Cecotrope floor marking?

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Has your rabbit left Cecotrope marks before?

  • Yes, almost all the time (multiple times a week/daily)

  • Yes, on occasion (every other week/monthly)

  • No, never even once

  • Yes, varies by diet change


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Hi - Wanted to follow-up on this thread. The same thing described, bunny leaving little brown spots, is happening to us as well. I wanted to see if you were able to resolve the issue by cutting out pellets? Did you try something else?

Background- we've had Wasabi for a little over a year, he is a rescue (was about ~ 1mo old when we found him), so we don't know his history (5lb lionshead mix we think?). He get's per day, ~1.5cup of greens, mostly romaine or green/red leaf lettuce, 1/8 cup timothy pellets (Mazuri brand), and unlimited 2nd cutting timothy hay. He does eat his cecoes regularly, other poops seem normal (a couple small stasis episodes, but fixed with Critical Care). Recent vet check-up was fine - I mentioned the issue but they didn't seem concerned.

For the past year we've noticed these brown marks! They don't smell, but we usually find them already dried. I am worried about cutting out pellets entirely because getting the pellets out of the forage toy (the egg) is the highlight of his day. Any recommendations would help - the brown marks in his enclosure on the rug are one thing, but he seems to be leaving them around other parts of the house and they aren't easy to clean up! I am also worried there is something underlying going on that we don't know about and therefore cannot manage appropriately!

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You could try gradually reducing pellets, or switching to a different brand. I've had rabbits that had issues with certain pellet brands, but did better with another higher quality brand. It's also possible he could be sensitive to one or more of his greens/veggies. If your rabbit is on any medications, those are possible culprits as well.

It was a bit of trial and error for me to figure out the foods causing issues for my rabbits. I just had to try reducing or eliminating things one at a time, to find out if it was a food sensitivity. For mine it was the pellets. With any diet changes, I'd recommend keeping a close eye on body condition and weight, to make sure no unhealthy weight loss occurs with the changes.

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952892
There are also medical related issues like intestinal parasites, liver problems, and genetic digestive disorders, that are possible causes. It would take seeing an experienced rabbit vet and having tests done, like a fecal float test or blood test, if diet is ruled out as the cause. My experience is that most often watery or mushy cecotropes is a dietary issue, from too many carbs and not enough fiber, or a dietary sensitivity. But with any possible health issue, if in doubt, it's best to consult with a knowledgeable rabbit vet.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Choosing_a_rabbit_veterinarian
https://rabbit.org/veterinarians/
 

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