Excessive Cecotropes

[Arlo]

Hey!

I’m a new bunny owner. I adopted Arlo from the SPCA a week ago. Our little bun is about 4.5lbs and is somewhere between 1.5-2 years old (theyre not too sure of his birthday). He has been an absolute gem. We’ve been able to (more or less) litter train him and he has been eating and pooping like normal. We had to take him to have his vaccination 2 days ago and he did great and was acting totally fine afterwards up until now.

An hour ago I noticed that he left 2 cecotropes in his cage when he went back in for a pee/water/hay break. And then I noticed a few single ones on the floor where he usually hangs out when he is back out again. Since then he has left 3 more clusters when I put him back in his cage.

Could this be from the vaccination? The vet said so long as he is eating, acting fine and still pooping that he is okay but I’m just a little worried.

He eats a diet of 1/4 cup of pellets, has unlimited access to meadow hay and I give him a small handful of veggies at breakfast and dinner (carrot tops, celery, bok choy, spinach, herbs, etc). I try to mix it up so he gets something new every day for nutrients.

Any help/suggestions/advice would be appreciated for my sweet little man.

Thanks  

[Azerane]

Hi there and welcome

I don’t the cecotropes are likely to be from the vaccination. If you’ve only had him a week and are giving him a variety of greens that he isn’t used to having, or even a different pellet brand, then this is the most likely cause for the excess cecals. Perhaps cut back the greens for a few days, ensure Arlo is eating plenty of hay, and then once the cecals have calmed down, then reintroduce some more greens, one at a time over the course of a week. Too many changes or new additions to the diet too quickly can cause all sorts of gut upsets in rabbits.

I hope that helps

[Asriel and Bombur]

I agree with Az, but also I’d drop your pellet intake. He really should only be getting 2tbsp of pellets. My boys are 5 pounds, and this is exactly what my vet recommends. If they get more than that they tend to produce more cecals than they’ll eat. Usually buns over 5 pounds are given 1/4 cup, as pellets aren’t meant to be a diet staple, more just a supplement.

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