Very large poops after eating veggies–and yellow mucusy stuff on cecotropes

[Denise12]

I introduced Buster to veggies last week. So far all is good, except that right after she eats them, she has poo balls twice the size of her regular ones. They are pretty moist too. Sorry for the graphicness, but I think thats ok that we talk about it here.

Also, just once or twice I’ve noticed a big strand of yellow/white mucusy stuff around her cecotropes.

Am I right to assume that the only thing I really should be worrying about–poop wise is if she doesnt poo?

Thanks guys!

[Sarita]

Well, sometimes poops will change with the diet but I’m not sure about the mucous stuff around the cecotropes.

Did the vet do a fecal float or test when you brought Buster in for her check-up?

You should notice changes as well in poops as well as no poops.

[Denise12]

Yes, the fecal test came back all clean! No parasites or whatever they tested for.

[Sarita]

Then I probably wouldn’t worry about the cecals if her test came back clean. It’s probably just her gut adjusting to the diet. Are they still in the grape clusters?

[Denise12]

Thanks….they arent always in the grape clusters..alot of the times, just in two’s or singles.

[Sarita]

But not one big clump of goopy cecotropes right? Just want to clarify :~)

[Denise12]

I’m not sure…they are still in ‘balls’ if thats what you mean. Only have seen this twice.

[Sarita]

I guess at this point I would watch to see if it continues and if it doesn’t look quite right maybe contact your vet.

Many times a rabbit’s fecals will change with hay or pellets or other things in their diets like color or size but the cecotropes are a little different story.

Is she overproducing and leaving some not eaten? Sometimes this is due to a change in diet so the best is just to see if it continues and then contact the vet if it doesn’t look quite right and mention to them as well about the diet change.

[Sarita]

Also do you give her treats?

[Denise12]

Thanks!
No treats for her. Just veggies and her bunny food! I think the big poops are just from the veggies.
I do notice that a lot of cecotropes go uneaten. I have never seen her eat them, and i think she does most of them in the day!

[katie, max & penny]

sometimes max and penny get some yellow gunk on their poo. i think it may be urine. but they both are healthy and eat cecals (there is an occasional stray) so i’m not too worried.

poop size can definitely change.

[Pebble and Dante]

I found this information on the bunnybasics web site
How Can GI Stasis be detected: Symptoms of GI stasis include very small (or no) fecal pellets, sometimes clinging to the bunny’s bottom. In some cases, very small fecal pellets will be encased in clear or yellowish mucus. This indicates a potentially serious problem (enteritis, an inflammation of the intestinal lining) which must be treated as an emergency. With GI stasis, the normal, quiet gurgling of the healthy intestine is replaced either by very loud, violent gurgles (gas blorping around painfully!) or a desolate silence. The bunny may become lethargic, have no appetite and may hunch in a ball, loudly crunching his teeth in pain. Too often, a rabbit suffering from GI stasis is diagnosed as having a “hairball.” In reality, an apparent hairball usually is a result of GI stasis–not the cause. A vet who has not palpated many rabbit abdomens may be unfamiliar with the normal, sometimes doughy feel of the healthy rabbit stomach. A doughy stomach is cause for concern only when accompanied by an empty lower GI and symptoms of abdominal discomfort.

[Denise12]

now i’m scared

[Denise12]

I called the vet

[Pebble and Dante]

When in doubt it doesn’t hurt to call the doc. Sorry I scared you… I didn’t meant too. But I hope that Buster is okay and not hiding an illness.

[jerseygirl]

cecotrophs are meant to be covered in mucous – it protects the nutrients for when they reingest them. You might be seeing the remains of this and 1 or 2 cecals left after she’s reingested the cluster. Not sure about white or yellowish mucus so just chat to your vet to cover everything.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I found this information on the bunnybasics web site
How Can GI Stasis be detected: Symptoms of GI stasis include very small (or no) fecal pellets, sometimes clinging to the bunny’s bottom. In some cases, very small fecal pellets will be encased in clear or yellowish mucus. This indicates a potentially serious problem (enteritis, an inflammation of the intestinal lining) which must be treated as an emergency. With GI stasis, the normal, quiet gurgling of the healthy intestine is replaced either by very loud, violent gurgles (gas blorping around painfully!) or a desolate silence. The bunny may become lethargic, have no appetite and may hunch in a ball, loudly crunching his teeth in pain. Too often, a rabbit suffering from GI stasis is diagnosed as having a “hairball.” In reality, an apparent hairball usually is a result of GI stasis–not the cause. A vet who has not palpated many rabbit abdomens may be unfamiliar with the normal, sometimes doughy feel of the healthy rabbit stomach. A doughy stomach is cause for concern only when accompanied by an empty lower GI and symptoms of abdominal discomfort.

I wouldn’t worry about GI statis-that’s more when they STOP pooping or have small poops-the dry real poops not cecotropes which is what we’re probably discussing here.

Calling the vet won’t hurt, but she’s eating and pooping so that’s the definition of not GI stasis (which means gastro intestinal stopping)

Denise12 I didn’t see you mention Hay-are you feeding hay?

[Denise12]

Oh yes, tons of hay!! Forgot!
See, the stringy mucusy stuff was on the cecotropes not fecal pellets. The ones that they are supposed to eat.
Vet called me back and she said that that’s totally fine. Its a gelatinous coating that they have on it for when they do eat those.
Phew
Thanks everyone!
She also mentioned to lay off the kale now–and only give it to her every 6 weeks. Too much calcium or another vitamin A I think.
Also, she told me to cut up the celery…b/c of the stringiness. I just started that today.

[Denise12]

An exciting thing happened yesterday! I saw Buster eat her cecotropes for the first time!!!!!!!! She dug it out of her litter pan! She may have been doing it all along, but this is the first time I witnessed it!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

An exciting thing happened yesterday! I saw Buster eat her cecotropes for the first time!!!!!!!! She dug it out of her litter pan! She may have been doing it all along, but this is the first time I witnessed it!

haha just thinking about this made me think, “Only bunny people would be excited by this.”

[Denise12]

haha, totally! only bunny owners!

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