3 month old - is she ill?

[Kirbalicious]

Hi!

I am a new bunny mom of a 3 month old Jersey Woolie. I've had her for a week, and everything was going fine until today.

Around 4 this afternoon, the only poops she was making for an hour were the cecotropes. She didn't eat any of them, just kept pooping them. She's been eating, drinking, and hopping around her cage. She's even been throwing around her hay "apple" I got for her. She recently started pooping her regular poops - bigger, more solid, and visible hay bits in them.

However, she has been laying down a lot more today. I'm not sure if it's because it was hot, or if she's ill. I have a fan going in my room, but it's not pointed directly at her. I'm also unsure if it's because I've been handling her more today because I've been so worried about her.

She has been eating a little less than normal, but still eating. I feed her oxbow baby pellets, as well as Timothy hay. No treats, I want to keep her healthy.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know ASAP! I'm not sure if I should take her to the emergency vet or not, but I definitely don't want to lose her!!

 

[JBun]

It's always good when they are eating, drinking, and pooping. I'm not sure about the extra cecotropes. Thats good that you aren't giving her any treats, I wouldn't give her any fruit or carbs, or starchy veggies like carrots. You could try increasing her hay and decreasing her pellets. Hay helps keep the digestion moving. She should have as much hay as she wants. Was there a jel like liquid or mucous in her poop? Are her poops all normal looking and close to the same size, none irregular or extra large or extra small?

 

[majorv]

You feed her only hay and pellets? Any greens/veggies? How much in pellets does she get a day?

 

[LakeCondo]

With a rabbit you haven't had very long, it's hard to tell what's normal & what's not. The laying down could be just getting comfortable with her new surroundings.

The cecals could be excess. Eating somewhat less could be a normal reaction to this. And rabbits sometimes go hours without pooping & then poop a whole lot.

So I hope she's not ill, but let us know of any changes. Do you have things on hand in case you ever need them? Like baby-formula simethicone drops, a can of pumpkin or squash baby food.

 

[Kirbalicious]

Hey all!

Thanks so much for your responses, and sorry I didn't respond sooner, for some reason the email notification went to my spam box =/

Penny is great! I think I was just overly concerned because every website and book says if bunnies have soft poos, they can die within hours. She is doing great though, and I didn't end up taking her to the vet until last week for a regular check up.

I think it could've been that the hay was somehow mismarked, and that is was alfalfa and not actually western Timothy hay. I bought her a big new bag of Timothy hay, and it looks completely different than the first bag I bought her. Her poos are normal, hard-ish, and she's a happy little rabbit!!

Thanks again for all of your concern. It's nice to know there's someplace I can go to get rabbit advice. =)

 

[LakeCondo]

at age 3 months, a bunny should still be eating alfalfa pellets. It shouldn't much matter about the hay as to alfalfa or timothy, as it's mostly fiber, so if you still have the other, you could mix a bit in.

 

[lindemanbunnylover]

JBun wrote:

It's always good when they are eating, drinking, and pooping. I'm not sure about the extra cecotropes. Thats good that you aren't giving her any treats, I wouldn't give her any fruit or carbs, or starchy veggies like carrots. You could try increasing her hay and decreasing her pellets. Hay helps keep the digestion moving. She should have as much hay as she wants. Was there a jel like liquid or mucous in her poop? Are her poops all normal looking and close to the same size, none irregular or extra large or extra small?

about the jel like liquid and mucus in poo, i took my bun out today and she had some of that smeared on her bum. is this really bad?????? :lookaround