Small poops

[tinkerbellstargirl]

Ok so.
Hi everyone, I’m here today to ask a question about my son Scott; he is a fluffy white lion/lop albino rabbit. He’s the cutest but can be an evil rat bag. The question I have is, since getting Scott his poops have never been like other rabbits I have seen, they are large but very dark (I was told golden poop is healthy poop) he had various vet checks when we got him and they said he was fine. Fast forward to June this year (2017) when Scott stopped eating and pooping we rushed him straight to the vet on the Tuesday and he was medicated with injections and antibiotics and critical care, by the Saturday he was back to eating all of his tea (science selective nuggets, a handful of kale, 4 slices of cucumber and 4 slices of carrot) but I have noticed he doesn’t seem to drink very much or eat a lot of hay, he has a bottle and a bowl and I have seen him use the bowl and I’ve tried loads of different hays I give him a ball as big as he is but he hardly eats any, now Scott is having little poops but it seems to be off and on early afternoon = little poops later on (around 7pm uk time) = big poops and lots of them. What am I doing wrong? He is still eating and I’ve caught him drinking so I’m at a loss now. The only idea I have is in June it was hot when he had his little tummy trouble and now it is hot again but the bunny/ guinea pig room is always cool. Please help. D. Xxx

[Wick & Fable]

It’s most likely the low hay consumption. Large poos are great because it’s a sign that your rabbit is eating plenty of fiber, cleaning his systems thoroughly. I feel personally accomplished when Wick’s poo size upgrades, haha. In terms of coloration, as long as they’re formed balls, don’t be too concerned if it’s normal for him. Wick’s poo went from dry light brown to consistent dark and slightly moist.

When does he get his veggies? Throughout the day or in one presentation?

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.

[tinkerbellstargirl]

Is there any way I can het him to eat more hay? He gets his veggies and his pellets at night after his floor time so around 8 to 8.30. Xxx

[Bianca]

Could he be having trouble eating the hay? How are his teeth?

If he is just being fussy – my local RSPCA have a great trick. They feed all of their hay stuffed in toilet rolls – it slows them down and stops the mess. But in the middle they put a tasty treat that the rabbit never gets fed except in the middle of the hay stuffed toilet roll. So it’s great motivation to eat lots of the hay. Maybe you could try that?

I agree it is the low hay consumption. I’m having that issue with my new bun right now, but he was just neutered two days ago so I’m hoping along with some CC he will start eating more soon!

[Wick & Fable]

I know you’ve tried a variety of hays, but perhaps you need to keep at it and see.

Wick started with just Timothy hay. Then I wanted to try some new stuff, so I got a small bag of oat hay and at first he didn’t seem too interested. After a week, I realized he would eat the oat hay first. I then added orchard hay just for just, and he was eating a lot more.

Then what ended up happening was Wick would get very selective about his hay. He’d just go through the pile for oat hay seeds, then comb through for orchard hay, then not eat the rest. Wick is now on a different hay feeding schedule to avoid selective eating. Below is his schedule:

A. 6AM – Receives 3/4 of total daily veggie serving
B. 4PM – Receives pellets (1/8 to 1/4c)
C. 8PM – Receives 1/4 of total daily veggie serving

A. 5:45AM – Hay in litter boxes are thrown in the hay box, mixed around with old hay and new Timothy hay, then replaced in litter boxes.
B. 2PM – Litter box hay are thrown into hay box again, shuffled around, then redistributed. No new Timothy hay added (to efficiently go through old hay first)
C. 8PM – Oat hay and orchard hay are mixed into the litter box hay, to encourage hay appetite in the evening. Usually Wick gets light on hay eating at night because he just had veggies and is active, thus has more energy dedicated to being selective. Adding the new hays makes the litter box hay attractive again.
=== Hay Box: Vessel to freshen already-picked-through hay with newly added Timothy hay. Cleaned out once a week by scooping the small hay strands and dust from the bottom, because Wick won’t eat that stuff and it makes me and him sneeze.

… Rabbits will comb through hay to find their hay in runs. So first go through, they look for their favorite texture, then second favorite, third, etc.. Try actually presenting slightly smaller hay piles, and this could help get him eating it since no other food is available.

It could also be his teeth. Wick had small poos from teeth problems for a spell.

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.

[tinkerbellstargirl]

Thank you for all of the advice. Scott’s poops are back to normal and he started eating some more of the new hay we got him, I also noticed he has begun shedding so I’ve been brushing him more and I got some fibre sticks the vet recommended and he’s been munching those too thank you everyone. Xxx

[LittlePuffyTail]

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