Digestion problem?

[Rumiko]

Well here's the thing. I don't give my bunnybaths because i know that's bad for them, but lately, i've noticed thatmy bunny has a mesh of droppings attached to her tail/bottom. Whatmakes it worse is that thegathering of droppings isattracting hay to stick on theher bottom. This happened twicebefore and i wetthe problem areaand tried to cleanit of with water, but itcame back. Then i took awetpaper towel and moistened it up a bit then tried to slipit off (and i accidentally took some of thebunny's fur withme =[not much though, barly anything )and thatdidn't help, the problem is forming again and it's getting worsebecause it's attracting more hay and doppings to stick on her bottom.

Her diet is as follows:

One small carrot

parsley

rabbit pellets

celery

and some lettuce

(i ran out of broccoli a while ago, i used to feed her that too)

any ideas why it happens? how can i make it stop?

 

[mygrl2k3]

I used to have that problem with my bunny luv.What stopped it was i think a combination of me measuring her food andswitching to a better quality food. She gets only pellets and hay on anormal basis and sometimes gets other things as a treat.

Cristy

 

[cirrustwi]

First, I have a couple of questions:

1. How old is the bunny? If she is young, under 12 wks or so, she probably shouldn't be getting veggies yet.

2. Does it have diarrhea? If she does, you need to seek outthe source. It could be the veggies, but it also could be aproblem that needs medical treatment. Diarrhea can lead todehydration quickly, so you need to take care of this problem if youare experiencing it. One of the best ways I have found is adiet of only timothy hay and oatmeal.

3. What kind of lettuce are you feeding? Iceberg isnot good for bunnies. It has very little nutritional contentand a lot of moisture, so it can cause problems. Romaine is agood one to feed. Celery has many of the same problems.

4. Is she receiving any hay? Most people agree thatrabbits should have hay available at all times. Give alfalfahay if your bunny is under 12 wks. Give a mix of alfalfa andtimothy if your bun is 12 wks to 6 mon. And just timothyafter that.

You should read the Cheat Sheet for Rabbit Care post. It has great links about diet.

Bunny baths are sometimes necessary if your bunny has a dirtybottom. I have also used baby wipes for a similar problem.

Good Luck!

Jen

 

[Rumiko]

no, my bunny is not young, she's old enought toeat veggies.

She has an unlimited amount of timothy hay in her cage

but i don't think she has diarrhea, i really can't see any other things that might cause this

 

[Spiced77]

is your bun overweight? how much of those thingsis she fed a day? if she's too chubby to clean herself, you'll have todo it for her.. or, is your bunny areally fuzzy one? maybe she needs a trim?

 

[Buck Jones]

Diet might be too rich or too much being fed,leading to excretion of excess cecotropes, which if not ingested canlead to dirty bums.

Either of the two, or both, if the cause, needs to bereduced. I, too,would recommend reading A Cheat Sheet forRabbit Care, as well.

Sometimes, a fur trim, carefully, around the affected area keeps things a bit more sanitary.

Buck

 

[Pet_Bunny]

I agree with cirrustwi, and Buck Jones. Broccoli is high in calcium.

Timothy Hay, veggies, and limited amounts of pellets in that order is what I feed my 8 month Netherland Dwarf.

How old and what kind of rabbit do you have Rumiko?

 

[ariel]

Buck Jones wrote:

Diet might be too rich or too much being fed, leading toexcretion of excess cecotropes, which if not ingested can lead to dirtybums.

Either of the two, or both, if the cause, needs to be reduced. I,too,would recommend reading A Cheat Sheet for Rabbit Care, aswell.

Sometimes, a fur trim, carefully, around the affected area keeps things a bit more sanitary.

