Why is my rabbits stomach so sensitive?

[Anaira]

I'm not too sure if this should go here or in Nutrition, because I don't think he's sick. But every time a change is made in his diet, he gets sloppy poos. So I don't give him any veggies until his poops are normals, but when I do, they come right back. Like this morning, he got a small stick of celery, and when I went into my room a few hours later, there were sloppy poops on the floor. He is overweight, so I have tried cutting down on his pellets, but my mum thinks I'm underfeeding him, so if she sees him with an empty bowl, she'll fill it right to the top. Result=sloppy poops. He's been like this ever since I got him. I know it's normal to get an upset tummy with change, but is every rabbit this sensitive? My other rabbit never got sloppy poops, no matter how many veggies he got.

I don't know what I can do, here. I have lino in my room, so cleaning isn't that much of a problem, but I'd still rather he didn't get it.

So my question is, why is he so sensitive, and what can I do? 'cos he effectively isn't getting any veg at all.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I would recommend not feeding veggies to your bunny. Rabbits can do just fine on a pellet and hay diet and it sounds like that is the best choice for this bunny. I would recommend a pellet that is about 15-16% protein with a low amount of fat, maybe 1.5-2%. Feed about 1/2 cup of pellets daily for a small to medium size bun or about 2/3 cup for a larger bun. And offer unlimited hay.

Because he is getting a bit chunky, I would probably suggest splitting his feedings in half and feeding him twice a day rather than just once. This may help balance his feedings a bit more and help him loose some weight as he exercises during the day.

Make sure to talk with your mom about his diet- he doesn't need to have a bowl full of food all the time. She may be sneaking more feedings than you think, which is causing his weight gain. So I would explain to her your feeding plan and see if she'll stick to it to help you out.

The combination of all those things should lead to a happier, healthier bunny.

 

[Anaira]

He actually came to me obese, and he has lost a little weight. I have talked to mum, lots of times, but I think she just thinks I'm being a know-it-all. Since I pointed out he gets sloppy poops every time she overfeeds him, I think that's doing the trick.

He does get fed twice a day, plus unlimited hay. I was just concerned about his tummy being so sensitive, but if some bunnies are just more so than others, then I guess that's ok. Thanks.

 

[Bill Jesse]

My rabbit gets that in the Spring when he goes out and eats grass. Apparently it is common in horses too.

 

[tamsin]

By sloppy poops, do you mean excess ceceal ones (the type he should eat) or his normal dry droppings go soft?

Being over weight could contribute to this as it can hinder eating them, some buns that are in the habit of eating excessively can also ignore them when there is something better on offer.

Cutting the pellets right back is certainly the right thing to do. It can seem odd though that rabbits can do fine just on hay even... you could try a treat ball. This spreads out eating the pellets so he has them over a longer period and encourages exercise (also good weight loss). That way you can also get rid of the bowl completely so it's not sat there looking empty and tempting to fill

I wouldn't write off greens completely, yet. It's quite a small minority of rabbits that can't handle any at all. I think you may find if you pick the right ones and have the weight issue sorted it may be okay. You could try some dried ones - these are good low fat treats. You can buy things like dried dandelion, blackberry leaves, etc. Do you know anywhere with bramble/blackberry or raspberry leaves growing? These are great for bunnies that are sensitive to some veggies.

 

[Anaira]

It's his normal poops that go soft.

And yes, there are lots of blackberry leaves around here; even some growing on our property. I'll try those!

He seems fine with grass, and with whatever veggies he eats when he gets to play in the veggie garden. Although he seems to eat more hedge than veggies. :/

I've tried a treat ball, but he hates balls. I'm going to try a small cardboard box with holes cut in it.

Thanks guys! I was a bit worried about him not getting any veggies.

 

[Maureen Las]

I have a rabbit who got explosive diarrhea after he had a normal daily amount of veggies. It turns out that he had a tapeworm and when he was treated with an anti-parasitic drug the messy poop stopped

The parasite did not show up in a fecal test but he passed a damaged tapeworm after he was neutered. otherwise I would not have known.

I don't know if you know your rabbit's background ( my rabbit had been a stray and had been living outside when animal control brought him in) but you could treat for worms ( or take him to the vet first) to see if he has a sensitive GI tract or has a parasite.