My albino bunny not pooping and had one pile of diarrhea

[katkrazy2007]

Hi everyone, I am new to the rabbit world, but I have dealt with a lot of animals so I am an experienced keeper. I just got a new rabbit (his name is Rick Rabbit) and he has been happy and healthy since I have had him. I give him fresh greens (kale, bok choy, cilantro, turnip greens, romaine, etc) everyday, plus he has rabbit pellet food (Kaytee Rabbit Food) and he has fresh water everyday in a bowl and in a bottle. I also supply unlimited timothy hay. He has a very roomy cage and he gets to come out and spend bonding time with me everyday outside of the cage. He is most of the way litter trained now. But starting this morning, I noticed he didn't have much poop in his litter box which is unusual because I normally have to clean it out everyday. I did my usual care taking of him before going to work and when I got home this evening, there was one (1) pile of very wet poop on the floor of the cage which naturally worried me. I cleaned it up and checked on him and he was acting okay and was bunny napping. I made sure his pellets were fresh and then I cleaned out his litter pan and put clean litter in it since he had filled it with pee (which let me know he is peeing fine). I've seen him eat pellets, I gave him his favorite greens which is the bok choy and the cilantro and I have seen him drink water and eat lots of timothy hay, but I have not seen him poop his normal pebble poops since this morning!!! Just that one pile of wet poop (which hasn't happened anymore). I was giving him yogurt treats, but I threw those away when I did some research on them so needless to say he won't be getting those anymore. He has one little piece of apple this morning but no more than that. So to sum everything up, he is eating and drinking but no pebble poops yet thus far. I would have a better clue if he was refusing food and having more diarrhea but now he's normal and just not pooping. Please if anyone can give me any suggestions as to how to make him poop or what to do, it would be greatly appreciated. I love my Rick Rabbit and I want to see some poop by morning or sooner!

 

[Blue eyes]

What's his age?

 

[katkrazy2007]

It was really an impromptu adoption so I don't really know ): He definitely isn't a baby, but not fully grown either. I am sorry that I can't supply you with the right info ):

 

[Blue eyes]

The reason I ask is that he would get a different diet if under 7 months than if he's over 7 months.

But anyway, I would stop any fruits or sweets immediately. Encourage more hay. And rather than typing out too much here, I'll direct you to this recent link because it is quite thorough (and saves me more typing, lol).

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f27/sunny-has-diahrrea-making-soft-weird-grunting-noises-74487/

 

[katkrazy2007]

I am still reading this thread and I have heard him grinding his teeth today, but its only when I start to pet his head -- I can also hear his stomach making light noises, but I read that it is normal to hear their intestines moving. And is it possible that this strangeness has something to do with him not being an neutered (or spayed since I am not 100 percent sure he is a boy, but I think he is)? As of right now, there hasn't been anymore more diarrhea, but still none of his normal poops. Also, I saw the part in the post about kale being a potential culprit so I will get rid of that for now. And I haven't fed any spinach. Its mostly been the bok choy and the cilantro (because he's been picky and will only pick those two out of what I give him if that helps).

 

[JBun]

It's not necessarily kale or spinach that is the problem. New foods can cause digestive upset with some rabbits, or because it's introduced into the diet too quickly. Even foods that they have had for a while, can all of a sudden start causing problems. With the other case it seemed likely the strawberry was the culprit, as it was a new food and sugary.

With your rabbit, do you think it is diarrhea or mushy unformed poop. There is a difference. Diarrhea will be unformed and watery. Mushy poops are soft, or even toothpaste like. Diarrhea needs to be addressed by a vet. Dehydration can occur quickly if it is ongoing, so fluids need to be given, and diarrhea is usually caused by parasites like coccidiosis, or harmful bacteria like e. coli. Both would require meds right away. Mushy poop can also be caused by bacteria and parasites, but more commonly it is caused by problems in the diet, like new foods, certain veggies, or too many carbs and sugars in the diet. And with him not pooping, then he now has GI stasis, where the gut slows down and a blockage is possible. It's good that he's eating, and as long as he keeps eating, then he must not be experiencing pain, or at least not too much, or he would stop eating. He most likely has gas as well. Light stomach sounds are normal, but if you are hearing loud gurgling, that is a problem with gas, and an imbalance in the gut. The tooth grinding you are hearing, sounds more like the tooth purring rabbits do when they are happy you are petting them. Tooth grinding from pain, is louder and harsher sounding. And if he was grinding his teeth in pain, he wouldn't be eating or acting normal.

