Not eating much hay and tiny poos

[Robbiemybunny]

He only eats about a handful of hay a day

 

[Robbiemybunny]

He also has some brown mucus in his poo

 

[Diane R]

You really need to get him to eat a lot more hay. The first thing to do is get a rabbit vet to check his teeth. Find a rabbit vet here: Rabbit Friendly Vet List If teeth are OK then try lots of different types of grass hay until you find some he likes and give very little else.

 

[Robbiemybunny]

You really need to get him to eat a lot more hay. The first thing to do is get a rabbit vet to check his teeth. Find a rabbit vet here: Rabbit Friendly Vet List If teeth are OK then try lots of different types of grass hay until you find some he likes and give very little else.

I have meadow and Timothy , he only eats roughly a handful a day. I know a rabbit vet , it's not far and it's rabbit , cat and guinea pig savvy vet. He's eating a bit of regular grass but not much. How do I encourage him to eat more ?

 

[Diane R]

Try other hay. We are lucky in the UK, there are several good places online where you can buy good quality hay e.g. Hay and Straw (I think they do a sample pack), timothyhay.co.uk, happy hay, etc.

 

[Robbiemybunny]

Try other hay. We are lucky in the UK, there are several good places online where you can buy good quality hay e.g. Hay and Straw (I think they do a sample pack), timothyhay.co.uk, happy hay, etc.

What other type can I get ? I can't find any other apart from the ones I have

 

[Diane R]

What other type can I get ? I can't find any other apart from the ones I have

There are so many brands and types. Have a look at the websites I mentioned above. Hay and Straw do Ings hay which is an organic meadow hay and they also do timothy and rye. Timothyhay.co.uk do timothy and orchard grass and sometimes oat hay.

 

[Robbiemybunny]

There are so many brands and types. Have a look at the websites I mentioned above. Hay and Straw do Ings hay which is an organic meadow hay and they also do timothy and rye. Timothyhay.co.uk do timothy and orchard grass and sometimes oat hay.

Okay thanks !

 

[Robbiemybunny]

He had one big soft poo, it was formed but soft and mushy . The rest were tiny and dry , he's not drinking enough so I soak his veggies in water

 

[zuppa]

He had one big soft poo, it was formed but soft and mushy . The rest were tiny and dry , he's not drinking enough so I soak his veggies in water

Can you take a pic of it?

 

[Robbiemybunny]

Can you take a pic of it?

Yeah

 

[Robbiemybunny]

Can you take a pic of it?

It was a big poo but got mushed by him

 

[zuppa]

This can be because he is not getting enough hay so his diet is too rich. What pellets you feed him and how much? I saw your photo a couple days ago and thought his plate was too big. They looked a bit like Burgess Excel is that adult or junior pellets?

 

[Robbiemybunny]

This can be because he is not getting enough hay so his diet is too rich. What pellets you feed him and how much? I saw your photo a couple days ago and thought his plate was too big. They looked a bit like Burgess Excel is that adult or junior pellets?

They are adult Timothy hay pellets , he gets 1/3 cup a day . They are science selective grain free

 

[zuppa]

That smashed big poo looks a bit like underdeveloped cecotrope to me, it can be a sign of cecal dysbiosis which can be caused of diet too high on sugars and starches, in other words I would stop feeding fruits completely as you said he gets banana and apples daily, and I would reduce pellets to one or two tablespoons a day. You need to try other ways to feed him more hay as well.

Do not give lots of hay at once, he might be losing interest too quickly and won't eat it.

Remove old hay and give just a little so he has fresh hay.

Stuff his toys with hay. Make braids of hay. Rabbits like challenges, make him work for hay it may help. He will eat a little from his toilet, little from his stuffed toys, little of braided and so he gets a bit more than usually that way.

It can also indicate some other problems, but in any case make him eat more hay. Fresh grass is fine as well, hay is just dried grass after all, just make sure it wasn't sprayed with chemicals and you wash it with running water well to make sure there's no eggs of parasites etc.

It's not like I can totally diagnose from your photos, it is best to consult with a vet. But hay is essential and stop feeding bananas and apples anyways

 

[zuppa]

Also as said already above try different types of hay. If you say he is losing weight it can indicate other problems, maybe parasites or something.

Try different brands of hay, you say meadow and timothy, but they can be different from different brands. Also you can try oat hay.

What brand hay you feed?

 

[Robbiemybunny]

Also as said already above try different types of hay. If you say he is losing weight it can indicate other problems, maybe parasites or something.

