Anus red and swollen

[Pudding and Nimbus]

Help!! We have a baby bunny that we just picked up last week. We didn’t check his bottom at that time. When we check his bottom today, we notice that his anus is very red and swollen. His anus looks like a red donut... He’s eating normally and pooping normally. He is behaving normally and does zoomy and binky. Does anyone have similar experience? He’s only 9 weeks old and is not sexually mature yet. He’s very small and only weights 380g. He’s a Netherland dwarf. We are planing to bring him to the vet but our regular vet won’t be in until next Monday...I have also attached the picture...but please advise that it may be graphic for some people. Thank you so much for your help!!!!!!!

 

[JBun]

Has he been having any problems with mushy poop sticking to his bum? That's usually why it happens. It will stick and clog the opening, resulting in a back up and inflammation.

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

Thank you so much for responding! No...he doesn’t have mushy poop...his poop is quite normal but is a bit moist compare to our other bunny.

 

[JBun]

Is he being fed the exact same type and brand of pelleted food he had at his previous home and which one is it? Is he being free fed a grass hay? Any new foods he's been given since being with you?

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

He was only fed with alfalfa hay and mother’s milk from week 1-6. And the Breeder gave him some fruits and veggies in week 7. The Breeder didn’t give us transition hay so we bought our own oxbow alfalfa hay. We did introduce him new food such as oxbow young rabbit pellets , Timothy hay and orchard grass...should we stop giving him those new foods?

 

[JBun]

Are you gradually introducing the pellets? The hay shouldn't be causing any problems, provided it is all good quality with no signs of mold damage(sour or musty smell, white or black spots, damp, white dust). I'm wondering that because this little bun isn't used to eating pellets, that the pellets might be causing some upset. How much of the pellets are you feeding each day now?

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

He prefers to eat alfalfa hay over pellets. We put them in the same bowl and he eats the alfalfa hay first. He would only eat pellets if he’s done with the hay. Timothy and orchard grass are near the bowl in his litter box. I’ll say we only gave him around 1/6 cups of pellets a day depending on if he finishes them...most of the time, he doesn’t eat all the pellets.... I remember the Breeder said his poop starts to become more solid in the past few weeks...I’m also concerned if he’s not used to solid poop so it’s irritating his anus area...he seems fine eating and is eating a lot..

 

[Catlyn]

He would only eat pellets if he’s done with the hay.

Are you saying that he doesn't get unlimited alfalfa hay? He should have unlimited amounts of alfalfa, and the pellets&other grasses can be left in his area for when he wants to try them out.

And the Breeder gave him some fruits and veggies in week 7.

If you haven't given him any new fruits&veggies after that, then these should no longer be a factor in how his poops and parts look. Two weeks is enough time for the digested stuff to be completely swapped out.
Next monday is the 26th, isn't it? That's quite a long wait... Maybe you could find another rabbit-savvy vet who will see him sooner?

 

[JBun]

Rabbits have solid poop once they start eating solid food. If he was having runny or soft poop even after he started eating hay, it sounds like there is some sort of digestive problem going on there.

I might try cutting out the pellets and stick with just hay, and see if that makes a difference. And closely monitor his bottom, eating, and pooping. If he stops eating or pooping, gets mushy or runny poop, mucous or blood in the poop, his bum looks more sore, or have any concerns, then I would phone the vet and see if I could get in for an emergency appt if needed.

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

Are you saying that he doesn't get unlimited alfalfa hay? He should have unlimited amounts of alfalfa, and the pellets&other grasses can be left in his area for when he wants to try them out.

If you haven't given him any new fruits&veggies after that, then these should no longer be a factor in how his poops and parts look. Two weeks is enough time for the digested stuff to be completely swapped out.
Next monday is the 26th, isn't it? That's quite a long wait... Maybe you could find another rabbit-savvy vet who will see him sooner?

We are working from home so he will get alfalfa hay when he runs out. We also make sure to refill lots of hay before we go to sleep.

Are you saying that he doesn't get unlimited alfalfa hay? He should have unlimited amounts of alfalfa, and the pellets&other grasses can be left in his area for when he wants to try them out.

If you haven't given him any new fruits&veggies after that, then these should no longer be a factor in how his poops and parts look. Two weeks is enough time for the digested stuff to be completely swapped out.
Next monday is the 26th, isn't it? That's quite a long wait... Maybe you could find another rabbit-savvy vet who will see him sooner?

We are currently working from home so we will refill his bowl once we know he finishes the hay. We just want him to try out other hay so he won’t be too addicted to alfalfa hay. We are also surprised that the Breeder give him small amount of veggies and fruits at such a young age. Fortunately, we took him to the vet today. The vet said he has rectal prolapse....it’s very uncommon in rabbits and the cause would be genetics, bad luck, or parasites infection. The vet would run his stool sample. For now, he prescribed us with Flamazine to keep his rectum moist and lubricated... we are also waiting for a specialist’s response on this matter as he’s very small and young to do invasive procedures...I hope he will be okay....

