Mushy Poop's

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

PepnFluff

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
1,202
Reaction score
0
Location
Nelson, , New Zealand
Rub's got mushy poop's she doesn't have them all the time but a few times a day she get's them sometimes they're in clusters sometimes not. I've stopped giving all vege's she only get's pellets and has hay all the time, yet she still has them....Is there anything I could do or give her??
 
Hi, how long ago has she been off the veggies? It may take a few days for her gut to stabilize.

I am going to quote from "The Mystery of Rabbit Poop" that explains the cause of mushy stool:

Unformed Cecotropes: Mushy or Runny Stool
  • The cecum is a delicately balanced ecosystem. If the intestine is moving too slowly, or if the rabbit is getting a diet too rich in digestible carbohydrates and too low in crude fiber, the complex population of bacteria in the cecum can become "unbalanced." This condition, known as CECAL DYSBIOSIS. Simply put, cecal dysbiosis means that the beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bacteroides spp. and a variety of others) are outcompeted and outnumbered by less desirable inhabitants such as yeast (a fungus, usually Saccharomycopsis sp.) or even very harmful bacteria such as Clostridium spp., related to the ones that cause tetanus and botulism.
    A rabbit suffering from cecal dysbiosis will produce cecotropes that are mushy, pasty or even liquid. They are usually quite foul-smelling, and often stick to the bunny's back end in great, nasty clumps. These unformed cecotropes are not a primary disease, however. They are a symptom of a disorder somewhere in the bunny's system. In order to cure the runny stool problem, the underlying cause must be addressed.
Rest of article here: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

What kind of pellets does she get? Perhaps there are extra calories in the pellets causing her this problem.

I would recommend that she get a fecal culture done at the vets, to check for parasites, coccidia and any other bad bacterias that may be present.


 
They're not smelly and thankfully they don't stick to her bum. The veges have been stopped for two and a half days now, tho she did steal about a mouthful of Fluffs parsley outta my hand about 4 minutes ago. They're both on a plain pellet and none of them have had any troubles on this till a few days ago....I just changed their litter box which has a grid thing over it and there a few poops which are connected together with thick hair about 1-2mm thick.....Should I get some pineapple juice and give her some? Isn't it meant to help "unclog"?

Edited for spelling.
 
It sounds like you are doing everything right. If diet hasn't changed/cannot be the issue, I wonder if it is possible there was something on the veggies they used to get that has thrown her gut off (bacteria, etc) or something in the water?

It could still be coccidia or parasites too. Do you have Bene-bac probiotics where you are?

Passing hair in stool shows they have excess hair in their gut and you may want to brush them again. It is good that they are passing hair though. I would hold off pineapple juice now as extra sugar in the gut may do more harm than good. Instead, I think if I were you I would try giving them filtered/bottled water for a while, and take in the fecals to the vet for a look at parasites and coccidia.

I just realized too when I finally took the time to read this thread http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=41981&forum_id=16 that I wrote the exact same thing Pipp had earlier, lol. It seems that cecal imbalance is a frequent topic lately and perhaps reading that thread will give you some ideas too.


 
Nothing on the vege's we grow them ourselves and we don't use any fertilizers only water....I'll walk to the diary tomorrow and buy some bottled water. How urgent would you say taking to the vet is? I can get the money quick depending on the urgency but it's more someone taking me there as everyone is really busy xmas etc...I'm just bout to start reading that link now, thanks:)

Edited to say I don't think* we have bene bac back can have a hunt around and see what could be avaliable instead, Is there any sort of more common or maybe household or supermarket avaliable item that could be used instead?
 
Hi,

Couple of clarifications on some of the posts. Pineapple juice is sometimes used in stasis situations. There is no clinical evidence that it works...but I have used it successfully many times. It does seem to have some beneficial effect on the mucus that binds impactions. The key is to use fresh juice squeezed directly from the fruit. No canned, bottled or concentrate...or any processed juice...it has to be fresh.

Parasites are certainly a possibility. Fecals are notoriously inaccurate due to the shedding cycles of the parasites. If I have any concern with worms, I deworm them. Coccidia usually comes with a strong odor that you would smell...usually. Coccidia is seen easily under a microscope....they look like "fried eggs". Treatment is usually with a suflanomide....the drugs help but usually it's the immune system that will take care of coccidia.

A probiotic would certainly be helpful. Most pet stores or vet clinics carry some type of probiotic. Bene-Bac contains the most effective strains of bacteria including L Acidophilis, L Casei and Enterococcus. The idea isn't so much the strain of bactera....but the acidification and stabilization of the pH. In a pinch, use can use non-dairy acidophilis powder that can be found at most health food stores. There are many sites that still promote an old school treatment....using yogurt. DO NOT use yogurt regardless of any article you may read. This is from a time in which the dynamics of a rabbit gut were not clearly misunderstoos....at that time, it was thought a rabbit and cat should be treated alike.

Randy
 
Lucky we have a pineapple :p Would giving her pineapple do more harm than good if given now? I'm phoning round the vets etc to see if they have any. If I come across any for dogs or cats are most of them safe for rabbits? I will post the name of anything on here for your opinions. Were going out to richmond this arvo which has a health food store so I shall pick up some non dairy acidophilis powder. Thanks Randy and Dquesnel:)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top