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okay i have a rabbit and when he poops it smells realy bad. and when he poops its like sticking together with the other droppings it looks realy soft
is there a chance he might be getting diarehha( how ever you spell it)

2006-10-13 13:50:06 · 8 answers · asked by sweet2karina 2 in Pets Other - Pets

8 answers

First off, you didn't say if this is every time he poops, or if it's just some of the poop. Rabbits have 2 different types of pellets that they produce. The one that everyone thinks of are the hard little balls that rabbits love to trail all around the house. The second is a very soft stool that's produced by the cecum (the very beginning of the intestine), that's called a cecotroph. The cecotrophes almost look like a very small bunch of grapes, and are extremely smelly. These droppings are also known as night droppings because rabbits produce them mostly at night (although they can produce them at any time of day), and rabbits do eat these droppings. Usually they eat them right as they're coming out of the rabbit's body, but most rabbits produce more cecotrophs than they need, and you will almost always find extras hidden in the bedding in his cage. These droppings are full of minerals and vitamins that the rabbit's body was unable to absorb the first time through the system, and they are extremely important to a rabbit's health. If you're only seeing these droppings some of the time, it's probably pretty safe to say that what you're seeing is just left over cecotrophs. If on the other hand, the poop is extremely watery and is happening all the time, then I'd be worried about his diet and about dehydration as well as diarrhea. If diet is the issue, I would need to know your bunny's age and exactly what you're feeding him in order to help solve the problem. In general, he should be getting a high quality alfalfa-based pelleted rabbit food (rabbits weighing up to 5 pounds should get 1/4 cup daily, rabbits weighing between 6 and 10 pounds should get 1/2 cup daily, rabbits weighing 11+ pounds should get 3/4 cup daily). If under the age of 6 months or over the age of 8 years he should be getting all the alfalfa hay he wants. If he's over 6 months and under 8 years old, he should get all the timothy hay he wants (or you can use an orchard grass blend). If he's under 4 months old, he shouldn't be getting any veggies at all. He should only be free-fed pellets and hay. Between 4 and 6 months old, you want to slowly introduce veggies to him. By 6 months of age, he should be getting at least 2 cups of fresh veggies (you want to offer at least 3 different types of veggies every day) daily. Things that will lead to diarrhea include: too many sweets (such as any fruits), too many carrots, iceberg lettuce, not free-feeding hay, etc. If you think something else might be causing the problem, feel free to e-mail me, and I'll try to help you from there! kbviolin_98@yahoo.com

2006-10-13 19:36:00 · answer #1 · answered by Kellye B 4 · 0 0

It does sound like she is having digestive problems. The droppings should not be sticking together. Have you had her checked for parasites? They are common in rabbits. Also, rabbits need a diet high in fiber. The bulk of their diet should be a high quality grass hay like timothy. Avoid lots of alfalfa in adult rabbits, it is too high in protein and could cause health problems. Feed only 1/4 cup of pellets for every 5 lbs. of bunny. Cut back on vegies until things straighten out. Don't feed lettuce.

2006-10-13 16:00:20 · answer #2 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0 0

Rabbits have the longest and most complex digestive system of any mammal, and their digestive system can easily be thrown out of gear, either with not enough hay, or with too much protein, or sometimes with a particular vegie that doesn't agree with them - lettuce and cabbage in particular, which are both very bad for rabbits.

Do you know what your bunn was eating previously? Because it's best not to change over a bunn's diet too quickly - gradual change is very important if possible, to avoid stomach upsets which can cause diarrhoea or constipation. Generally, before six months, bunnies' main diet should be hay, water, and lucerne pellets. Some say you can begin introducing vegetables at four months, some say not until six months of age. Most importantly, when you begin to introduce vegies, you must do it VERY slowly and gradually - begin with just one slice or one very small piece of your chosen vegie or fruit, and make sure it doesn't give her diarrhoea over the next 24 hours before giving any more. Please see my own website, where I've written articles on this, at
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyfood.html
Often lettuce will give rabbits diarrhoea, too.

Here's a few more excellent articles that will help you - on rabbits' droppings and digestive health -
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

And on rabbit care, behaviour and communication -
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html - this one is SO good - how to translate bunny behaviour and language!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmVwuwYeeKDZ58Zd.L169SLsy6IX?qid=20060725170557AAUOWsu
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rabbits/a/?once=true&
http://www.tagyerit.com/hopline/cold.htm
http://www.rabbit.org/
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html - this is my site - please have a browse and best of luck to you and your bunn!

2006-10-14 01:29:00 · answer #3 · answered by Lea 5 · 0 0

Rabbits make soft poops typically at night and then they eat it. If you are seeing it it makes me think that there is something wrong. I suggest you bring it to a vet.

2006-10-16 01:30:48 · answer #4 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 0 0

You should be feeding him rabbit pellets. Definitely don't feed him/her iceberg lettuce. When we had a bunny that's what the vet told us.
I hope you can clear up the problem.

2006-10-13 14:07:39 · answer #5 · answered by Juanitamarie 3 · 0 0

Probably yes, what have you been feeding him. My rabbit would get that way if she ate too many greens. If you have been feeding him/her iceberg lettuce stop that is very bad for them try leafy greens like romaine lettuce. If it becomes very very bad call your local vet, especially if he/she become lethargic (sleepy) and will not eat or drink.

2006-10-13 13:59:20 · answer #6 · answered by chris 1 · 0 0

I LOL at George. plenty. i don't ingredient nevertheless, reason it quite is rude. thumper is gorgeous..the rabbit from alice in wonderland is creepier than the rabbit from donnie darko sick bypass with thumper :)

2016-11-28 04:21:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

rabbits have 2 kinds of poop-pellets and the soft kind. they eat the soft kind. as gross as it sounds, the soft kind has something in it that helps their system.

2006-10-13 15:01:41 · answer #8 · answered by missy 2 · 0 0

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