Strange toilet behaviour

[Flick]

Informative video about safe vegetables for rabbits.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/user/FastUpOnRabbitCare#p/u/9/-W62vZIKW4g[/ame]

Too many cecals can be the result of too much sugar in the diet. This can also cause soft poops. Cut out all sugary foods like fruit, dried fruit, and carrots. Feed only about a quarter cup of Timothy hay pellets with high fiber content (20% or more if you can find it) and low protein (14% or less). Don't feed any pellets that have junk food in it like sunflower seeds, dried vegetables, dried fruit, etc.

Take samples of the soft poops to your vet so an analysis can be done on them. There may be a digestive parasite infestation. That could account for the intermittent soft poops.

In the US we have access to pro-biotics that help with rabbit digestive problems, ie, Bene Bac and ProBios. I'm sure there is an equivalent in the UK. If your rabbit has been on antibiotics, it could be that the bacterial balance in the digestive tract has been upset. Using a pro-biotic will help balance it. I use ProBios for equines and get it without a prescription at a local feed (farm and ranch) store. BeneBac is often sold in pet stores, which makes it much more expensive.

I really hope your rabbit(s) get to feeling much better very soon.

 

[KelzBunz]

Thank you. I am going to try to get a sample to our vet. I first thought it may be too many pellets or veggies, or new veggies that were doing it, but it seems too inconsistent for that to be the cause now, as some days she's alright, even with the same veggies, and other days, she's not (excess cecals / mushy poop).

 

[KelzBunz]

So I contacted the SPCA where we're adopting Buttons from, and told her what was going on. She told me her opinion is basically that it would not be caused by a parasite in her case or else we would see it around her anus. She believes that it must be that despite her only eating a limited amount of pellets daily, her diet is too rich. She also placed acall in totheir exotic vet and the vet is telling her that the only reason for Buttons to not be eating her cecals is because she is overweight, and can't reach. I was skeptical, because I've seen her do it, but now that I think of it, she only leaves those type of poops inside her cage, where the bottom is slippery and she can't get at them very well as they "emerge" because her feet slide out on her. When I've seen her do it, she's always been on a mat. Personally I don't think sheis overweight, though during her exam inOctober they told me that she was in fact, by a teeny bit. I just don't get it as I can feel her every bone under all that fuzz when I pet her.

So that's it, just wanted to update. I'm going to make a gradual switch to Oxbow (we use Hagen now, since that's what Gus was on when we got him) since they have more fibre and less protein, and see if that helps.

Thinking of Alex!

~Kel

 

[Flick]

I appreciate the update, however the SPCA woman is WRONG! Pixel had intermittent soft poop that was sometimes almost diarrhea. I took her to a rabbit-experienced exotic vet several times and he couldn't determine the cause for her digestive upset. I finally took in a sample of the soft poop. Under the microscope the vet found the protozoa, Giardia. We were stunned. She never ever went outside and we kept her bowls and living areas spotless. Our only guess is that the feral cats around the house had it and we tracked it in on our shoes.

Your rabbit would have to be grossly obese to not be able to reach the cecals.

While the SPCA does a wonderful job in helping animals, it's been my experience that they are very reluctant to follow up on the promise of veterinary care if the adopted animal has problems within the "guarantee" time limit.

The lack of eating the cecals is not as worrisome as the soft poop. Monitor her food intake and her poops. If she doesn't improve within a reasonable amount of time, a couple of weeks at most... vet check!

 

[Flash Gordon]

WHEN THEY say overweight they mean OVERWEIGHT ,,alot of buns have an extra lb or so and can reach just fine even on a slippery floor.,
and btw if she has parasites ur not gonna see them..

 

[KelzBunz]

See, so what are they talking about And this is the vet that the exotics dept of the spca work with on a daily basis. So far a lot of the info they've given me differs greatly from what I find online. Imma confusedd. :confused2:

 

[KelzBunz]

Thank you Flick. I will monitor her intake & output and if it persists I will definitely insist on a vet check-up.