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

Rabbits have solid poop once they start eating solid food. If he was having runny or soft poop even after he started eating hay, it sounds like there is some sort of digestive problem going on there.

I might try cutting out the pellets and stick with just hay, and see if that makes a difference. And closely monitor his bottom, eating, and pooping. If he stops eating or pooping, gets mushy or runny poop, mucous or blood in the poop, his bum looks more sore, or have any concerns, then I would phone the vet and see if I could get in for an emergency appt if needed.

Thank you so much for your response! His poop is considered solid now. Fortunately, we took him to the vet today. He has rectal prolapses...and the vet tried to put his rectum back in but unsuccessfully it comes right out when the bunny moves. I will monitor him closely these days and cut out the pellets...thank you so much for your help!! I hope my bun is okay as he’s so young and small The vet will run parasite test on his stool and see if it’s parasite related...if not... he would prob need to do surgery...which is considered very dangerous for a bunny this small....

 

[Toffee and Valentina]

Poor little guy and poor you! Wishing you all well!

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

Hello, I’m very sorry to post another tread on this.... Our bunny is a very small Netherland Dwarf that only weights less than 400g at 9 weeks. He is recently diagnosed with rectal prolapses. It is a rare condition for rabbits and is very fatal if not treated....the vet said it’s due to bad luck, genetics, or parasites infection. We will know the parasites results on Monday and the vet plans to do a minor repair for him in the meantime. If we don’t do the surgery....the vet said either he can outgrow it or the rectum stays outside forever...it’s a potential risk of him getting shocks and die.......All the specialist in our area is not available to do the surgery until two weeks later. And other clinics that look exotic animals do not have experience on rabbits with rectal prolapses.The specialists are not willing to take the case....We hope the best for our little bun as he is just 9 weeks old. He’s behaving normally, eating normally, and so far is very happy. I hope he’s going to be okay....

I’m not sure if anyone has experience on this. If you do, we would very like your insights on this Thank you so much I really appreciate it

 

[JBun]

I'm going to merge this thread with your original one. It's less confusing for others who might want to comment if all the subject matter concerning one topic is kept together in one thread.

With the prolapse, one thing that could help and you could ask your vet about, is applying granulated sugar. It can help draw out moisture and shrink the prolapse. If it's not too severe, hopefully it can help reduce it significantly. Though you will need to monitor your bun and make sure he doesn't ingest the applied sugar as you wait the appropriate amount of time for it to draw the moisture out, then clean off the sugar when done. And I see that the vet prescribed a protectant to help keep the exposed skin moist and from drying out, which is extremely important.
https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/MBCP/ReduceYourRectalProlapse.pdf

https://rabbit.org/ailments-of-the-...that-anal-blood-or-protrusion-to-your-rabbit/
In addition to cutting out pellets from the diet, I would also not feed any other sugary/high carb foods. The pellets may have been a possible contributor of the irritation and prolapse, as the sugars and grains in pellets are often a common culprit of GI irritation for rabbits with a sensitive GI tract. And baby rabbits in particular can be very sensitive to food changes and possible negative effects of carbs introduced into the diet, as they don't process carbs as efficiently as adults, and this can lead to possible pathogenic bacterial overgrowth and GI problems.

I would also ask your vet if they did a fecal float test to check for coccidiosis and pinworms. You shouldn't have to wait for this test as it is just a fecal test that can be done in their clinic with a microscope, and doesn't have to be sent away to a lab. Coccidiosis and rabbit pinworms would be the two most likely intestinal parasites to cause intestinal problems in rabbits. Even though your bunnies symptoms don't entirely match up with these, they are the most common ones to affect rabbits and would be the first ones to rule out.
MediRabbit (coccidiosis in rabbits, link contains graphic medical related photos)

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Parasitic_diseases/Pass/Pass_en.htm (pinworms in rabbits)

 

[Adamm]

My Netherland dwarf is 10 weeks, 370g and she's going through the same thing. she's had the issue for maybe 4 weeks, seen 2 vets but I understand that surgery is quite risky and not immediately necessary if it's still minor with no discoloration or infection. They called it an anal prolapse because only a little bit of the intestine is protruding. They took a fecal sample but came back negative. During my last visit the vet prescribed Tobradex (dexamethasone and tobramycin) thinly applied 3 times a day for 2 weeks but I can't find a cone that will fit so

I had a chance to speak with a pet surgeon briefly on my way out last time and they recommended to apply a small amount of pure honey; warmed up to liquid form but not hot, applied 3 times daily but she ended up licking it quite often so now I'm just figuring out the cone situation before I continue.

I wish you the best of luck dealing with this too

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

I'm going to merge this thread with your original one. It's less confusing for others who might want to comment if all the subject matter concerning one topic is kept together in one thread.