I would suggest stopping all treats with carbs and sugar. You will also want to reduce pellet amount, so that he will eat more hay. Hay is what helps get the gut moving again. If he drinks from a bottle, offer a water dish too, as water is very important, and rabbits tend to drink better from a dish. Leafy greens are good, but cruciferous ones like bok choy and turnip greens, can sometimes be the culprit of gas problems. If he is used to having romaine, that would be much better, as well as the cilantro. If he seems uncomfortable or stops eating, you can give him some simethicone(infant gas relief) to help with the gas. Dosage is 1-2cc of the 20mg/ml suspension, every hour for 3 hours, then every 3-8 hours as needed. But for now, if it's not true diarrhea, and he is still eating, just keep an eye on him. If he stops eating for more than 12 hours, you'll want to get him into the vet. You also will want to try and figure out the cause, and if it is diet related, change the diet. It may be one of the veggies, it can also be treats, or too many pellets in the diet.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

 

[katkrazy2007]

Thanks so much. I have completely stopped the treats -- Not one today at all. And no sweets since the small piece of apple this morning. And he is currently eating some rabbit pellets, but I will be sure not to put as many in there next time. And the poop did seem unformed in my opinion. But it has only happened the one time I came home around 6 and found it and cleaned it up. And he is eating right now and earlier I saw him drinking from his water dish and eating hay. I will take him off of the bok choy for now and only offer him cilantro and romaine (but he hasn't been fond of the romaine so just for the weekend while I am keeping an eye on his health can I just give him cilantro?) I can offer him the romaine but I don't think he will eat it. I will be sure to put extra hay in there as well (although I offer him unlimited hay daily). So no treats, sweets, turnip greens or bok choy for sake of possible gas and LOTS of hay and fresh water. Could you give me a list (or a link to a list) of the most highly suggested greens and vegetables for a rabbit? Thanks for much for helping me.

 

[JBun]

There are other greens that can be fed, but since he's not used to them yet, you may want to hold off and just give him the cilantro for now.The bok choy and turnip greens may not be causing any digestive problems, but I mentioned them because I've heard of some peoples rabbits having gas from them. Giving greens when the digestion has slowed down, mostly helps get added moisture into the gut, which is what is needed to help break up a blockage if there is one. I'll include these veggie lists, though, for future reference. Cilantro is a good veggie for buns, as it is low in calcium and oxalates. Green/red leaf lettuce is also a good one that you could start to introduce into his diet once he is feeling better, that is if he decides he likes it. Our little rabbits can be so picky sometimes

http://www.3bunnies.org/feeding.htm#greens
http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

 

[katkrazy2007]

Thanks so much for your help!! You have no idea how helpful you have been. I think I upset his stomach when I changed his greens too quickly the other day ): I know its something that I caused and I just wanna fix it. Thank you for the website links!! Please pray for my bunny!

 

[Maureen Las]

It sounds like this is resolving which is good but I agree that he had been given too many various greens and also free fed pellets. I agree with JBun. Increase the hay making sure that you have good quality hay that the bun likes , decrease pellets and feed the veggies sparingly. As said before some buns are extremely sensitive to various greens and others seem to have no issues ( but your bun was not used to them ). Feed one veggie at a time per day for several days to see which ones agree. ( if it was me and the bun was eating the hay I would eliminate ALL greens until this was straightened out)
May want to give a dose of benebac which is a probiotic. Probiotics for horses ( sold at feed stores are also suitable for bunnies.) Benebac is sold in small tubes or powder form at Petco for small mammals

 

[katkrazy2007]

Thanks so much for the help. Rick Rabbit has indeed been pooping today And no more diarrhea! He's had no bunny snacks, only gave him cilantro since he really likes it and it was good to keep his bowels moistened, no fruit, not as much pellet food and he eats LOTS of hay and I keep unlimited amounts in his hutch. So for now, no kale, bok choy or turnip greens since they may make him gassy and I will be very slow about introducing him to any new greens in the future. I have done some reading on the best greens and vegetables to supply to my bun bun. I love him so much! Thanks everyone for caring about him.

 

[JBun]

That's really good to hear. I'm glad he is feeling better.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Glad to hear everything is back to normal.

 

[katkrazy2007]

I'm glad for the normalcy as well! Thank you!:bunnyheart