Upset Stomach?

[Lightchick]

So, Lizzy SEEMS fine… She’s running around the living room, devoured her entire bowl of greens, has been munching her hay, binkying, and demanding pets.  But since I let her out at 9am this morning, she’s only had really soft, even runny poops.  She had LOTS of runny cecal (is that what they’re called?) this morning all at once, but she didn’t seem ill.  In fact, she was so happy that she leapt out of her litterbox to do a binky, and kicked the runny stuff all over my rug…

I’ve been keeping an eye on her all day, and she hasn’t pooped again, until just now, 2:30, when they were again really soft cecal (??).  I normally don’t even see those she takes care of them so fast, but today they seem everywhere.  And no normal poops in sight.

Again, she otherwise acts like her normal spunky Diva-self…

The only change to her diet is that I bought Timothy hay this time instead of Oat Hay, just to give her a change.  I started giving her both kinds yesterday.  But she had all kinds of hay at the shelter up until I adopted her a month ago, so I figured it would be okay…

What could be causing this…it’s awfully messy and gross, and she’s not acting like she feels bad, but is this a warning indicator of something?

[Sarita]

What kind of pellets and how much are you giving her?

[Lightchick]

She gets about 1/4 cup of timothy-based pellets a day.  (She’s about 4lbs of bunny)  Normally, she doesn’t even finish them all, but last night she did.  She had the usual amount of greens, which she always finishes, too.

[Sarita]

http://www.VeterinaryPartner.com/Content.plx

Normally I would say that is not too much – I posted an article from a vet on Intermittment soft stools in rabbits – you may want to read this – it has some good information on this.

[Lightchick]

Thanks for the article, Sarita!  In it, it suggests that I not feed anything but hay (no pellets or veggies) until her poop returns to normal…  Does this sound like a good idea?  She’s mowing through as much hay as she normally does (in her litter box munching away right now!).

(She gave me a heart attack a moment ago…she was sitting at my feet letting me pet her, then she stretched out into a lounge, and then a sprawl full out on her side, still letting me pet her.  Then her little eye sort of rolled back and one of her front feet twitched a little, and I thought she was having an attack or something!  And I nudged her, and she didn’t do anything (she was already used to me petting her, so I guess she’d tuned me out), so I flipped out and picked her up.  Then she woke up and gave me a dirty look as she jumped off my lap!  I only normally have her out and about for a couple hours in the morning, and then again at night, but I had the day off, so she’s been out ALL DAY.  Poor thing was just tired, and I was so concerned about her poopy-issues, it scared me senseless!)

So what do we think about a hay-only evening?  Does anyone else have any ideas?

[Lightchick]

So, we have achieved somewhat-normal poop!  Yay! 

It’s still darker and softer than normal, though…

I’d love any thoughts on the hay-only for the night idea…  I don’t want to starve my poor bun, but I don’t want her digestive system off-kilter, either…  It’s just about bunny-dinner-time, and Miss Thing is about to give me the evil eye if she doesn’t get some greens soon!

[Beka27]

depending on how quickly they eat their veggies and pellets, mine will sometimes only have hay overnight and i’ve never had a problem with that. but you’re saying not to feed the normal dinner and only give hay?

[Lightchick]

Yeah, the article Sarita sent me to suggested that the rabbit only be fed hay until the soft-stools returned to normal.  It sounds weird to me, so i gave her some lettuce and parsley, which she ate.  She has seriously gone through twice as much hay as normal today, and I know rabbits aren’t supposed to know what they should be eating, but it seems like she’s doing what she needs to… 

Her pooping seems like it’s getting better…  I don’t think she’s in any danger, I just wish I knew what caused this episode.  Giving her new veggies has never affected her this way…would the different kind of hay have done it? 

Weird rabbit, trying to keep me on my toes! 

I did have to follow some instructions from another thread to turn her on her back to try to clean up her mess this morning.  She tolerated it, reluctantly, but I don’t know that I’d call her state a “trance!”  What was interesting was that I thought she would hate me afterwards, and refuse to talk to me, but the second I put her down, she put her head down and asked to be pet.  That was not at all what I expected…

I know Lizzy was taken to the vet in March/April when the shelter got her fixed, but I’m thinking maybe I should make an appointment here just for a check-in, to have them teach me how to do regular maintenance (nail-clipping and whatnot), and to establish a relationship with the vet before I need him/her in an emergency…

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