Rabbit poops

[bunbunadri]

Hi, I've been seeing these stains on my bunny's carpet. I know it's probably some poop/ urine or others and I'm worried. His poop is normal and he has a good appetite and drinks enough water! He's an elderly bun so maybe that's why? Should this be a concern? He's been hunching a little but other than that no difference from his normal self.

 

[Preitler]

Hm, noticeable hunching sure deserves a closer look. If I were to speculate, could it be that he drops his cecos, causing stains, and eats them from the floor instead of directly? That could be a sign of a mobility issue or pain due things like athritis. I would have that checked out,
I recently put my almost 11yo Fury on low dose pain meds because she looked somewhat off, and her gait had changed noticeable. Much happier bunny now. I can't fight old age, but I can ease some symptoms.

 

[samoth]

If I were to speculate, could it be that he drops his cecos, causing stains, and eats them from the floor instead of directly? That could be a sign of a mobility issue or pain due things like athritis.

This is exactly my case with an overweight senior doe.

She's on meloxicam for mobility, but her weight (and inability to reach her backside) is the root cause.

 

[bunbunadri]

Hm, noticeable hunching sure deserves a closer look. If I were to speculate, could it be that he drops his cecos, causing stains, and eats them from the floor instead of directly? That could be a sign of a mobility issue or pain due things like athritis. I would have that checked out,
I recently put my almost 11yo Fury on low dose pain meds because she looked somewhat off, and her gait had changed noticeable. Much happier bunny now. I can't fight old age, but I can ease some symptoms.

I've seen him eat his ceoctropes from his private so maybe that's not it. Thank

This is exactly my case with an overweight senior doe.

She's on meloxicam for mobility, but her weight (and inability to reach her backside) is the root cause.

I’ve seen him eat his cecotropes from his private! Thank you tho Will monitor him!

 

[JBun]

The staining is could still be from cecotropes even though he's eating them, if they're coming out somewhat watery. If anything has changed in his diet recently, this could be an explanation. Or if he has arthritis and instead of directly eating them as they come out, he's first letting them drop to the floor before he eats them.

Changes in poop and there being a watery component to them, can also indicate possible liver issues, and the hunching could be an indication of this as well, or of pain from another health issue. So it would probably be a good idea for a vet check and possibly having a blood test done to make sure nothing serious is causing this change.

 

[Momma Luvbun]

I fully state those are stains from cecotropes.
I just use a little vinegar and a wash cloth and dab the cloth corner into the vinegar and dab at the spot. Takes it away and freshens the area.
You can clean up urine stains/doors this way too

 

[Lionhead owner]

My rabbit is 6 months old and she has never eaten night faeces…unless she has a sly nibble when I’m not looking. She has a alfalfa style vet recommended pellet, hay and the odd bit of veg…along with loads of grass and some water. She eats all the time and is putting on weight nicely. Do I need to keep reminding her that this is an option.

 

[Diane R]

My rabbit is 6 months old and she has never eaten night faeces…unless she has a sly nibble when I’m not looking. She has a alfalfa style vet recommended pellet, hay and the odd bit of veg…along with loads of grass and some water. She eats all the time and is putting on weight nicely. Do I need to keep reminding her that this is an option.

Try cutting pellets down to 1 tbsp a day. Diet is probably too rich.

 

[Lionhead owner]

Try cutting pellets down to 1 tbsp a day. Diet is probably too rich.

She only eats less than half the recommended body weight suggested pellets per day. Most of her day is spent shovelling grass and hay. She has a delicate stomach and can’t seem to manage much veg and only gets a small amount as a treat. I have another rabbit and she can have a much more varied diet and I don’t see night faeces in her house. I can try reducing her pellets for a couple of weeks and I ll weigh her regularly to check she’s okay. Thank you

 

[Diane R]

She only eats less than half the recommended body weight suggested pellets per day. Most of her day is spent shovelling grass and hay. She has a delicate stomach and can’t seem to manage much veg and only gets a small amount as a treat. I have another rabbit and she can have a much more varied diet and I don’t see night faeces in her house. I can try reducing her pellets for a couple of weeks and I ll weigh her regularly to check she’s okay. Thank you

Ignore the feeding recommendations on the packaging. Rabbit vets recommend far less. Do you use Burgess Excel? Some bunnies have excess caecotrophes on that. Could try switching to Science Selective perhaps but reducing pellets may be enough.

 

[Lionhead owner]

She is on science selective. Gave her LOADS less today and she has just had a dark night poo and ate a bit straight away. Result. I knew it was better for her stomach enzymes to re eat her own celetropes but she was just never interested. In the last month she has taught herself to use a litter box too (there has always been one in her hutch but when she was much younger, as it was filled with straw, she used to sleep in it and wee behind it).
At 6 months would she in theory be able to have babies? She’s a full sized rabbit (but not as big as her parents yet).

 

[JBun]

My rabbit is 6 months old and she has never eaten night faeces…unless she has a sly nibble when I’m not looking. She has a alfalfa style vet recommended pellet, hay and the odd bit of veg…along with loads of grass and some water. She eats all the time and is putting on weight nicely. Do I need to keep reminding her that this is an option.

She only eats less than half the recommended body weight suggested pellets per day. Most of her day is spent shovelling grass and hay. She has a delicate stomach and can’t seem to manage much veg and only gets a small amount as a treat. I have another rabbit and she can have a much more varied diet and I don’t see night faeces in her house. I can try reducing her pellets for a couple of weeks and I ll weigh her regularly to check she’s okay. Thank you

It could be her young age. They can sometimes forget to eat their cecals when they're young and easily distracted. Or with her already having a sensitivity to veg, she could be senstive to pellets as well. I've had a few rabbits that couldn't have much, or sometimes any pellets in their diet, due to digestive sensitivities.

Definitely keep an eye on her weight, as that's important when feeding a low/no pellet and mostly grass hay diet. Also I've found it's essential to not feed too coarse of a grass hay as it doesn't contain enough protein and nutrients for good weight maintenance and health when a rabbit is on minimal to no pellets. A free fed medium coarse hay that is mostly leafy stems with some hard stems, worked best for my rabbits on low/no pellet diets.

 

[Diane R]

She is on science selective. Gave her LOADS less today and she has just had a dark night poo and ate a bit straight away. Result. I knew it was better for her stomach enzymes to re eat her own celetropes but she was just never interested. In the last month she has taught herself to use a litter box too (there has always been one in her hutch but when she was much younger, as it was filled with straw, she used to sleep in it and wee behind it).
At 6 months would she in theory be able to have babies? She’s a full sized rabbit (but not as big as her parents yet).

That’s good news. Please don’t breed. Get her spayed.

 

[Momma Luvbun]

My double-mane lionhead has ISC so I rarely give him pellets anymore because I find that is what causes his flare up of it.
I don't agree with the cliché that they "only do it at night" and i used to think he didn't make/eat the cecotropes until one day in the early afternoon, I noticed him doing so!
My little lop is so sneaky I rarely see her creating and eating them. She's mostly a wee early morning maker but she's done it during the day on one off's.