape is really pretty bad for her. If it’s just a small drop of soft poos, I would make an appointment with the vet for normal office hours today or next Monday and have her checked out. You just don’t know, but watch to see if it goes back to normal later.

Diarrhea is bad for bunnies and should be treated soon, but if it’s a spot or two it doesn’t sound urgent. But it could become so fast. I help out my vet (later this morning) so I know that many people wait for it to be an emergency and then pay huge fees for off hours visits, if they can get them. So, if you can get a normal time for her to be seen, you won’t pay extra and you will know if there is a chronic issue from what she’s eaten so far. Make sense?

I would bunny proof more and limit her activity in the new home until you have really unpacked and gotten things in order. You can’t have her eating stuff that you may not be aware of. It might seem to limit her for the next week, but that’s nothing compared to bad health later on due to mischief. She’ll be OK if she just has a quick run once or twice a day in a bathroom or empty hallway until you get settled.

[LittlePuffyTail]

How is Ruby doing now?

[lmais]

She is doing well Still happy and playing. Since she is playing and pooping (properly now) the vet said it didn’t sound like she needed to come in, but recommended that I give her a spot of Laxatone if I see it slow down at all just to be safe. Somehow I don’t think the tuna flavor is going to go over well with her.

[jerseygirl]

My Jersey would think tuna flavour is yum. Lol
Is that the laxatone that has this flavour?
I’m not certain why the vet has suggested laxatone if you are seeing loose stools. Are they saying to use if she starts to poo less?

You could probably cut back in her pellets a tad. For a nethie dwarf she can do well in 1/8-1/4 cup daily. It might help in the poo department also.
Hope she continues to improve! And behave.

[Sarita]

I think it’s a diet issue too and laxatone is a terrible idea. I would increase her hay and decrease the pellets – this is not really diarrhea rather it is unformed cecals or producing more cecals than usual.

[lmais]

The laxatone was just in case she stops going, they prescribed it to prevent a blockage from the tape but I wasn’t going to give it to her unless I noticed she wasn’t going. It wasn’t cecals – it was a few small spots of diarrhea. She’s going normally now and is acting fine, and eating the cecals she is producing.

There are multiple hay racks and piles in her cage and in all of her litter boxes and I refill them often so I know she is getting enough hay. I’ve cut down a bit on the pellets but she’s been on the same diet for over a year and has always been fine on it, and the vet said not to change her diet too much right now to avoid upsetting her stomach in a way that might make it harder for her to pass the tape.

[jerseygirl]

The hay should certainly help with the tape. Half the time they end up with tape stuck to the fur on their mouth then it falls off somewhere else. Hopefully she didn’t eat too much.

The stuff you saw, was it spots of dark brown liquid?

[lmais]

It was liquid but it wasn’t a very dark brown, and it was just a few spots once. It’s been normal ever since so I don’t think I’ll need to use the laxatone

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