Upset stomach? Diarreah?

[lfoose]

Hi all,

We have a 5 mos old Mini Lop that seems prone to an upset stomach. He'll spend a day being generally quite-which is unusal for him. His poo won't be firm either like raisinettes candy. It'll be more squishy like peanut butter.

Along w/his normal rabbit food, he has a supply of timothy hay to eat and each day we try to give him something as a snack. Certain weeds from outside, leaf lettuce, raspberries, etc. This week he has some parsley. Is it possible that the parsley is giving him a stomach ache?

I am thinking maybe the parsley because for a while his poo was fine while he ate food, hay and greens from outside.

Thanks!

 

[Maureen Las]

Any new food can cause digestive issues with a rabbit and the squishy poo that is his "norm " is not really normal.

Cut out all greens for now and just give him hay for awhile. Misc greens from outside cannot just be given together but introduced one at a time very very slowly .
It is extremely easy to disturb the fragile gut flora of a young rabbit sowhen his poop is normal round firm balls you can start introducing one veggie or green at a time and then check his poop to see if it is firm or messy.
Normal rabbit poop is not messy

You also must be careful what you feed from outside. Some plants are toxic to rabbit .....also rabbits cannot eat greens from any area treated with pesticide.
For right now also give him a dose of a probiotic like benebac. ( sold at many chain pet stores)
You want his diet to eventually cause him to produce round firm balls of poop
Diarrhea can be very serious


http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/Veg/Veg_en.htm

 

[Maureen Las]

Some toxic plants



http://www.adoptarabbit.org/articles/toxic.html

 

[lfoose]

The weeds we give him are dandelion leaves and a broad leafed weed whose name I can't remember.

He seems much better now but I will still cut out the greens for now. Any suggestion on what a good amount is to introduce? Like one leaf, ten leaves, etc. The rabbits we've had in the past have always been bigger so I am not sure how small I should go.

 

[lfoose]

Thank you for the links.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

my boy Ripley (5 1/2-6 mo. old Holland lop) still hasn't been introduced to veggies-when I'd tried it was just a problem. I would wait and when you do add them do it very slowly! Like a square inch for the first time and slowly bring it up.

 

[Maureen Las]

Don't give him any greens until the hay diet causes his poops to be firm. When you introduce a veggie give 1-2 leaves depending on size and if in 24 hr period he still has firm stools you can gradually increase.. but all the time noting whether his poop is firm and he seems OK .

Rabbits cannot vomit and since they cannot everything can only leave the body one way. They are similar to horses who often suffer from colic and bloat. Because of this you need to really careful what you give them and how much.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat: