Eating like normal, but isn’t really pooping?

[Marsh]

Minty is my younger sister’s rabbit, and is approximately 3 months old. My sister only adopted her a few days ago, at which point Minty’s poop was always very mushy and moist (they had not been feeding her adequate amounts of hay) but within a day of giving her unlimited alfalfa hay they became a mostly normal consistency and shape. Additionally, we’ve been giving her timothy pellets because the store was out of pellets for young rabbits.

However, my sister cleaned Minty’s litter box around six hours ago, and Minty has only pooped once since then— it wasn’t in balls but almost looked like a mushy log, which I’ve never seen before with Archie. She’s still eating enthusiastically both the pellets and hay; however, she is hunched in the corner of her exercise pen at the moment, which is concerning.

Archie has a vet appointment tomorrow morning (the poor thing got fleas) so unless she keeps not pooping completely or stops eating, I think I’ll ask the vet when I see him tomorrow. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? Her poops were fine earlier this morning, and she hasn’t gotten into anything since then. I’m extremely confused and concerned.

[DanaNM]

Welcome to the world of being obsessed with bunny poop! It’s a requirement for bunny parents 🙂

It’s common for young rabbits to produce extra cecotropes (soft poops that they usually eat straight from their bums) because their diet is more rich. Excess cecotropes can also happen from a diet change (such as a switch in pellet brands). If not eaten right away they can get smashed together and look like a log, as you described. Rapid switches in diet can upset the gut as well, especially in a young rabbit, so any changes in diet should be done gradually.

Here’s a handy guide to bunny poop since you new bunny parents: https://imgur.com/a/5N4lD#ra2RfjI

If she is still eating, poops should follow. Has she produced any normal poops since you posted? I would add timothy hay into her diet as well. Grass hay is very important and it’s good to develop good hay eating habits while buns are young (so you can give both timothy and alfalfa hay, or some people prefer to just feed alfalfa pellets and timothy hay).

Sitting hunched could indicate a bit of gas, so you could encourage movement and try giving a gentle tummy rub. Keep encouraging her to eat and to move around a bit. If she passes normal poops then my guess is that it was just some extra cecotropes.

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

Poop output can definitely vary throughout the day. If she is eating, I wouldn’t be worried. As for the “log”, it sounds like an extra cecotrope. As Dana explained, it isn’t unusual for young bunnies on a rich diet to have excess cecotropes that they don’t bother to eat.

[DanaNM]

How is she doing today?

. . . 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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