mochi_ball
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone! I have a bit of problem with my senior/elder mini-lop rabbit, Mochi. Some background information, she is about 7 1/2 years old, had her since she was 3 months old, spayed at 5 months old. Weight: has remained around 5 lbs (+/- 5 oz), last weight taken was 4 lbs 12 oz.
For the last 6 years she's been on pretty much the same diet:
1) unlimited timothy hay,
2) limited pellets about 1/4 cup a day (divided into 2 feedings),
3) 1 cup lettuce mornings, 1 cup curly parsley nights
So i would say about the last 1-2 years, she's been getting poopy butts where either she would let her cecals accumulate (probably sits & smooshes on them) and lets them grow to a large size and doesn't eat it. There are instances when she smears her poopy butt everywhere (i do notice ill formed /runny cecals sometimes, but she also leaves normal looking cecals around without eating them). At first the incidence of this happening was maybe once a month, then it became twice a month, then probably the last 3 months it's been a weekly occurrence so I give her a butt bath once a week now. I do see her bending over to clean herself and she appears to be eating her cecals regularly. Her regular poop looks normal like coco puffs.
She is still very active, jumps on couches and exercises. (Btw she is a free range bunny in our bunny proofed apt 700+ sq feet). I don't think she has arthritis...
I have tried to cut down on her pellets and veggies by about 30% the last month to see if this would improve but it's pretty much still happening weekly. She saw the vet today just for a regular exam and we also asked the vet about this ongoing problem that has gotten progressively worse. The vet actually told us to cut out pellets/veggies cold turkey for a week and only hay and see if this would help. (This vet was not our regular vet and he kept comparing rabbits to horses saying that this was how he treated his horses). Of course I have my doubts about his suggestions because everyone knows that rabbit diets have to be adjusted very carefully/gradually and NOT cold turkey. I am not sure if I should cut down her pellets/veggies since she is older and I don't want her to lose weight. Other than those suggestions above, the vet said she is generally healthy and when he was manipulating her feet & stretching them out, said she doesn't have arthritis.
Her getting a dirty bum isn't really affecting her quality of life as she is still very active and eating a lot of hay. Lots of exercise and she is generally very happy and gets a lot of petting sessions. Only thing is I have to clean the carpets very frequently because she smears her stains in the apt and also it is an inconvenience to give her butt baths now more frequently than ever (but she is getting very used to it and doesn't struggle much).
Does anyone have any good suggestions on what to do or is this 'inconvenience' just something that comes with older buns? Should I do what the vet says and cut out all pellets/veggies? Is this a case of arthritis and she needs to be on metacam for life?
Thanks in advance! I'll post some pictures to show you guys what I'm talking about.
For the last 6 years she's been on pretty much the same diet:
1) unlimited timothy hay,
2) limited pellets about 1/4 cup a day (divided into 2 feedings),
3) 1 cup lettuce mornings, 1 cup curly parsley nights
So i would say about the last 1-2 years, she's been getting poopy butts where either she would let her cecals accumulate (probably sits & smooshes on them) and lets them grow to a large size and doesn't eat it. There are instances when she smears her poopy butt everywhere (i do notice ill formed /runny cecals sometimes, but she also leaves normal looking cecals around without eating them). At first the incidence of this happening was maybe once a month, then it became twice a month, then probably the last 3 months it's been a weekly occurrence so I give her a butt bath once a week now. I do see her bending over to clean herself and she appears to be eating her cecals regularly. Her regular poop looks normal like coco puffs.
She is still very active, jumps on couches and exercises. (Btw she is a free range bunny in our bunny proofed apt 700+ sq feet). I don't think she has arthritis...
I have tried to cut down on her pellets and veggies by about 30% the last month to see if this would improve but it's pretty much still happening weekly. She saw the vet today just for a regular exam and we also asked the vet about this ongoing problem that has gotten progressively worse. The vet actually told us to cut out pellets/veggies cold turkey for a week and only hay and see if this would help. (This vet was not our regular vet and he kept comparing rabbits to horses saying that this was how he treated his horses). Of course I have my doubts about his suggestions because everyone knows that rabbit diets have to be adjusted very carefully/gradually and NOT cold turkey. I am not sure if I should cut down her pellets/veggies since she is older and I don't want her to lose weight. Other than those suggestions above, the vet said she is generally healthy and when he was manipulating her feet & stretching them out, said she doesn't have arthritis.
Her getting a dirty bum isn't really affecting her quality of life as she is still very active and eating a lot of hay. Lots of exercise and she is generally very happy and gets a lot of petting sessions. Only thing is I have to clean the carpets very frequently because she smears her stains in the apt and also it is an inconvenience to give her butt baths now more frequently than ever (but she is getting very used to it and doesn't struggle much).
Does anyone have any good suggestions on what to do or is this 'inconvenience' just something that comes with older buns? Should I do what the vet says and cut out all pellets/veggies? Is this a case of arthritis and she needs to be on metacam for life?
Thanks in advance! I'll post some pictures to show you guys what I'm talking about.
