Soft poops and oval-shaped poops.

[Lena and Momo]

Hello everyone! So I have had my Momo for about 4 months now, and she is your average healthy, active bunny, she is a mini-rex, and has grown like a weed since I got her, and even bulked out a little (not fat or overweight, but less tiny.) I’ve noticed about 2 weeks after we got her that her poop occasionally gets big, soft and oval shaped, or very soft and sticks to her bedding. The very soft poops are very rare, she’s only had about 3 since I’ve got her, but the oval poops happen more than I’d like. Her poop is normally the average round poops though, I’d say 75% normal and 25% weird. I’ve changed her diet up a couple times to see if that was the cause, currently she is eating Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rabbit pellets and Kaytee Timothy Hay. When I first got her she was eating offbrand pellets and some Timothy Hay brand the previous owner got from Tractor Supply. I was feeding her a small mix of fresh cilantro, collard greens, and romaine lettuce for a couple of weeks, however the vegetables seemed to upset her stomach? I also used to give her spinach until I learned that it tends to mess with their tummies sometimes. So, first time I noticed her poop was a little strange I did some googling and ended up finding better brands for her, hoping that would help, and it did for a while but eventually her poop would look oval again. I introduced vegetables and that seemed to go well until she got weird poop again, so I cut those as well. I’m currently feeing her a little less than 1/4 cup of pellets split into two times a day and an unlimited supply of her hay. She is 100% active, drinks the average amount of water and eats hay like a machine and seems to be super happy all the time, obviously the second she acts off I will rush her to the vet, but I just wanted to see if any other bun bun owners have had these problems? I don’t want to switch up her diet too many times, I have heard that can be bad for them and I wouldn’t want to risk it. Thank you!

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome

There are some buns that just can’t handle veggies, or can’t handle much variety. It is a good sign that she has normal poops mixed in the with the weird ones.

Oval poops can sometimes be from molting if there is too much fur being ingested, do you notice any connection with her molt cycle?

I had experience with a foster that had weird poops (large oval ones, soft misshapen, large piles of unformed due to cecal dysbiosis), and we suspect he was a megacolon bun, or some version of cow pile syndrome. But, his poops were NEVER normal, and he alternated between gross weird poops, and gas and stasis.

In caring for him, I did a lot of research on the topic. How old is your bun? And what do her markings look like? Since your bun has normal poops mixed in, I don’t think she would have megacolon or anything like that… unless she is very young and it is just starting to onset. One last thing about megacolon/cow pile buns, is that they tend to start loosing muscle mass because they don’t correctly absorb nutrients in their cecum. So, if you are concerned you should start tracking her weight. If she starts losing weight with no other explanation then you should consult with your vet.

It’s wonderful she is a good hay eater, as hay is 100% the most important part of the diet. You can offer a larger variety of grass hays (oat is usually a popular one) to help give some variety if she’s not getting veggies.

Many sensitive tummy buns also benefit from a switch to more “natural” forage, vs. veggies grown for humans. Dandelion, sow thistles, narrow and broad leaf plantain, fennel, and mint are all good ones. Carrot tops are also a good one. Plantain (which is a weed that grows all over the world) can be very good for sensitive bunny tummies, and is easy to collect and grow yourself (just be sure to collect from an area that isn’t near a road or sprayed with chemicals, and wash well). Dried veggies are also sometimes easier on bunny tummies than fresh ones.

With any new food, start with just a small amount and see how they do with that for a couple days.

You might also try a pro-biotic, Bene-bac is a good one that most bunnies like.

. . . 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.  

[Bam]

Some buns are sensitive to some vegs. This is especially true for very young rabbits, because their gut microbiota isn’t yet fully diversified and sturdy. The House Rabbit Society recommends that you start giving veggies at 12 weeks of age, but that rule isn’t set in stone. You can wait with the introduction of veggies and let her have just pellets and hay for now. Hay is what renders the gut flora sturdy and diversified (ie better att breaking down the food and extract the various nutrients).

This is not abormal for a rabbit this young. It was very sensible of you to switch to better brand of pellets and to cut out vegs. When you decide to restart her on vegs, do it slowly. One veg at a time, and only a small piece. Go two-three days on the same veg, observe poop, if all is well, introduce a new veg until you’ve tried a whole range. Romaine lettuce is a very good starter veg. Spinach should only be given sometimes, but romaine can be given every day. Because she’s super happy and eats hay like a machine, I think her tum will right itself with time and even more hay =)

[Bunny House]

I agree with that Dana said. My bun who we lost recently to stasis had megacolon and his gi tract never had the right amount of sensors in it and so he always has very large oval poops. He was also an English lion head and those markings often have mega colon associated with it. If it continues, you can get a barium X-ray set done to see what is going on with her gi tract.

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