Abnormally large poop

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

I was hoping I'd never have to post here. This afternoon I found a very large poop in the litter pan, more than double the regular size! It's not a cecotrope. It has the same consistency as her regular poops. There was a string of fur on one end of it but when I pulled it apart there didn't look to be much fur inside the poop itself. It was somewhat elongated in shape, not the usual round shape. She's eating timothy hay, romaine lettuce, baby arugula and cilantro mainly, with some parsley. I've been brushing and plucking her daily. She's acting normally and running around. She's drinking water normally. I'm worried and not sure what I need to improve on here. Suggestions?

 

[JBun]

I have a few questions? Does she usually have normal looking poop? Is she molting right now, or is there any evidence of fur chewing? Do you feed pellets and/or treats? If so, how much, what kind, and how much does Sophie weigh? Does she have a water dish or bottle?

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/drop/Drp_en.htm

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Yes her poops have all generally looked the same. She drinks out of a bowl. She eats oxbow adult basic T, 1/8 cup per day. She gets about 2-2.5 cups of veggies per day. An occasional treat is carrot or dried currants. She doesn't get treats daily. I gave her one dried currant today. She weighs 4.5 pounds. It's spring so I think she's shedding but I've never had a rabbit before so I don't know what's normal for shedding. The poop looked like the same colour and consistency as the others, it was just way bigger and slightly longer, and had the string of fur on it.

Edit to add: she has sea grass and coconut fibre mats in her condo. She eats the sea grass.

 

[JBun]

You can tell a rabbit is molting if when you pet her, fur comes off on your hand or floor. If there is fur chewing, you will find spots on the body or legs, where it looks like the fur is shorter or even chewed down to the skin. It's important to know which is happening, because the action taken is different for each one. For molting problems, more fiber in the diet is helpful if the molt is causing poop issues. You really aren't feeding a lot of pellets, but she's apparently still not getting enough fiber, for the molt to not cause problems, so you will want to increase her hay consumption. To do that you will need to decrease pellet amounts a little, temporarily. You may also want to hold off on sugary treats for now, as they can slow down the GI system. Some people give their rabbits papaya tablets to help with molting problems. It's debatable if they really help, and I've never used them for my rabbits, but it is an option as well.

If your rabbit isn't shedding and you think there is fur chewing, then that is often caused by nutritional deficiencies, and is usually remedied by increasing/decreasing pellets, depending on the what the suspected deficiency is.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Her fur doesn't look patchy, and when I pet her there isn't much fur. To get fur out of her I actually have to pluck it out, it doesn't come off easily. But I am also grooming her every day so that would cut down on the amount falling out. I will hold off on the treats. Can too many greens cause GI stasis? She's been eating romaine and arugula this week with some cilantro and a bit of parsley. Her fur looks even in length.

 

[JBun]

No, greens are good for gut motility and help prevent stasis problems, unless a particular green/veggie is causing gas problems, then that can cause a gut slowdown. It's good that you are grooming daily, but if you are having to pluck loose fur out, then she is shedding. Hay and veggies are going to be the best thing to help with the gut motility and prevent a blockage from occurring.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Ok thank you for your help. I also called her vet and they said I can bring her in tomorrow morning if she hasn't pooped or if there are more large poops.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Update: Sophie just pooped and though 2 of them are strung together with hair, all the others are normally sized. Phew! I feel a bit relieved but I hope it doesn't happen again!

 

[tonyshuman]

With a lionhead, you will probably have to keep an eye out for this in the future. Those long hairs can be a problem during shedding. I would give pumpkin puree daily during heavy sheds to add some wet fiber to the diet.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:and I triple up on the Cilantro.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Brushing her is mostly not a problem, I brush and pluck her daily. She loves her mane being brushed but isn't a fan of the tail end areas lol. I'm glad she has short fur on her body, I can't imagine having a full lion head and having to deal with all that fur! Does cilantro help the digestive system? How much pumpkin purée? She is 4.5 pounds. Would I introduce it slowly?

 

[tonyshuman]

I think the cilantro is a good source of water in the diet, and some bunnies love it. It can give a few bunnies poopy butt, though. For pumpkin puree, a tablespoon a day is good. You might start with half that. I give it as a treat as it can be a bit sweet. Not all bunnies like it, though, and I have heard of diva bunnies that will only eat it if it is warmed up first.