Switched Over Rabbits Hay

[WinnietheLops]

So I switched my rabbits, Winnie, hay over from bagged to fresh cut from farm hay. It is 2nd cut Timothy hay, so really nothing different fiber wise. She is an 8 month old mini Holland lop and I’ve never had digestive issues with her.

But ever since the hay switch, I’ve noticed her poops have gotten darker and smaller, where as before they were bigger and round, how it should look. I’ve backed off of greens and treats thinking maybe she was getting too much for thebthe lasthlast 3 days, but her poops haven’t changed back to normal.

She is still seeking out hay and pellets, drinks water no problem, she’s free roaming so she has plenty of exercise and play time, and no behavioral changes. So I really don’t know what it could be besides the hay change?

Advice would be great and so much appreciated. We see the vet on Tuesday for almost like a pre-op appointment for her to get spayed and I’ll be sure to bring my digestion concern to her vet. I would’ve gotten her spayed sooner, but I’ve had some health problems of my own that has required a lot of doctors appointments and ER visits.

Thanks so much!

[Bam]

Its not a big issue of she actually eats the hay. You get different looking poop when you change hay. Could she be drinking more because the weather is hot? More water results in darker poop.

If the smaller poop are due to her not eating as much hay as she should. It’s often difficult to assess how much hay that gets eaten, but if its possible, you could perhaps serve it in several smaller piles around her area. This could help you estimate how much she eats per day, and it could also encourage her to eat more. Rabbits in the wild forage over quite big areas every day, so being able to find food here and there is a very natural way for rabbits to eat.

In case you think she is having a bit of gas, you can give simethicone baby gas drops, 0.5- 1 ml every 1-2 hours for a few hours.

Keep keeping a close eye!

[Author]

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