Dark-colored, Pungent-smelling Poop...

[Jenk]

I know that scant/ drier/ smaller poops indicateGI stasis. But can stasis cause poop to alsobecome darker (nearly black)and pungent-smelling? Or can another condition cause the color/smell change?

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[tonyshuman]

i have heard of coccicidis (sp?) causing bad smelling poop (it's just a parasite). that's all i know, bumping this for those with more experience.

 

[MsBinky]

Sorry to ask, but are these poops soft? They wouldn't happen to be cecals by any chance? I ask but I am not sure if it's worth it because maybe you already know about cecals. Lol :?

 

[Jenk]

MsBinky wrote:

Sorry to ask, but are these poops soft? They wouldn't happen to be cecals by any chance? I ask but I am not sure if it's worth it because maybe you already know about cecals. Lol :?

They're definitely not cecals.

My other bun was back at the vet today, so I asked him about it. I mentioned that Emma's poop change occurred right after I started feeding her pellets again (which I forget to mention in my original post). He said both changes can certainly be due to the additional protein in her diet. So now I know. :biggrin2:

 

[BlueGiants]

If Emma's poop doesn't change back after switching her back to her old diet, or it gets worse, I'd have her tested for coccidiosis. Changes in feed (especially sudden changes) can stress their system enough to cause a Coccidial bloom (even if they never had symptoms before). Thenasty, pungent smell is usually the first clue....

That would have to be treated by the vet.

 

[Jenk]

BlueGiants wrote:

If Emma's poop doesn't change back after switching her back to her old diet, or it gets worse, I'd have her tested for coccidiosis. Changes in feed (especially sudden changes) can stress their system enough to cause a Coccidial bloom (even if they never had symptoms before). Thenasty, pungent smell is usually the first clue....

That would have to be treated by the vet.

Are you advising that I take her off of pellets (to observe her poop without them)? I ask because she became somewhat waifish without eating them for several months; I'm concerned about the idea of taking her off of them completely.

Do you know how long I shouldkeep her off of pellets in order to test the coccidiosis theory?

Thanks,

Jenk

 

[BlueGiants]

(I thought you were going to take her off them... sorry.) Honestly, if it doesn't clear up in a few days, I'd insist on getting her and her droppings checked. The test isn't usually expensive and you can know for sure what you're dealing with. If it is coccidiosis, it's best to deal with it ASAP. It can make them very sick and wasted...

 

[Jenk]

BlueGiants wrote:

(I thought you were going to take her off them... sorry.) Honestly, if it doesn't clear up in a few days, I'd insist on getting her and her droppings checked. The test isn't usually expensive and you can know for sure what you're dealing with. If it is coccidiosis, it's best to deal with it ASAP. It can make them very sick and wasted...

I agree. Unfortunately, Emma's refusing to eat the hay from her manger (in her cage); so to get her to ingest some nutrition today (and to make certain that she'd still eat her favorite foods), I did give her some pellets (about1 Tbs.)this morning.

It's hard doing a test like this when she won't cooperate. :? Still, she's eating hay outside of her cage with no problem. All I can do is move her hay manger and place some hay in her cage's litter box. If she's eating that hay regularly, then I can stop the pellets for a few days to observe the change to her output.

 

[Haley]

I would definitely have her tested just in case.

For now, I think I would keep her on very limited pellets and try to encourage her to eat lots of hay. Do you have different kinds of hay you can try?

Also, canned pumpkin might help give her some extra fiber if she will eat it.

 

[Jenk]

Haley wrote:

I would definitely have her tested just in case.

For now, I think I would keep her on very limited pellets and try to encourage her to eat lots of hay. Do you have different kinds of hay you can try?

Also, canned pumpkin might help give her some extra fiber if she will eat it.

I'll call the vet when the office opens tomorrow. (They're going to truly think me a hypochondriac with regards to my rabbits' health, since Zoe's had so many troubles/ visits. Until now, Emma's been my cast-iron girl. Oy!)

Emma still mows down a decent amount of hay outside of her cage; she just doesn't seem to want to eat what's in her manger inside of her cage. I can't quite put my finger on it. (Oh, there's another thread. )

She ate 1.5 cc of canned pumpkin last night and will get a tiny amount again today. She seems to like it, which is a plus.