Excessive Cecotroph Production

[bunbunbinkie]

I recently aquired a young bun, he's probably about 10 weeks now. He was purchased at a pet store... I know, I know... BAD! but I didn't buy him...anywho I didn't know the type of pellets he was getting so I went ahead and started him on Oxbow alfalfa pellets. I give him all he wants, and an unlimited supply of timothy hay and a handful of alfalfa hay per day. He eats, drinks, poops, pees and is happy and active.



The only thing that concerns me is that I believe he is over producing cecotroph stools. This started about a week ago, and I haven't changed his diet any. I see him eat some of them ( I know the're suposed to do that) but the majority of them end up on the floor of his house. He produces regular ones as well, but the cecotrophs are starting to out number the regular stools.

Is ther something I am doing wrong in terms of his diet? What could be causing this? I have read a few things, mainly about there being too much carbs in a bunnies diet. It does seem to happen after he eats the pelleted food.

I was told he was in a cage with a bunch of lop eared buns, but his ears are erect completely. He is black and white... with a butterfly "smut" on his face. I'm not quite sure of his breeding.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!



Thanks~

Kayleigh and Merlin:brownbunny

 

[Becca]

I am so soryr I actually cannot help you becuased i dont know what excessove cecotroph production means if u tell me i mkight no

 

[bunbunbinkie]

Hi!

Cecotrophs are the little soft stools bunnies produce in their cecum and they eat them, typically right from their anus. They contain good bacteria and nutrients/vitamins the bun couldn't absorb the "first time around".

You usually don't see them in the cage/litterbox at all, but Merlin is making ALOT of them, which is abnormal.

 

[Becca]

OOOHHHHH

Thanks but i still don't really know what to say - I am trying to keep this on view for you thats whyn i keep posting then hopefully more pople will see it!!
xxx
Hope someone who knows comes along soon !!

 

[bunbunbinkie]

Thanks!!!:thanks:

Your bunnies are cute! :bunnyheart

 

[tonyshuman]

Depending on his age, you may be giving him too many pellets. Baby buns get free-fed alfalfa pellets until about 5months, then their pellets are limited until about 9 months, after which you feed timothy pellets like an adult rabbit. I'm not so sure on the exact amounts and ages for baby buns since I've only had adult rabbits. Another possible problem is digestive upset. You should probably go to the vet and make sure your bunny doesn't have some intestinal bug. Here's a link to the library article on poop.
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12076&forum_id=17

 

[BlueGiants]

How long have you have him and how long has he been on the new food? How big is he now?

I'd cut back on the pellets. Don't "free feed" him. Figure out how much pellets he eats a day, and give him slightly less. They may be a little rich for his digestive system if he isn't used to it. Especially if he's getting alfalfa hay also. I'd cut out the alfalafa hay completely. He doesn't need it.

Also, would mind not posting in that color. It is difficult for me to read (especially cause I'm getting SO old... well, at least that's what my kids tell me.)

 

[Evey]

That happened to my bunny, Donnie, when he was a baby. I even took him to the vet, but we just waited it out, to be honest. To me, it seems like this happens when there is a change of diet...it sounds like you're feeding him the right stuff so don't worry

-Kathy

 

[JimD]

BlueGiants wrote:

I'd cut out the alfalafa hay completely. He doesn't need it.

I agree. I'd start giving him timothy hay instead.

Ialso argee with giving him limited pellets for now.






BlueGiants wrote:

Also, would mind not posting in that color. It is difficult for me to read (especially cause I'm getting SO old... well, at least that's what my kids tell me.)

me too!

I hope you don't mind if I darkened it up a bit. (i'm getting a bit hard on seeing,too :biggrin2: )

 

[bunbunbinkie]

Sorry... it was difficult to read!!!

Thanks for the advice, I think you all are right, the alfalfais too much. Which is fine with me, cause I'm horribly allergic to alfalfa!!!



Thanks Again !!!

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

Excessive cecals are generally the result of an overly rich diet....too many proteins/carbs and insufficient fiber. Rabbits that are obese or have mobility issues can also leave uneaten cecals. At ten weeks, the gut has transitioned and is for all intents and purposes an "adult gut" with all the bells and whistles. An adult rabbit's diet should consist of primarily grass hays with limited pellets and greens...and very few, if any, "treats". Producing and/or not eating the appopropriate amount of cecals has far reaching consequences. All of our large population of domestics get unlimited hays of different types and very limited pellets (and in some cases, hay only). Our largest rabbits (25-30 pounds) get between 1/8 and 1/4 cup pellets per day. We use pellets only to maintain body weight. We rarely have any GI issues at all. The debate on alfalfa vs. timothy pellets really is irrelevent if a rabbit is fed properly since the amount of pellets are so small. Alfalfa does contain higher amount of calories and calcium....which some rabbits can be quite sensitive to. Low protein, high fiber is a proper diet for your rabbit.

Randy

 

[bunbunbinkie]

I removed the alfalfa hay from his house, and I haven't seen any cecals since yesterday afternoon. Should I continue to feed the Oxbow pellets that are based from alfalfa (this was recommended for young or active buns) or should I switch to the oxbow based from timothy hay?

The Oxbow pellets were the only ones with the correct fiber content, others I had look at were around 18%. Oxbow has 25%.He gets about 1/3 a cup a day.I would like to drastically limit the amount of pellets he gets when he is fully grown... is this an okay idea, or should I be skimping on the pelleted feed right now as well?



Come to think of it, Merlin wasn't having the excessive cecal production when I was feeding him the timothy hay (and no alfalfa) when I first got him. I kept reading how alfalfa is good for young buns because it was higher in nutrients, so I went and got some alfalfa.



:brownbunny

 

[ra7751]

Well....the fiber found in the pellets is not exactly the same as the high provided by loose hay. Grass hays are high if fiber and that is what a hind gut fermenter needs. The alfalfa pellet vs timothy pellet debate has no real meaning since the pellets offered should be such a small part of the diet. I would gradually (over a period of several days) reduce the amount of pellets while offering free choice grass hay...timothy, orchard grass, brome, oat, etc. These hays are generally low in protein and high in fiber (assuming high quality hay)....exactly what a rabbit needs. The high fiber content of grass hays maintains a healthy environment in the digestive system and is the key player in GI transit time. Hay is also the primary way the teeth are worn down.....it's not how hard something is, it's how chewy it is that wears the teeth. Different cuts of hay also require different chewing mechanics which works the teeth in different ways. Each type and even each cut (and in reality each different field of hay) is slightly different in texture and taste. We mix our many typs of hays into a buffet to encourage a more natural foraging type behavior.

To give you an idea on our pellet rations (and we don't feed a lot of pellets)... our smaller buns....less than 4 pounds...generally get less than 1/8 cup pellets per day along with free choice hay. It might help to use a probiotic to help stabilize the pH in the gut....I prefer Bene Bac powder (also comes in a paste) as it contains a couple of bacteria strains that are very kind to a rabbit. High fiber (loose hay type fiber) and low protein (limited pellets).

Randy