New adoptee runny poo - advice please

Hi, I've just adopted another pair of rabbits and one has done a runny caecotrope/poo. He had a bit of runny poo on his bottom and there are normal 'poo pellets' in his toilet, but also a squishy runny one held by the grate.

These bunnies have been on a diet of (mainly) rabbit muesli. They did have a little hay in their hutch, but the major part of their diet may have been the muesli, carrots and apples. The owner said she only didn't let them have cabbage, so I thought they'd had other veges. I know not to suddenly change their diet, but I gave them hay, their muesli (at tea-time), a little bit of apple and some kale (which I thought would be ok if they were already having veges, maybe not....).

Here's the thing, I've searched the forum for info and the advice has been to increase hay and reduce pellets/other food, but what if they haven't been having much hay? Can hay cause gastric upset if they haven't been having it?

Advice, please? I won't give him any veges until I'm sure he's ok (and then do it more gradually) but should I take out the hay and introduce more of it over time?

He seems quite well, no other signs of illness. When would he need to go to the vet? Stopping eating altogether, instead of runny poo/caecotrope, explosive diarrhoea... anything else to look out for?

How about stress? Obviously moving house causes stress and my dog is being a bit of a pest wanting to investigate. They've got their own floor in their hutch, but they are friendly. Would he be better off in with his "sister" or would that stress them out more? (her poo is fine, but she's bigger than him so maybe the "new" food hasn't had as much of an impact on her?)

Thanks for any help and guidance.

If it is profuse watery diarrhea, that is an emergency and you need to get to the vet!

If it is just a bit of mushy poop, along with the round fecal poop being normal, it could just be due to the veggies and fruit. If they aren't used to hay and don't eat much of it, you certainly do not want to reduce the pellets as they need to have food. You only reduce pellets and feed more hay if they are used to eating hay and will for sure eat plenty of it to make up for the reduced pellets. Otherwise you usually need to continue with their normal pellets, unless the pellets are causing serious digestive problems.

Good quality grass hays usually won't cause any digestive issues though, even when suddenly introduced into the diet. In a few cases, some rabbits may be sensitive to a particular hay. Rich hays like alfalfa and early growth grass hays, can sometimes cause digestive upset, especially when introduced too quickly into the diet. Grain hays with seed heads can sometimes cause mushy poop and digestive issues because of the excess carbs from the grain seeds.

If it was the fruit/veg that caused the mushy poop, then cutting that out may solve the problem. Then over the next few weeks you can gradually change them onto a healthier pellet(after giving them a week or so to adjust to a new home) and get them used to eating hay. Once they are on a healthy diet and have normal poop, then you can gradually start trying to add veggies into their diet.

This is just based on my own observations and experience of things that can cause this to occur, but I can only make a guess as to what may be going on with your bun. The best thing if you have a medical concern, is to always consult with a good rabbit vet. If you aren't sure of the severity, have any doubts, the fecal poop is also getting mushy, there is blood or mucous in the poop, there is watery diarrhea, rabbit stops
eating or isn't eating well, starts losing weight, becomes lethargic or subdued, the stomach is bloated, and/or your rabbit's condition worsens, you need to get to the vet immediately!

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm

You don't say how old they are. If they are babies and under 10 weeks old, I would keep them together for a week or two longer, to help them with the adjustment of a new home and reduce stress for them, unless they don't seem to get along, then you would want to keep them separate. Though it may help for them to be able to at least see each other. If your dog seems to upset or scare them, then make sure to keep him away from them too.

Thanks so much for the info. That's helpful. No, it's not profuse or watery, just a runnier-than-it-should-be poo.

He seems fine, he is eating and drinking (probably normally, I don't know him yet!) and there is no more squishy poos in his toilet. My hay is oaten, I don't know what they had at their last place. He's eating the hay as well as the muesli.

They aren't babies, they are both adult and the dog doesn't seem to be upsetting them that much - it's me she's upsetting by not leaving them be. I've just got home from buying some barriers so the dog can't go right up to their house to annoy them.

The other one seems totally fine, she's eating all her stuff, my hay, the bit of kale I gave her. It's just this one with the one squishy poo that got me worried. He doesn't seem "off", so hopefully it was just the bit of unfamiliar food. I'll keep watching him and cart him to the vet if any of the further signs you mention were to develop.

Thanks.