8 week old holland lop // Mucus with soft stool

[annonymoususer]

Just a week ago we took home an 8 week old holland lop. She's very reclusive and remains in the hideout we put for her in her pen practically all the time except to come out and eat for a bit or if we try to play with her and get her to socialize. The breeder we bought her from told us not to feed her any veggies for another month. Having had more that 20 rabbits before and feeding the kittens veggies from a really young age (way before 3 to 4 months) without them facing any health issues, we gave our new 8 week holland lop some lettuce, carrots and parsley for 2 days before she began to produce soft (larger than normal) stool covered in clear mucus. Her stomach fluctuates between bloated and normal and she's still producing soft stool and at times just mucus (not accompanied with stool).
So, we've completely taken out the veggies and have her on the pellets the breeder gave us and timothy hay. I heard it's advised to take the pellets away when this happens so I'll be doing that.

I guess my questions really are:
. Should we worry that (after a week of being with us) she's very reclusive and anti social?
. Will her condition better as time goes by seeing as we've stopped giving her the veggies?
. (it's been 3 days since her stool has changed this way) How long before we should take her to see a vet?

 

[JBun]

You need to get your rabbit to an experienced rabbit vet immediately if she isn't eating well, if she is still bloating, and/or if she is still producing mucous/gel in her stool . You rabbit has mucoid enteritis or mucoid enteropathy, both are critical diseases and can be fatal. If she is continuing to eat well and is very good at eating her hay, I would either completely remove pellets or drastically reduce the amount. But it's very important to keep a close eye on her to ensure plenty of hay is being consumed and also monitor for weight loss. If she isn't eating or drinking well, she will have to be syringe fed a recovery food mix that you can get from your vet.
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Mucoid_EnteropathyRabbits.htm

If the mucous/gel has cleared up, she is no longer bloated, and she is eating, drinking, and pooping normally, then I would just keep an eye on her. I would maybe reduce pellets a little so she eats more hay as good quality grass hay(no mold, no noxious weeds) helps correct digestive problems.

I would not try introducing veggies again until she is at least 12 weeks, though with this happening I would probably wait longer. When you do introduce veggies it needs to be done gradually and only one at a time. The microflora in rabbits digestive tracts needs time to adapt to new foods or you can have problems, sometimes very serious ones like you've experienced. So you start with one veggie so if there is a problem you know which one is causing it and to stop feeding it. You introduce the one veggie in a small amount to give the rabbits digestive microflora time to adapt, and gradually increase the amount over a week or so if there are no signs of digestive upset.

She likely wasn't handled a lot or is a nervous rabbit. So if she recovers from her illness, you will need to carefully work with her so that she learns to feel safe and comfortable in your home. A nervous rabbit can develop serious digestive problems due to the stress, particularly new baby rabbits in a new home. For now I would keep her in a very quite part of your home, partially cover her cage with a blanket or sheet(ensure good air flow) to help her feel like she has a more confined and safe environment(rabbits like small dark areas when they are nervous). If handling her or having her out of her cage makes her more nervous(increased respiratory rate, increased nose movement, eyes wide open or may be closed, trembling), I would refrain from doing it for now, until she's had some time to recover and settle into her new home. Also take a look at this link on tips for bonding with your rabbit.
https://flashsplace.webs.com/bondingwithyourbunny.htm

 

[annonymoususer]

You need to get your rabbit to an experienced rabbit vet immediately if she isn't eating well, if she is still bloating, and/or if she is still producing mucous/gel in her stool . You rabbit has mucoid enteritis or mucoid enteropathy, both are critical diseases and can be fatal. If she is continuing to eat well and is very good at eating her hay, I would either completely remove pellets or drastically reduce the amount. But it's very important to keep a close eye on her to ensure plenty of hay is being consumed and also monitor for weight loss. If she isn't eating or drinking well, she will have to be syringe fed a recovery food mix that you can get from your vet.
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Mucoid_EnteropathyRabbits.htm

If the mucous/gel has cleared up, she is no longer bloated, and she is eating, drinking, and pooping normally, then I would just keep an eye on her. I would maybe reduce pellets a little so she eats more hay as good quality grass hay(no mold, no noxious weeds) helps correct digestive problems.

I would not try introducing veggies again until she is at least 12 weeks, though with this happening I would probably wait longer. When you do introduce veggies it needs to be done gradually and only one at a time. The microflora in rabbits digestive tracts needs time to adapt to new foods or you can have problems, sometimes very serious ones like you've experienced. So you start with one veggie so if there is a problem you know which one is causing it and to stop feeding it. You introduce the one veggie in a small amount to give the rabbits digestive microflora time to adapt, and gradually increase the amount over a week or so if there are no signs of digestive upset.

She likely wasn't handled a lot or is a nervous rabbit. So if she recovers from her illness, you will need to carefully work with her so that she learns to feel safe and comfortable in your home. A nervous rabbit can develop serious digestive problems due to the stress, particularly new baby rabbits in a new home. For now I would keep her in a very quite part of your home, partially cover her cage with a blanket or sheet(ensure good air flow) to help her feel like she has a more confined and safe environment(rabbits like small dark areas when they are nervous). If handling her or having her out of her cage makes her more nervous(increased respiratory rate, increased nose movement, eyes wide open or may be closed, trembling), I would refrain from doing it for now, until she's had some time to recover and settle into her new home. Also take a look at this link on tips for bonding with your rabbit.
https://flashsplace.webs.com/bondingwithyourbunny.htm

Thank you very much for your thorough and informative response!
I took her pellets away and she’s drinking a lot of water and eating good amounts of her hay. I’ll be sure to take her to the vet and get this sorted out.
Thanks again.