Best Probiotic for Rabbit

[Touli]

Hi!

As of right now, I have taken my rabbit to the vet and he has a GI Stasis. He’s taken medicine and doing great, but his cisapride medication is all gone and I wanted to know which probiotic would be best for him.

I found two probiotics that you are able to sprinkle on the rabbit’s food. I thought it would be best so I can quickly give it to him everyday instead of a liquid one.

If any of you have any experience with these probiotics, please tell me which one you prefer!

 

[Blue eyes]

Does he have recurring GI issues?

 

[Touli]

Does he have recurring GI issues?

He does have a very sensitive stomach. He would get soft stool from time to time but he recovers in a day. This is the first time I’ve heard that he had a G.I. Stasis.

 

[Blue eyes]

Could you describe in detail what his daily diet looks like? And do you have suspicions about any particular food/food type that he seems to have a negative reaction to?

 

[Touli]

Could you describe in detail what his daily diet looks like? And do you have suspicions about any particular food/food type that he seems to have a negative reaction to?

Of course! he eats a lot of greens, especially kale (I’m trying to make him eat less). He eats around 1/4 of fruits and vegetables with some pellets on top. He has a lot of access to hay, but he only eats some. I have tried everything to make him eat hay and the best thing that has worked for me was cutting up hay into his food and mixing it together. He doesn’t really like green leaf lettuce and he’s not the biggest fan of bell peppers (they have given him soft stool before if I give him too much). He also does not like berries, celery, and cucumbers. I might be missing a few things but he does eat all of his food every day!

 

[Blue eyes]

Of course! he eats a lot of greens, especially kale (I’m trying to make him eat less). He eats around 1/4 of fruits and vegetables with some pellets on top. He has a lot of access to hay, but he only eats some. I have tried everything to make him eat hay and the best thing that has worked for me was cutting up hay into his food and mixing it together. He doesn’t really like green leaf lettuce and he’s not the biggest fan of bell peppers (they have given him soft stool before if I give him too much). He also does not like berries, celery, and cucumbers. I might be missing a few things but he does eat all of his food every day!

Thank you. That is helpful. (What type/brand of pellets? How much?) Since he seems to have a sensitive stomach I would suggest a few diet changes. First cut out all fruits completely. Fruits are high in sugar and that sugar disrupts the delicate bacterial balance in the gut. It also may be a factor in why he doesn't eat as much hay. Rabbits have sweet tooths! So they'll favor the sweets over the hay.

What types of "vegetables"? What types of greens? It is not uncommon for certain rabbits to be sensitive to a particular type of green or veg.

I assume it is a grass hay that you offer. Do you refresh it every day regardless of what he's eaten?

(I'll wait for those answers to see if any other adjustments might be beneficial.)

 

[Touli]

Thank you. That is helpful. (What type/brand of pellets? How much?) Since he seems to have a sensitive stomach I would suggest a few diet changes. First cut out all fruits completely. Fruits are high in sugar and that sugar disrupts the delicate bacterial balance in the gut. It also may be a factor in why he doesn't eat as much hay. Rabbits have sweet tooths! So they'll favor the sweets over the hay.

What types of "vegetables"? What types of greens? It is not uncommon for certain rabbits to be sensitive to a particular type of green or veg.

I assume it is a grass hay that you offer. Do you refresh it every day regardless of what he's eaten?

(I'll wait for those answers to see if any other adjustments might be beneficial.)

I’m sorry I didn’t reply for a while. I have not been giving him any fruit besides occasionally and he has been eating most/all of his hay. I try to give him as much hay as possible so there is not time without it. The problem is he does seem to be more hungry and while I do feed him the correct amount for his size, I’m afraid that it is not enough. Also, I think he’s eating too quickly because his stomach would inflate but deflate in a couple of hours. Everything is fine and he’s acting like he was before (very happy and excited), but I do want to feed him probiotics just to make sure that everything is okay with his G.I track!

 

[Blue eyes]

The absolute best thing for a rabbit's gut is hay, grass hay. It keeps the gut functioning well. It is not possible for a rabbit to eat too much of it. There should always be plenty of hay available. A general guide is that he should be eating his body size in hay every day. That hay should be what he eats the most. A rabbit that gets too many pellets may not eat as much hay.

Hay isn't going to cause any tummy issues whatsoever. It does more good than even a probiotic.

What type/brand of pellets do you feed and how much per day?

 

[Touli]

I don’t know the brand name because I just switched to a new one but he does get 1/4 cup of pellets every day on top of his food

 

[Blue eyes]

The type and brand of pellets is a very important factor regarding his gut health. There are more brands/types that are baaad for rabbits than there are good ones. That's why I was asking... trying to see if the pellet type might be a source of some of his gut issues.

Perhaps you could find out what type he was eating before and what type/brand he is now eating.

 

[Touli]

My rabbit is extremely picky with his pellets. I have tried many types but he won’t eat it. I will try and find the brand name for his old pallets, but the pet store shut down and that’s why I gave him a new brand. Personally, I don’t think the pellets are giving him gut issues. I think it is because of the amount of hay he eats. As of right now, he is eating a lot of hay but he previously was not.

 

[Blue eyes]

You're right that it may have nothing at all to do with the pellets. It could be more about the hay, but it could be a combination of factors as well. No way to even conjecture without knowing what pellets he had been used to eating and what pellets he is eating now.

Glad to hear he's eating more hay.

 

[JBun]

If you're still wanting to try a probiotic, I've only ever used benebac plus, but I really like the reviews for the equa holistics, and the ingredient list. I think I would give it a try if I ever had to use probiotics again. Though keep in mind, there are no studies showing whether probiotics are actually beneficial in adult rabbits. Only study done was with baby rabbits.