Irregular Droppings

[cassnessxox]

I have two buns, Bambi and Cleo. I have noticed recently that some of their droppings are dark and smaller than normal. I am not 100% sure whose droppings are irregular but I am fairly sure it's Cleo as she hasn't had much of an appetite lately. Obviously I know these droppings aren't a good sign, but I am unsure what to do about it.

Both buns are definitely still eating. I have been keeping a close eye when I feed them and Bambi still runs to the bowl with usual gusto. Cleo is much slower on the uptake and isn't even jumping for her favourite banana, but I have seen her eat some greens at least.

They get a cup of pellets in the morning and a large handful of greens at night ranging from chinese veggies, chicory, various lettuces and dutch carrots. They always have hay and water.

How can I get her appetite back? I do have some critical care on hand if things get desperate.

 

[cassnessxox]

I have just separated her from Bambi in a pen downstairs where I can see her. She has a seperate litter tray, some pellets, hay, greens and water, a blankie and a box to hide in.

 

[Azerane]

I was going to suggest you separate them but it seems you've done that which is good, you can then keep an eye on her intake and output better without trying to figure out who ate what etc. It might be worth still keeping them close in their separate cages though, as being bonded they may miss each other.

Is she shedding at the moment? If she's shedding the increased hair that she's licking off may be causing a blockage, try to encourage her to eat as much hay as possible as the high fiber is good Otherwise, if she seems gassy and her tummy is gurgling a lot it may be something in the diet that's causing the upset, perhaps reduce some of the veggies, though you could probably keep some herbs or dark leaf lettuces in the mix. If that's the case, get some simethicone from the chemist, it's infant gas drops and can be safely given to bunnies. Here they sell it under the name of Infacol and it's usually in a yellow box. If I could find the link with the dosage I would give it to you, but I'm not sure where it is, will try to dig it up in case you need it. If she's gassy, it will help bind all the smaller air bubbles together into a bigger one which is easier for them to pass.

 

[cassnessxox]

She doesn't seem to be shedding any more than usual, and I have recently acquired a furminator so I wouldn't expect it to be fur but anything is possible.
I gave her little tummy a rub but she just decided to have a dig in my lap which I'm fairly sure means she is irritated lol the poor love. I will try hunt down some of that gas medication.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[JBun]

I hope your rabbit is feeling better. Usually those smaller than usual dark droppings, indicate a GI slowdown, and the possible onset of GI stasis. If it is diet related, what I will do when I see this with my rabbits, is eliminate all sugary starchy treats(banana, carrot, etc), then I'll either reduce their pellet amount by quite a bit or cut them out completely for a day or two, and feed unlimited grass hay. The added fiber from reduced/eliminated pellets and increased hay consumption, usually helps get my rabbits digestion back to normal. Then I try and make some diet modifications so that it doesn't happen again, or to at least reduce the chances. For rabbits sensitive to this kind of problem, I will eliminate sugary treats permanently, and also after gradually increasing pellet amounts back up, I will often cut back the amount a little so that they aren't getting as much as before. Then continue to feed unlimited grass hay. Usually doing this helps prevent it from happening again. Depending on the combined weights of your two rabbits, a cup of pellets might be too much, and could be preventing them from eating sufficient amounts of hay to help prevent a Gi slowdown, so that is one possible cause for this happening.

You may find these links helpful. They explain about stasis and how it occurs.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=484#.UZ8FPbx7LTo.twitter
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdf

If the gut slowdown isn't due to diet but a health problem, then you will need to take your rabbit to the vet and probably have some tests done to figure out what may be causing it. Other causes could be the aforementioned molting, dental problems, medications, or stress