can rabbits get constipated??

[Kaiah]

i'm having issues with my newly adopted bunny, Mufasa, a lion-head lop mix with a really beautiful mane...we adopted him about 2 weeks ago and he's been settling in. took him to the vet because he wasn't eating much, but she couldn't find anything wrong with him at the time...she recommended keeping an eye on his poop count, to make sure he was still eating, etc.

well, that went fine and he actually started to calm down and eat more in the last week. however...

in the last 2-3 days there have been significantly less poop in his cage, but he's eating just fine as far as i can tell. he eats all his hay and the pellets are gone after a day or two.

yesterday he went almost all day without more than a few poops in his cage and then around 7pm he left a poop mountain in his cage.

today has been the same, minus the huge poop mountain. just a scant 20 or so visible poops. so, i'm getting really worried...i'm wondering if he's developing a hairball or has something obstructing his gut (he chewed a whole in the pellet bag next to his cage about a week ago...at the time, i didn't notice whether or not he'd eaten the plastic *insert horrendous guilt here*)

does anyone have any info on this? i plan to call the vet in the morning, but would like some advice from more experienced bun owners...i'm a little panicky being a new mom and don't want to risk his life waiting around, but also don't want to rush to the vet over something like constipation. can buns get constipation? he eats lots of hay, so that would seem unlikely...ack!

any answers out there???

Kaiah:shock:

 

[Kaiah]

ok, here's an update...Mufasa just left a huge poop mountain in his litter box. *small sigh of relief* i guess it's just later tonight than last night. =P

but still...is that normal??? i was under the impression from my vet that buns poop almost constantly...she said it was something like 20 an hour. and our little girl, Raeka, has lots more poops in her cage...and has had since late morning/early afternoon. if anything, she's a model poop factory. so what's up with Mufasa??

*still worried and considering calling the vet in the morning*

Kaiah:shock:

 

[Ivory]

Yes, rabbits can get constipated.

Bunnies generally poop very constantly, but going an hour without pooping isn't really cause for concern.

 

[BlueGiants]

What was Mufasa eating two weeks ago before you got him? He may just be adjusting to the new food (pellets), different protein/roughage, different hay, etc. Is he drinking enough water? Is your water different that what he had before? (Could it have a different smell, more/less chlorine, more/less minerals, etc.). Does he get fresh veges' or fruit?

Some rabbits take a while to adjust to new environments. (He was OK for the first two weeks... now he's realized, OH! I'm staying here!). He may be trying to hold onto his poops until he finds the "right" place for them. He's in a new place and he's not sure of his territory.Make sure he's drinking and eating enough (the hay is excellent). (I have a couple of does that I can not take to an overnight show and coop. They will NOT pee outside their home cages. They will go ALL day, and not go... so I cannot travel with them.)

 

[Orchid]

Hello...

I am a new bunny mom myself. I have had Simon about 3 weeks now.
We have also been having very similar problems. When I was at the vet today she said she felt this was because he was not eating enough and so she said feed the critical care once a day to help.
Personally I mixed up his pellets with pumpkin and he ate that like a champ tonight. I am still seeing small poos, but the large ones are returning again.

I don't know much so I can't offer much help...just thought it odd we are having the SAME problem lol...
Simon is also a lionhead lop X.

Hope things even out ok with Mufasa


Em

 

[Haley]

Poor Mufasa, hes having a rough time settling in, huh?

Bunnies can have periods of less "output" which isnt really a cause for concern unless it lasts more than a day or so. Just be sure he is in fact pooping everday so you can be sure he doesnt have a blockage of some sort.

Did you try putting Timothy hay within reach of his litterbox? Ive found that helps. Just be sure he has unlimited hay. Is he drinking water regularly? I dont know if anyone mentioned this to you but they give them a water bottle and a bowl at the shelter so if he just has one option he may be drinking less.

Keep us posted- youre a great bunny mom!

 

[Kaiah]

thanks everyone! it's a relief to hear that it's probably not an emergency. (i was worried when i posted that everyone would say 'rush him to the vet')

i have an appt with the vet tomorrow for Raeka, our little girl, to get her stitches out from her spay. i'll talk to the vet about Mufasa's poop behavior then.

unfortunately, he's quite a picky eater when it comes to fresh veggies and fruit. =P he loves his hay and just recently got back into pellets, but so far he's only been interested in little bits of carrot. he wouldn't touch the carrot tops, celery, red pepper, pea pods, tiny bits of watermelon or strawberry that we've alternately tried giving him every night. (not all at once, just one or two of the above in very small amounts each night) he also wasn't interested in canned pumpkin, though i may try that again sometime. of course, we'll keep experimenting with other safe fruits and veggies until we find something he likes. (and since we have the oxbow critical care, i may talk to the vet tomorrow about giving him some of that as well)

behavior-wise, he really is calming down a lot...now when we let him out to play he binkies quite often and gets himself into all sorts of mischief (currently, he's sitting on top the big plastic bin we keep the hay and food in and contemplating jumping up on top of his cage. naughty, naughty.)

well anyways, thanks again! it's so wonderful to have a forum to ask experienced bun owners questions and concerns. :biggrin2:

Kaiah

 

[Kaiah]

hi Haley! thanks for the response! :biggrin2: yes, he is indeed pooping everyday...i was just concerned with the amount of poops. i clean both bun cages out completely every morning, so there's no question of the poop being left over from the day before. and oh my goodness...i need to check out that link you sent me about the mesh for over the litter box again...we're going thru litter like crazy! (the yesterday's news works great though!)

well, gotta go..take care!

Kaiah (Jolene)

 

[Haley]

I had to laugh when you said hes been climbing up on things- when he was here the first thing he would do when he got out of his cage for run time would be to jump up on top of his cage! I had to put a towel over it so he wouldnt slide!