Sick Bunny :(

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ksullivann

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I just got a Dutch Rabbit yesterday and today noticed that she had "poopy bottom". I have read that this could be a sign of an illness but am unsure if it's an illness or just stress. When I got her she was in a cage with other bunnies where she is now, alone. I have given her Timothy Hay and she has nibbled at it a bit but hasn't eaten a whole lot. She has been drinking water. Please help :(
 
If you just got the bunny yesterday, I think it's safe to assume she's still pretty stressed out about the change in her situation. As long as she's eating at all, I would wait a few days and see how things develop. If she stops eating for a day, it's time to get her to a vet.
 
Thank you, Mike. I am just new to the Rabbit owning thing and am really worried about her. I also got her wooden sticks and a toss Carrot that she has no interest in. Not sure if that could have anything to do with stress or illness.
 
I would be concerned now by soft stool, how old is she? Have you noticed any normal formed fecal poops? My bun experienced intermittent soft stool and will occasionally have it if I try offering a new food into his diet. What is she currently eating and what was her diet previously?

If it was my rabbit I would find a rabbit savvy veterinarian and get her in for a fecal float for bacteria/parasites and a wellness check before her syptoms progress. You could also use that time to consult with your veterinarian about basic husbandry for your new rabbit.

Welcome to the forum :)
 
If it's watery diarrhea or there is mucous or jelly type stuff in the poop, you need to get her to a vet right away. If it's just soft mushy poop but you are also seeing normal round fecal poop, then it's most likely due to a bacterial imbalance in her cecum caused by her diet. Did she have poopy bum problems before you got her, or is this new? What food has she been getting? Is she eating the same pellets she had at her previous home or are they a new kind? What type of pellets are they and how much is she eating in a day? Also, have you given her any veggies, fruit, or other snacks or treats?

Here are some pics of what normal poop should look like and what mucousy poop looks like.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/drop/Drp_en.htm
 
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I've had my rabbits about a month now and looking back at how they behaved when I first got them, I now know they were really stressed out with the change of moving to a new home. Now that I have gotten to know them, I see what is more normal behavior for them and you will get that way too with yours. Probably within a week you will see her personality, what she likes and doesn't like. I think as long as she is eating some Timothy hay and drinking water that is good enough. Chewing hay is supposed to be a stress reliever for them, so just make sure she always has some available.
 
Zeroshero,
Yesterday she was having normal fecal poops. I believe her previous diet was just regular pellet food and she is now being offered Timothy Hay along with a few different vegetables.

Unfortunately I am unsure of her age.
 
JBun,

I have given her some snacks and treats and she will eat them but it's not often that I see her go to her food bowl and eat. Yesterday she was having normal poop, nothing stuck to her bottom. It wasn't really watery, looked like normal poop but was just a little softer than it should have been, causing it to get stuck to her bottom.
 
Bville,

I am hoping and praying that it is all a cause of a change in environment and stress but I can't help but think negatively. I have a lot of Hay in her cage but rarely see her go to a pile and start eating it.
 
It may be the vegetables, snacks, and treats that are giving her the soft poops. You should stop those and just feed hay and pellets for a while, then introduce veggies one at a time and watch for a reaction.
 
Bville,

When I noticed her poopy bottom I removed all vegetables and snacks from her cage and replaced them with pellets and lots of hay. I hope it works! :(
 
Are the pellets the same exact brand and variety that she was being fed in her previous home?

I would suggest stopping all treats, snacks, and veggies, and only feed her pellets and hay. So is she really not eating very much food. An average amount of pellets for an adult dutch rabbit would be around 1/4-1/2 cup a day. Does she seem relaxed or stressed being in her new home?

If taking away treats and veggies doesn't clear it up in a day or two, then you may need to cut pellets out and only feed hay until the soft poop clears up, then you can gradually reintroduce pellets back into the diet. Pay close attention to her pooping, eating, and behavior. If she stops eating and/or pooping for more than 12 hours, or her behavior changes and condition worsens, you will need to get her to a vet. It may be a good idea to get a fecal test done anyways, just to rule out parasites.

http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/

Cecal dysbiosis is what the problem with the soft cecals is called. These links have additional info about it.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=3012
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=3012
 
JBun,

Her behavior is fine, I think anyway. She is quite the mover. Last night she was very relaxed but I think it was because I had just gotten her. I will monitor her and see how much she is eating/ drinking. Maybe make a journal of the times that I am there to see her. I work during the day so it is hard to see exactly what she is doing but I will continue to monitor and see if anything changes.
 
Some ways you can tell if she is comfortable and relaxed is if she flops down to rest, lays her head down with eyes closed while you pet her, or if she seems to be interested in you and what you're doing. If she is stressed she'll have skittish abrupt movements, eyes will be very wide open and her body will be tense, or even shut tight and not moving around, she will probably huddle at the back of the cage, and when picking up and holding her she may shake from fear. I had a rabbit that got seriously ill from the stress of being in a new home, so if you notice any fear behaviors, it would be good to try and do things to minimize her stress as much as possible.

But if she seems comfortable and relaxed around you, then the soft poop is most likely due to the new foods, and should clear up in the next couple days now that you've stopped them. If you had to switch her to a new brand of pellets, that could also have something to do with it. Any new foods(besides grass hay) need to be introduced slowly into a rabbits diet, or they can possibly develop digestive problems. So if the soft poop isn't cleared up in a few days, try reducing the pellet amount until the soft poop stops, then you can gradually start increasing it to a normal amount. But you'll want to try and figure out how much of the pellets she is eating in a day. An adult rabbit shouldn't have unlimited pellets. 1/4-1/2 cup would be normal for a 5 lb rabbit. But if you find that she is just eating mostly pellets and not much hay, you can decrease the amount of pellets you are feeding and that should get her eating more hay. She should be eating a pile of hay per day, that is about the same size as her body, but you also want to be feeding her enough pellets that she stays at a good body weight. If she is under 6 mo. old, then her diet would be slightly different. But feeding a measured amount of pellets per day is also a good way to know if something is wrong with your rabbit, as they will usually stop eating their pellets first.

Hopefully this will get cleared up quickly. I know how stressful it can be having a new rabbit that might be sick.
 
Could you not ask the previouse owners what she was fed there and what are her eating habbits and if she had soft poos there also has she been neutered could she be bonded with a mate so she is not on her own rescue centers will bond them up for you its nice for them to have a friend is she a house bunny? sometimes if bunnys have not been used to eating hay it takes a while for them to get used to it the main thing is to get her eating what she is used to I agree with bville just feed her the pellets she is used to ask the previouse owners for the name of them and feed her hay its important she eats dont feed her veg or treats until she is eating her pellets and hay if she stops eating syringe feed her liquidised pellets that she is used to rather than give her veggies which may cause her to get a gassy stomach or bloat. listen to me ha ha ive learned all this on here in the last few days thanks to the experienced rabbit owners im up on health issues but usually hopeless on feeding but this is the information ive been given which im grateful of my bunny had stomach problems but she is now recovering hope this helps also resist the temptation to pick her up and fuss with her for a few days to let her settle. hope this helps.
 

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