Diarrhoea / diarrhea but acting normal

[RH1997]

Hi

I’m new to this site was just looking for some advice.

My rabbit has had completely liquid (smelly) diarrhoea tonight but he is is acting and eating normally and has also been producing normal poo too.
I have contacted the vets and they have said as long as he is eating he is fine and I don’t need to bring him in so I was just looking to see if anyone had any opinions or advice?

He doesn’t have the perfect diet he eats quite a lot of pellets however this is the diet he has had his whole life he is 2 and a half so there has been no change in diet. The only difference is that we usually leave hay in his hutch over night for him and he doesn’t usually eat it at all really however the past few days he has been eating it all I’m not sure if this could have anything to do with it?

Thanks so much in advance

[Azerane]

Generally true watery diarrhoea is considered an emergency situation, since they can dehydrate very quickly. I’m guessing the vet was ok with it because of him still having normal poos and eating/drinking. If he has another episode of diarrhoea I would be taking him in.

Rabbits should have access to hay at all times, so leaving hay in overnight is a good thing. What sort of hay are you feeding? Is it a grass hay, or is it lucerne/alfalfa hay? If it’s alfalfa then it’s too rich for him. Alfalfa is a legume hay and very high in protein and calcium and is too rich for rabbits. If that’s the case switch to a grass hay. If he’s already eating a grass hay then I’m not sure of the cause. Grass hay should not cause poopy butt like that, it should actually firm up poops and increase their size because of the increase in fibre. Long term I’d be looking at reducing his pellet amount and increasing hay consumption.

Keep a close eye, like I said if it happens again, it’s probably worth a vet visit.

[RH1997]

Thanks for replying!

The hay I feed him is ‘woodlands timothy hay with apple and carrot’ from pets at home not sure if you have any that you recommend that would be better for him?

I read about the dehydration so have tried to make sure he is drinking his water and also reduced his pellets and increased his hay. I checked his litter tray this morning and he has produced normal poo again and a small amount of cecotropes which I assume is a good thing and he is still eating normally.

I’ll just keep an eye on him and if it happens again I’ll definitley take him into the vet.

Thanks again!

[sarahthegemini]

He shouldn’t really have hay with carrots and apple in it. I’m sure there’s probably very little amounts but it’s best that the hay is free from anything sugary. It seems you’re in the Uk – have you tried timothy hay from timothyhay.co.uk? It’s great quality hay and only £22 for 9kg and free shipping

[Bam]

If he has eaten more of the hay that has apple and carrot in it it could potentially have been too much sugar for him – not from the hay obviously, but from the carrots and apple. I agree with sarah that a plain hay would be better – a bunny can and should have unlimited amounts of plain grass hay 24/7. You could still have the apple/carrot hay as a hay topper.

If there is normal poop as well as the liquidy poop and his appetite is normal (or even better than normal) I agree with the vets that you can manage this at home for now. Contact vet again if he deteriorates, of course. Like Azerane says, you can reduce amount of pellets, as long as he is a good hay-eater. If your bun is around 2 kilos (4,2 pounds) a suitable amount of pellets is 2 tablespoons per day for Oxbow-type pellets or 4 table spoons for extruded pellets (extruded pellets weigh a lot less, hence the difference in portion volume). If he’s getting lots more than that amount of pellets, taper the amounts down over a couple of days – a week so as not to chock his tummy. 

[RH1997]

That makes sense, thanks for the recommendation on the hay too.
I also realised today there are some fallen apples from the trees at the back of my garden where he often goes so I think if he’s eaten any of them that may have upset his stomach so I’ve got rid of them all from the garden.

Thank you both for the advice I tend to panic over him all the time so it’s nice to get some reassurance

[Author]

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