is he unwell if he isn't eating him cecotropes?

[mamafern]

i have never seen any before today (i got him on thursday) but i have seen him eat them as they come.. but this morning i found some on the floor with his other poops, which look very healthy by the way..

is this a bad sign? i understand that they usually eat them right away and that you rarely see them.


help!

 

[pamnock]

It's not unusual for the rabbit to overproduce and not eat them all. I wouldn't worry if the rabbit appears otherwise healthy.

Pam

 

[maherwoman]

When I first got my Maisie, she started experiencing this...and I posted about it here on the site.I'll give you the link to the thread in a moment.

I got some advice that said that it may be that the food I was giving her had a tad too much protein. I switched her (gradually,over a few weeks), and problem solved!

Here's a good article that has the recommend percentages of things for adult buns:
http://www.lagomorphs.com/pellets.pdf

And here's a link to the thread I posted way back when (feels like so long ago, when it was really only about a year, hehe):
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12386&forum_id=1

Hope that helps!

Hugs!

Rosie*

 

[mamafern]

thank you so much for all of the info! im pretty sure he isnt getting too mucg proten.. he has timothy pellets with13%.. he doesnt even seem to like it...it could be all of the crumbs he eats of of the floor (i have a 4 year old and 15 month old..)
i will read up on it and see though. thanks again!

 

[maherwoman]

OH, cool beans...sounds like he's got a good protein amount. Never know...always best to post just in case!

Hugs!

 

[Haley]

Have you been giving him any more/new veggies? My Basil produces excess cecals if I give him extra carrots

 

[mamafern]

veggies, yes.. i have been giving him lots of organic salad greens and a bit of apple, carrot, oats.. im tryng to encourage him to eat more of his pellets so im mixing it together..bad idea?

ETA: i dont know what he was eating before i got him on thursday..so maybe just the change in nutrition is a factor..

 

[Haley]

Oh yes, I would hold off on the fruits and veggies until he settles in! Bunnies have very sensitive GI tracts so you have to be careful.

Heres a great thread on feeding:http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=16340&forum_id=1

He should have pellets and unlimited hay, but veggies and treats you have to be careful. Introduce things slowly and feed fruits (which are sugary) very sparingly.

 

[maherwoman]

I don't know why I didn't think to ask that...I'm sorry!! :foreheadsmack:

Haley wrote:

Have you been giving him anymore/new veggies? My Basil produces excess cecals if I give him extracarrots

 

[mamafern]

but rabbits that live in the wild eat unlimited greens. why would it be so different for a house bunny?

and yes he has unlimited hay and pellets..

 

[aurora369]

It's not the fact that veggies upset their stomachs, it's the rapid change in diet. You want to give him a chance to be 100% settled before adding new things to the diet.

If he had been on an all veggie diet before coming to you, then it would be reccommended to keep him on that diet.

It is possible to switch a bunny to what ever diet he seems to do best on, it just has do to be done slowly.

Wild bunnies grow up eating the grass and greens, so they never have to go through an adjustment period.

--Dawn

 

[mamafern]

of course! that makes so much sense.. sometimes i think too much like a human and not enough like a bunny!