Rabbits and Diarreah

[Nessa1487]

My rabbit Skippy has slight diarreah and I'm notreally sure why. His diet hasn't changed..and I just started noticinghe's got slight diarreah..what's the best way to treat it and get ridof it?

 

[cheryl]

Hi!

I'm not sure either,but i have heard oates help,but there must be a reason why he has diarreah in the first place.



I will move this to the infirmary



cheryl

 

[Nessa1487]

oats? Hmm...My vet mentioned like 1/8 teaspoonof plain yogurt..we tried that and it didn't seem to help..but I'llmaybe try a few oats. Thanks.

 

[Haley]

any new veggies or fruits that he has had in the past day or so?

Just based on incidents on the forum, its seems like if its not due toa diet change, its definitely something to worry about...diahrea seemsto be the first sign that something is really wrong.

Hopefully someone with some more expertise in this can jump in..

 

[cheryl]

Also this is a link from the rabbit healthreferences section..There is some fantastic info in there,scroll downand read the members threads..very informative!

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11935&forum_id=10



but yes,someone will be able to help you more on this



cheryl

 

[ani-lover]

nessa, what brand and type of food do you use ?
is there any by-products in the ingredients?

 

[naturestee]

Like Haley said, diarrhea with no diet changescould be something to worry about. You're sure it's fecalsand not cecals? Because that would mean somethingdifferent. At the least, a fecal test would be inorder. It might be coccidia infection or otherparasites. It would also show bacterial infections.

A small amount of rolled oats can be helpful. Do not give himyogurt though because most rabbits are lactose intolerant and this mayupset his stomach. Your vet is probably just wanting it forit's probiotic properties. An actual probiotic such asBenebac (available through vets and in pet stores) would be muchbetter. Although the jury is out on how well those actuallywork with rabbits, it's worth a try. And Benebac definatelyhelps with cats that have antibiotic-related diarrhea- aka my kittens.

Also, I'd remove all treats, any fruits and sugary veggies like carrots, and maybe reduce pellets to make him eat more hay.