My rabbit isn't eating any of his cecotropes!

[lilac]

Hi guys!
I need some help with my bunny. Starting a bit more than a week ago, he doesn't seem to be eating any of his cecotropes- there are like four of them smushed all over the floor after just a day since cleaning day. He is eating well and I feed him unlimited hay and 1/2 cup pellets, no veggies at the moment as recommended by his breeder. (he was experiencing some weight issues and other health issues and we worked out this diet for him, for now at least) He's been eating this for months without issues and we haven't made any changes to anything in his cage, etc. recently so we have no idea what's the issue! Does anyone know what might be going on?

Thanks!

 

[JBun]

What's his weight and what's the type of hay you're feeding(eg. alfalfa, timothy, orchard, etc)? Also, how old is he?

 

[JBun]

What were the weight and health issues?

 

[lilac]

He’s about 8 months old and he’s getting Timothy hay. I don’t have a recent weight so I will have to weigh him. I will get back to you with that.

He was underweight and his poops were not very good. The breeder had never been feeding him vegetables (I did a very gradual introduction with the vegetables and once they were introduced, I fed him vegetables for a good amount of time) so she took a look at him and recommend to put him on the diet she gave her adult rabbits for a few months, and it’s been going smoothly ever since I switched him over.

 

[NorthernNevadaHollandLops]

It's very possible that he is eating some still, but making too many..that can be caused by too much sugar in his diet (too many treats) and I've also seen this when my rabbits get too many fresh vegetables. You may want to try cutting back on the fresh veggies and encouraging more hay.

 

[lilac]

It's very possible that he is eating some still, but making too many..that can be caused by too much sugar in his diet (too many treats) and I've also seen this when my rabbits get too many fresh vegetables. You may want to try cutting back on the fresh veggies and encouraging more hay.

He’s actually not getting vegetables at the moment, and he doesn’t get many sweet treats so I’m not sure what’s wrong. He also eats a ton of hay.

 

[JBun]

Have you had him long, and have there been any recent changes, like a change of area, new pet, new people, loud noises, any distractions?

 

[lilac]

I've had him for about 5 months, and nothing has really changed recently.

 

[Blue eyes]

A rabbit leaving excess cecotropes around usually means something needs to be adjusted with his diet. One can give a "fully recommended" diet and still have issues because not all rabbits are the same. Some rabbits simply cannot tolerate the usual recommended diet. They need to have their diet tweaked to suit their particular needs.

What brand pellets and how much per day?

When it comes to veggies, one should really think more in terms of "greens" than "veggies." Dark green leafy herbs and lettuces are good. No treats when anything digestive is going one. (When you do give treats, what are you offering, how much and how often?)

 

[Pranay]

I have had the same issue with my bunny andncoincidentally she is underweight too...did your bunny have any vitamin medicines or antibitotics in the recent past? does she gives egg shaped/spongy moist poops before producing them?
Because in my case when i adjusted the diet to only hay and grass, the problem solved a bit.