Thanks again

 

[Flick]

KelzBunz wrote:

See, so what are they talking about   And this is the vet that the exotics dept of the spca work with on a daily basis. So far a lot of the info they've given me differs greatly from what I find online.  Imma confusedd. :confused2:

I hear ya'. There is a lot of differing ideas and opinions about rabbit care, but I think the answers you got from the SPCA were more in the "brush off" category than real answers. It has been my experience with the SPCA where I live that rabbits are considered "second class citizens" and the staff don't pay much attention to them nor bother to learn much about them.

And, in the US, there's no formal educational procedures for a vet to become an "exotic vet". The vet just pretty much proclaims that he's an exotic vet, then charges more money. They usually do go to seminars and such to learn about animals outside the realm of dogs and cats, but it's not mandatory. I'm guessing that the vets at the SPCA can call themselves "exotic" because they deal with whatever kind of animal comes in, but that does not mean they know any more about rabbits than any regular vet. And, in my opinion, for that vet to automatically answer that your rabbit is too fat without having examined the rabbit is very lame to the point of unethical. He just said what he needed to in order to get off the phone.

Ergo, I think it's safe to say that you will get better information from forums like this one and other reliable sites like www.MediRabbit.com and the House Rabbit Society site, www.rabbit.org than from the SPCA. However, I also think you should start investigating vets in your area to find one that really is an exotic vet who has alot of experience dealing with house rabbits. There is a rescue in the Ontario area (RabbitRescue.ca) who may be able to help you find a good vet in your area.

I think you're doing a great job taking care of Buttons.

 

[KelzBunz]

Thanks again.

I believe, from what I've seen anyway, that the SPCA here really does have an involved staff and many caring volunteers that man the "Exotics" section of the shelter. Also the 'bunny lady' , as I refer to her (lol), that deals with the foster and adoption of the rabbits at the shelter here, really has been helpful and always responds to my inquiries and/or concerns without delay.

I must say, too, that the veterinarians they deal with (not related to the spca) works exlusively with exotics. They don't 'do' dogs and cats, but specialize in birds, rabbits, rodents and reptiles. In fact, coincidentally, this same vet is where my Gus' previous 'parents' had him neutered and checked up.

I do think that they have Buttons' best interest at heart.And intheirdefensethey did take care of us when she was ill when she first arrived here, too. She had had runny poop then and I was worried so I sent her a pic. She made a same-day appointment with the vet for us and had Buttons checked out. That is the vet who also told me Buttons was a tad overweight. Maybe when bunny lady called yesterday, she brought up the file, or remembered Buttons?

Well, withall that said, thanks for the info, for your 2ø and for the links to those sites. I will bookmark them and check them out when I have a sec.

Oh, and I wanted to say that Buttons had a bunch more uneaten cecals this afternoon :S but on a positive note, I think the "soft poop" I was referring to in my previous posts may have also simply been cecals, only ones that she had mushed by stepping on them, and I wasn't sure. Though I'm still not comfy with her having 3 clumps of uneaten cecals every other day. Thoughts?

Thanks again!

~Kelly

 

[Flash Gordon]

How much pellets are u feeding him now?

 

[KelzBunz]

I give roughly 1/8 cup per day. Buttons is about 5lbs.

 

[Flash Gordon]

thats a good amount..i did notice that when i THOUGHT i was feeding them a certain amount i really was way off until i used a measuring spoon...i realized i was feeding them double what i wanted to by guessing ...but if ur using a measuring device and thats the amount then ur really in good range..so what alot of people do in this situation is cut off all veggies for a few and see how the cecals are...if there good then start one veggie at a time for a couple of days to see who the culprit is..once a veggie is accepted in the diet ..give another for a few...
.,

 

[KelzBunz]

Yeah... I don't always measure so I may be off. I'm going to pick up a 1/8 cup at the $ store to keep in their food bag. I will try that with the veggies.