With the prolapse, one thing that could help and you could ask your vet about, is applying granulated sugar. It can help draw out moisture and shrink the prolapse. If it's not too severe, hopefully it can help reduce it significantly. Though you will need to monitor your bun and make sure he doesn't ingest the applied sugar as you wait the appropriate amount of time for it to draw the moisture out, then clean off the sugar when done. And I see that the vet prescribed a protectant to help keep the exposed skin moist and from drying out, which is extremely important.
https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/MBCP/ReduceYourRectalProlapse.pdf

https://rabbit.org/ailments-of-the-...that-anal-blood-or-protrusion-to-your-rabbit/
In addition to cutting out pellets from the diet, I would also not feed any other sugary/high carb foods. The pellets may have been a possible contributor of the irritation and prolapse, as the sugars and grains in pellets are often a common culprit of GI irritation for rabbits with a sensitive GI tract. And baby rabbits in particular can be very sensitive to food changes and possible negative effects of carbs introduced into the diet, as they don't process carbs as efficiently as adults, and this can lead to possible pathogenic bacterial overgrowth and GI problems.

I would also ask your vet if they did a fecal float test to check for coccidiosis and pinworms. You shouldn't have to wait for this test as it is just a fecal test that can be done in their clinic with a microscope, and doesn't have to be sent away to a lab. Coccidiosis and rabbit pinworms would be the two most likely intestinal parasites to cause intestinal problems in rabbits. Even though your bunnies symptoms don't entirely match up with these, they are the most common ones to affect rabbits and would be the first ones to rule out.
MediRabbit (coccidiosis in rabbits, link contains graphic medical related photos)

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Parasitic_diseases/Pass/Pass_en.htm (pinworms in rabbits)

Thank you so much for providing this!! It’s super helpful!! I’ll ask another more experienced vet about the granulated sugar method tomorrow!! The test results showed negative but our vet still gave us the meds to prevent coccidiosis. Our vet was planning to do a minor repair surgery but we were sent home after discovering that his rectum went in on that day. Now, the rectum is out when he poops and went in after awhile. Thank you so much for the suggestions on removing the pellets from his diet!!! I think his prolapses is improving as it’s not always out of his anus all the time. I really appreciate the suggestions and additional information to look at. Thank you thank you thank you

 

[Pudding and Nimbus]

My Netherland dwarf is 10 weeks, 370g and she's going through the same thing. she's had the issue for maybe 4 weeks, seen 2 vets but I understand that surgery is quite risky and not immediately necessary if it's still minor with no discoloration or infection. They called it an anal prolapse because only a little bit of the intestine is protruding. They took a fecal sample but came back negative. During my last visit the vet prescribed Tobradex (dexamethasone and tobramycin) thinly applied 3 times a day for 2 weeks but I can't find a cone that will fit so

I had a chance to speak with a pet surgeon briefly on my way out last time and they recommended to apply a small amount of pure honey; warmed up to liquid form but not hot, applied 3 times daily but she ended up licking it quite often so now I'm just figuring out the cone situation before I continue.

I wish you the best of luck dealing with this too

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! I’m also sorry to hear that your bunny is dealing with this after 4 weeks....I hope she’s doing well!!!It’s extremely similar to our situation! Our vet prescribed Flamazine to apply to his protruding rectum 2-3 times a day for 7 days. The vet suggested us to do a minor repair surgery and we were also told it’s dangerous. One the day of the surgery, I brought our bunny in and told the vet that his anus looks a bit normal sometimes. After looking at the area, our vet decided to send us home because he said the rectum went in his anus at that time. Right now, the rectum would come out when he poops and go back in after awhile. I will still be seeing another vet tomorrow but I think his prolapses is getting better!! I’ll also consult him about the honey method you mentioned. Thank you for letting me know!

For the cone situation, we couldn’t find a e collar small enough for our bunny so we use socks! We cut the end/tip of an old sock and roll it down to a donut shape. Our bunny doesn’t like it at first but gets used to it after the second day. He is quite okay hopping around, eating, etc with the sock collar on. I have attached a photo of the collar for your reference. I hope it helps!! It takes us a few try to find the right size.

I hope your bunny is doing well on the treatment and hope the best for our bunnies!!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!! I really appreciate it!!

 

[Adamm]

For the cone situation, we couldn’t find a e collar small enough for our bunny so we use socks! We cut the end/tip of an old sock and roll it down to a donut shape. Our bunny doesn’t like it at first but gets used to it after the second day. He is quite okay hopping around, eating, etc with the sock collar on. I have attached a photo of the collar for your reference. I hope it helps!! It takes us a few try to find the right size.

That's a really clever idea! I'll make a sock collar tonight too. I tried calling every vet near me and but no one has anything smaller then 7.5cm. It's just still so big.

I'm happy to hear your bun is now recovering. It sounds like everything is going really well Thank you for the kind word of support, I really want to help my little bun too.

I look forward to hearing how everything goes over the next week and I'll be sure to let you know if anything changes over here too.

Best Wishes ❤❤❤

Adam