Smudge bottom :-/

[girlcreativela]

My Buns is about 5 years old, has a very balanced diet of 80% Timothy hay, 10% pellets and 10% fresh. He is eating very well, appetite is doing great! He’s a bit lazy though so I am always doing stuff to keep him moving. He lives free in our home, has his own area and is never caged.
He has been having a lot of messy wetness all over his bottom, it comes and goes but it seems to be happening a lot. His poops seem fairly normal, perhaps a bit sticky but shaped as they should be, but I can’t tell if it’s fecal wetness or urine.
He’s litter box trained and nothing has changed in his bedding or nutrition…. Any thoughts??? I am constantly battling the messy smudge bum and worry there is a bigger problem. I have read it’s common and that it should clear up but it seems to happen a lot. Any tips, ideas, or insights would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mileybun]

Perhaps try him on some probiotics for a few days to see if that helps?
Not sure where abouts you are but I'm in the UK and have found Bio Lapis and Fibreplex to be good

 

[girlcreativela]

Thanks so much for your reply! We have actually given him doses of Benibac, which I have had a lot of good luck with. Just wonder what I’m doing that keeps making this occur. Perhaps back off his pellets….

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We changed to an "all Timothy" pellet and ours cleared--most pellets have a mixture of stuff and the offending part is the alfalfa that is in most mixtures. Also, ours only get a tablespoon of pellets twice a day, all the Orchard Grass they can eat and a small amount of greens at night.

 

[girlcreativela]

We changed to an "all Timothy" pellet and ours cleared--most pellets have a mixture of stuff and the offending part is the alfalfa that is in most mixtures. Also, ours only get a tablespoon of pellets twice a day, all the Orchard Grass they can eat and a small amount of greens at night.

We changed to an "all Timothy" pellet and ours cleared--most pellets have a mixture of stuff and the offending part is the alfalfa that is in most mixtures. Also, ours only get a tablespoon of pellets twice a day, all the Orchard Grass they can eat and a small amount of greens at night.

 

[girlcreativela]

Thank you!! I give him and all Timothy hay pellet so that part is good. I may just back off the quantity and frequency perhaps that will help!!

 

[Mileybun]

Good idea, maybe just try a completely hay based diet for a few days!

 

[Diane R]

Is some of the poop paste like? Sounds like it could be intermittent soft stool syndrome. If that is what it is, the remedy is tough love - a hay only diet, absolutely nothing else for at least a couple of weeks, until the droppings have been normal for a few days. (It takes a long time for gut bacteria to rebalance.) Then gradually add in other food in very small quantities, wait at least a week between new food introductions so you have a chance of spotting whether it's a particular food he's sensitive to. When you start introducing and increasing pellets again don't give more than 1 tbsp a day. Good luck!

 

[girlcreativela]

Is some of the poop paste like? Sounds like it could be intermittent soft stool syndrome. If that is what it is, the remedy is tough love - a hay only diet, absolutely nothing else for at least a couple of weeks, until the droppings have been normal for a few days. (It takes a long time for gut bacteria to rebalance.) Then gradually add in other food in very small quantities, wait at least a week between new food introductions so you have a chance of spotting whether it's a particular food he's sensitive to. When you start introducing and increasing pellets again don't give more than 1 tbsp a day. Good luc

 

[girlcreativela]

Thank you so much for the input. I have been doing well with the hay only diet but it does break my heart. Poor guy! Some of his poops are sticky so you’re probably right. He has been eating the hat well though, hoping he doesn’t boycott it.

 

[Diane R]

Thank you so much for the input. I have been doing well with the hay only diet but it does break my heart. Poor guy! Some of his poops are sticky so you’re probably right. He has been eating the hat well though, hoping he doesn’t boycott it.

I would feel bad too, we all love to spoil them. You could get several types of tasty, fresh grass hay.