Exactly how common is poopy bottom?

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

Dorothy had poopy bottom for the first time ever yesterday, and I think it’s because of a temporary increase in starch in her diet (yes, we were “treating” her too much!). Should her digestive system go back to more or less normal as long as I correct her diet, or is this something that I should be taking more seriously? In other words, does this happen to healthy buns all the time, and it often corrects itself quickly as long as the diet is corrected? Thanks in advance.

[Krista]

I’m no bunny expert, I’m a first time bunny mom, but I don’t think having poop on the butt is very normal. Bilbo, my baby I’ve had for over 2 months, only gets poop on his butt or legs if I give him something that he isn’t used to or that just upsets his stomach. Cilantro and Parsely are two things that always give him the soft, smelly poops. (Cecal pellets I think?) Which are the ones that not only make him stink, but stick to his fur badly. Since I’ve stopped giving the 2 veggies mentioned above, he has only had cecal/soft pellets once in the last week and a half. The cecal pellets from my google-understand are just edible things the rabbit makes, but if he isn’t eating them then they get stuck to him or just stink up his cage. He is still producing them I’m sure, but he isn’t overproducing them if that makes sense? All in all, no having poop stuck to Holland lops in my opinion isn’t normal. Now if you have say a fluff-monster angora, that answer may differ since they have huge hairy butts. Short haired rabbits shouldn’t have tons of issues though.

[Luna]

Was Dorothy’s bottom poopy like cecals stuck to it or poopy like diarrhea?

[Bam]

I’d say it happens to the majority of rabbits some time. It should clear up in a couple of days, if treats are stopped. It can take longer though. Some rabbits are extra prone to sticky poop.

Here’s an article about intermittent soft cecotropes, as this condition is called. As long as Dorothy has “normal” poop as well as sticky poop, you can skip the parts about true diarrhea.
http://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

It seemed too light in color to be cecals, and it looked like poop stuck onto the fur. There wasn’t a lot of it, and it seems to have cleared up now but her poops were a lot smaller yesterday

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Hmm, it sounds like she’d benefit from a high fiber/low starch diet for the next days. Poopy bottoms happen occasionally, but they do mean that their digestive system is troubled. If the bottom is dirty for several days she’s more prone to infections, so it’s best to keep it clean and dry. If she doesn’t clean it herself enough, assist her by washing it with a washcloth.. Encourage her to eat hay, and monitor her eating behaviours. If she develops gas or stops eating, contact your vet ASAP.
Get well soon Dorothy!

Frequent poopy bottoms can also occur if a rabbit is (slightly) overweight. One of the first things they’ll have trouble with is reaching their own bottoms. Rabbits get overweight very quickly. Their digestive system has developed to get all the nutrients out of nutrient-poor food (grass/hay/herbs), and pellets and treats are concentrated sources of energy. A couple of grams too many pellets each day and a bun can get fat quickly. It’s also very difficult to see because of all of the thick fur. A vet can also help with this, determining your rabbit’s optimal weight.

I was so ashamed: Breintje had frequent poopy butt as well, and at the vet it turned out that he was 1,6 kg while 1,2 kg was his optimum weight. Yikes, we accidentally fattened up our bun! After some months of dieting he’s finally back in sport mode

[Deleted User]

My girl gets it occasionally, she is roughly (Rescue) 6 years old. It’s not ceacals that have been stood on, they’re slightly more runny and stick to the rug in their pen more often than not it is overnight but it does happen during the day too. Her poo’s will sometimes go small and then back to normal but she has had numerous health checks over the last 18 month (due to my fear of snuffles) and she is fit as a fiddle.

I don’t often give them new food and if I do I do it gradually so i’m pretty confident its not that

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

Thanks Ellie. She is actually pretty petite and good at keeping herself clean which is part of why I was worried. Her poop has more or less gone back to normal. They were a little small for a day, but they’re normal size and color now. Just needed her to lay off the treats. Thanks guys!

[Boston's Mama]

My boy gets it from grass or herbs – he’s only a bub at 10weeks old , grass does it every time for him so I’m staying clear – however I hear usually it’s when you introduce foods too fast or too much

[Author]

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