Try different brands of hay, you say meadow and timothy, but they can be different from different brands. Also you can try oat hay.

What brand hay you feed?

I feed hayboxclub Timothy hay and farm hay . The poo was like a big round rabbit poo that looked wet and was on his spinach , and I picked the spinach up and accidentally smushed it .

 

[Robbiemybunny]

I'm calling the vet in the morning , he also has a weird large bald patch on the back of his neck

 

[zuppa]

It is possible that he has worms as well. Bald patches on his neck can indicate mites (not only mites could cause it but often, especially that spot on the neck is a typical spot for the mites, but fur loss can be caused by something else as well). It is getting warmer now and parasites are getting more active, especially when you feed hay from a farm there can be insects or eggs, so when you get to your vet ask them for mite treatment and ask about worms. If it is worms weight loss is explainable. You can try to find out about worms yourself inspecting his poos closely. I've just described a carrot test in another thread a few comments ago I will try to attach it here

This is lots of pinworms can you see that amount every time or just after you feed her particular food? Pinworms are very visible after carrot, they are coming out in bunches. If you have 10 rabbits (is that including babies?) it is very likely that other your rabbits also have them. They can get eggs through you so when you clean it is best using vacuum to make sure there's no dust and eggs in their environment. Also you should reduce toys and remove anything where there can be eggs. All toys, blankets etc you use wash in hot water, what you cannot wash you can possibly steam, like wooden toys etc to kill the eggs.

When you use dewormer first time it will kill pinworms inside of your rabbits but won't kill eggs, the eggs will hatch in 7 days and you need to use dewormer again to kill new worms before they lay eggs.

Medical flotation test not always shows pinworms even when your rabbit is heavily infested, so deworming all your rabbits would be probably a good idea.

You can also try a simple carrot test on each of your rabbit individually to find out if they have pinworms. Place one rabbit at a time in a clean area without old poos around and feed a good piece of a carrot, then inspect fresh poos with a magnifier or take clear photos on high zoom and inspect very carefully if there's any worms. Poos can be also covered with mucus or misshaped. Poos must be fresh as pinworms will dry out 15-20 mins after so you won't be able to see them. Even if there are no pinworms in your other rabbits they can have eggs already so they will hatch in 7 days so maybe repeat the test and keep all your rabbits separately in very clean environment and don't groom or take out for petting during this time so you can't transfer eggs to them through your clothes etc.

Babies will definitely have them because they eat mother's poos.

Here's some more information on pinworms, don't open this link if you don't like images of heavily infested rabbit's cecum. Here's a short summary what to do to prevent your rabbit from getting pinworms in case you don't want to see those images

MediRabbit

>>In order to prevent worm invasion in a house rabbit, it is essential that:

· forage not be gathered in areas where there are numerous dogs, cats, rodents,

· fresh greens and vegetables be washed carefully with running water,

· hay and straw used as litter be changed regularly (this avoids attracting flies too),

· hay that cannot be changed daily be given on a feed rack, where it cannot be soiled with feces or urine,

· the litter boxes themselves be cleaned daily with hot running water, acetic acid, or chlorine.

If a worm infestation appears in a house rabbit, it can easily be eliminated with the appropriate medication. A veterinarian should always be consulted prior to treatment, in order to determine which kind of worms affects the rabbit. The prescribed timing for the medication must be strictly applied.

But please bear in mind that I am only guessing based on your pics and description of events, it is best if you could get a specialist to see your rabbit, I can't guarantee that my guesses are all correct.
Just before you visit your vet you do some research on things mentioned so you will feel more educated about them and will be able to discuss with your vet.

 

[Robbiemybunny]

It is possible that he has worms as well. Bald patches on his neck can indicate mites (not only mites could cause it but often, especially that spot on the neck is a typical spot for the mites, but fur loss can be caused by something else as well). It is getting warmer now and parasites are getting more active, especially when you feed hay from a farm there can be insects or eggs, so when you get to your vet ask them for mite treatment and ask about worms. If it is worms weight loss is explainable. You can try to find out about worms yourself inspecting his poos closely. I've just described a carrot test in another thread a few comments ago I will try to attach it here



But please bear in mind that I am only guessing based on your pics and description of events, it is best if you could get a specialist to see your rabbit, I can't guarantee that my guesses are all correct.
Just before you visit your vet you do some research on things mentioned so you will feel more educated about them and will be able to discuss with your vet.

Okay thanks !