Buck

I agree Buck, diet might be too rich, last week I changed Bindys'pellets and her poppies have been a little softer, so I'm changing herback , I get worried about the whole poopie thing after losing Chloethat way

 

[pamnock]

cirrustwi wrote:

1. How old is the bunny? If she is young, under 12 wks or so, she probably shouldn't be getting veggies yet.

It's a common myth that young bunnies can't have greens/vegetables orthat there is some certain magic date where they can suddenly have them.

Sudden diet changes are the major problem, and for a new bunny in a newenvironment, this added stress to the system can be fatal.

However, many baby bunnies have been raised on a diet of only greensand vegetables from the time they left the nestbox, as their dam wasalso on that diet.

You can most certainly start young bunnies on a greens/veggie diet --just start out with very small amounts and limit sugary fruits.

For bunny butt cleaning: The rabbit's behind can be washedunder the sink without getting the entire rabbit wet.Dishsoap can also be used.

Pam

 

[edwinf8936]

First go back to a basic diet of hay and pelletsand some parsley. Use the carrots as a treat. Forthe pellets, only give it enough that it will have them all finishedbefore the next day. It takes a long time for this to takeeffect. I have an ongoing problem with one of mine althoughthey are all on the same diet. When it finally clears up itseems like it start over again. If you have to you can cutsome of the poop off, just be real careful. Watch forinflamation in the genital area. Clean ever day until theproblem goes away, then check every day.

Also limit the treats, they all appreaciate them but limit quantity andsee if it makes a difference on what type of treat you give.

Ed

 

[Bo B Bunny]

ariel wrote:

I agree Buck, diet might be too rich, last week I changedBindys' pellets and her poppies have been a little softer, so I'mchanging her back , I get worried about the whole poopie thing afterlosing Chloe that way

Well, Bo has always had hard poos, so recently I noticed it even more and he didn't seem to have as many in his litterbox.

I added a bit more veggies to his diet and it seemed to help the texture but not the amount.

Then, I found his secret spot under the desk. :X

Another Litterbox in a new spot now.

 

[cirrustwi]

pamnock wrote:

cirrustwi wrote:

1. How old is the bunny? If she is young, under 12 wks or so, she probably shouldn't be getting veggies yet.

It's a common myth that young bunnies can't have greens/vegetables orthat there is some certain magic date where they can suddenly have them.

Sudden diet changes are the major problem, and for a new bunny in a newenvironment, this added stress to the system can be fatal.

However, many baby bunnies have been raised on a diet of only greensand vegetables from the time they left the nestbox, as their dam wasalso on that diet.

You can most certainly start young bunnies on a greens/veggie diet --just start out with very small amounts and limit sugary fruits.

Pam

I am so glad you wrote this. I had readthat bunniesof all ages can have veggies if they are eating hay (?), but I had alsoread lots of things that say not to give them under 12 weeks.Daisy was on veggies when I got her at 8 wks. and I wanted to startOrion but was holding back.

Thanks Pam!!

Jen

 

[*nepo*]

This is a really good link:http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

 

[ariel]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

ariel wrote:

I agree Buck, diet might be too rich, last week I changedBindys' pellets and her poppies have been a little softer, so I'mchanging her back , I get worried about the whole poopie thing afterlosing Chloe that way

Well, Bo has always had hard poos, so recently I noticed it even more and he didn't seem to have as many in his litterbox.

I added a bit more veggies to his diet and it seemed to help the texture but not the amount.

Then, I found his secret spot under the desk. :X

Another Litterbox in a new spot now.

Getting a mental picture of you discovering "the new spot"
LOL

 

[VNess2010]

I started giving Cosmo veggies when he was around12 weeks...he has never had diarreah from it..that means I'm doing thisright...right???

 

[ariel]

Yup if Cosmo is doing ok then you're doing ok

 

[*nepo*]

Plain oats are also good for hardening poops

 

[Bo B Bunny]

ariel wrote:

Getting a mental picture of you discovering "the new spot"
LOL

That picture was something like

:?:shock::X

and what looked like someone had dumped a bowl of coco puff cereal.