wet poop - baffled and need help!

[linusandcami(:]

so i just got my bunny on January 2nd, and he was exactly six weeks old. Linus is the cutest little lionhead in the whole world, and i love him.

however, ever since i got him, his poop has been pretty wet. it isn't quite diarrhea, because it is formed, but it is moist and clumped together. at first i thought it was because i gave him a treat on his second day and i probably should have waited until he was older.

but then it didnt go away, and i got worried. i havent changed his diet at all: unlimited timothy hay, pellets, and water. i mixed in his old pellets w/ oxbow adult rabbit food, and i thought that that was the problem, that he wasnt getting the right nutrients, so i got the young rabbit food instead, but it hasnt gone away. i give him oats every once in a while, but it doesnt seem to help.

half of his poop is normal, but the rest is wet... also, only about half of his poop is making it into the litterbox, although all of his pee is. all of the poop outside of the litterbox is wet, and almost all of the poop inside the litterbox is normal.

i read a little about diarrhea on the internet, even though it isnt quite diarrhea. he is acting normal and energetic, and i havent given him anything new. i dont have him outside because it is too cold, so it couldnt be something hes eating out there. i am just baffled by this! i wish i knew what was wrong so i could help him! does anyone have any ideas??

 

[buster2369]

Hello and welcome,

It sounds like your rabbit may not be eating his cecotropes. Most rabbits eat them directly from their bum but sometimes they leave them sitting around for whatever reason. They usually look like a little bunch of grapes and are very soft and moist. They also tend to be more smelly than the other 'normal' poo. If your rabbit is acting odd, take him to the vet, but most likely your just seeing cecotropes.

Here is some more information about it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecotrope

 

[LakeCondo]

He really should be having alfalfa hay until he's full grown. But that wouldn't cause the different poop. Is it possible the poop outside the litter box is getting wet after they are deposited? I don't know what kind of setup you have, but if it's a large enough space, you might want to add a 2nd litter box & see if that causes a larger % to go in one of the boxes. That'd be good even if it doesn't solve the near-diarrhea. You might check with the breeder or wherever you got him to see if any of his brothers or sisters have had the same problem.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[Madalynster]

I really want to say that you should get him checked for parasites as soon as possible, I don't know where you got him from. But I got my charlie when he was 8 weeks old and his poops were sometimes normal but mostly soft like little poop balloons, I took him into my vet for a check up and found that he had coccidia parasites and he needed antibitotics. I would defintately advise you to get your little Linus checked out, because these parasites can really do damage to their G.I track.

At first I had thought he just wasn't eating his Cecotropes but these didn't look like the normal blackberry looking ones that Desmond had.

Please keep us updated and make sure you at least bring him in to the vet for a "Float" test for parasites.
ray:

 

[ZRabbits]

I'd advise you to see a Rabbit Vet also. It will give you peace of mind with a bunny that young to know from a professional that your bunny is in good health and you can ask about his diet and what should be changed as he grows.

Wishing you and your bunny all the best. Love the Lion head breed. Would love to see pics of your Linus.

K

 

[linusandcami(:]

thank you all for your help, i definitely will be taking him to see a vet just in case. dont want to risk anything for my baby

 

[ZRabbits]

linusandcami wrote:

thank you all for your help, i definitely will be taking him to see a vet just in case. dont want to risk anything for my baby

So glad to hear. Let us know what he/she says. With bunnies that young, things go bad real fast. Rather be safe than sorry. I did the same thing. As soon as I got my young bunnies, I made a appointment with my Rabbit Vet just so he could check them over. He was excellent. Only charged me for half a visit, and looked them over completely. Went over what I will be feeding them and when to introduce fruits and veggies. Also he let me know when would be the best time to neuter and what to look for if an issue occurs.

Having a sit down with a Rabbit Vet and your rabbits is a Win/Win situation. for both of you.

K

 

[linusandcami(:]

thank you! just out of curiosity, how much on average is a vet visit, just for a lookover?

 

[LakeCondo]

It varies so much, but finding a good vet is most important.

 

[ZRabbits]

linusandcami wrote:

thank you! just out of curiosity, how much on average is a vet visit, just for a lookover?

You should take a survey in your area. That's what I did.

Dr Joe. basically charged me $27.00 for their meet and greet. That included weighing, checking teeth, eyes, ears, throat, and private areas. After the 45 minute meeting we were asked to collect poo so that the doctor could test. Cost $7 dollars.

Here in the Highest Taxed State in the Nation, New Jersey, that's pretty reasonable I thought.

To neuter it was $170.00 each. With medical supplies included for the pain (3 day supply). My boys were treated well, no harmful after effects. It was like they never left us. The people there were amazing.

Just a little tidbit on what to look for. Reasonable cost, reliability, and most important friendliness and experience with bunnies.

We were so thrilled to hear Dr. Joe raised rabbits to get him through college. He laughed at my Kreacher because he never seen a bunny that tiny. But he loved our Dobby. Reminded him of a past pet. He also owned a Sable as a pet.

Well, we lucked out. Dr. Joe is affliated with our Dog's Vet. Which now Dr. Joe will be Jake's vet. He does all animals. Plus Dr. Joe gave us names and numbers of his associates that could help in an emergency. Now I think all of this is worth every penny. This is just my experience, and I hope others are as good.

K