Lots of fur in poop

[whitelop]

So today I was mini broom sweeping out Foo's cage and I found a really wet strange poop that was full of fur.
She is in a molt right now and I've been trying to keep on top of it but, life holds me back from really getting her fur out.

Should I get a papaya for her to eat to help break up the fur? Or should I get the papaya tablet?
Which would be better, or is there something else that would be better.

Thanks!

 

[Blue eyes]

If you have papaya tabs, I'd give her some. I don't know about fresh stuff so I'll defer to someone else. It won't hurt to give her a couple tabs. Also, try to encourage lots of hay eating by refreshing it often.

 

[Ellie]

I'm not too sure if this is fact, but when Buster was going through a really heavy molt and I broke open some poops (sounds so gross when you say it...) there were some hairs in there. For about 2 days I cut down a LITTLE bit on his veggies and pellets just so he'd eat more hay in the day to get things moving more... it seemed to work because he barely had any after that. I also put a TINY bit of pineapple juice in his water so he'd drink more. (Though I think this is a debated 'myth').

My new favourite things are lint rollers! I brush Buster but it never really gets everything out, then I go over him with a lint roller and it seems to get all the rest.

Good luck!

 

[whitelop]

Thanks. I might cut her back just a little on pellets and salads. She's been really good about eating hay lately, but im sure she could eat more. I think I'll go get some papaya tabs tomorrow and give her one.
I'll also lint roll her really well. She has a problem with collecting a lot of loose fur on her tummy, how do i get all that out?

 

[cwolfec]

Papaya tablets are great....IF your bun likes them. Mine won't come near them! I have substituted fresh pineapple. I think that really makes a difference.

Also, I wouldn't cut down on salads, just pellets. Make sure you serve the lettuce wet so she gets extra water. Hydration is definitely key! My poor lionhead gets those "string of pearls" all the time when like 3 or 4 pellets are all strung together. As long as they are coming out, that's what counts!

I brush mine with the Furminator (though a lint roller works too ) twice a day.

 

[Imbrium]

whitelop wrote:

Should I get a papaya for her to eat to help break up the fur? Or should I get the papaya tablet?
Which would be better, or is there something else that would be better.

Thanks!

the fresh stuff would have the enzymes in it as well but since they're not supposed to eat much fruit, she wouldn't end up getting that much of the enzymes. the tablet, on the other hand, is concentrated - more enzymes without more sugar.

a little dollop of canned pumpkin might help also (and is a very tasty treat for them) - it's high in fiber/keeps things moving.

 

[whitelop]

Awesome! Thank you guys so much. She isn't picky AT ALL, she was first and asks questions later. Would it be alright if i mixed up the papaya tab, fresh pineapple and pumpkin? Like every other day one or the other? Or just stick to one?

I usually give her the greens wet nd she drinks a good amount of water, she's just a pellet monster!

 

[Blue eyes]

I give more than 1 tab if they are showing signs of fur in poo or stings of poo. I'll give 2,3 or 4 in a day. They lOVE them. They think they're getting a super special treat so it isn't necessary to mix them with anything.

I've never tried giving pumpkin, but I plan to pick some up to have on hand.

 

[LakeCondo]

A good source of dried papaya spears that aren't sulfated is at vitacost.com. I just break off a bit for Honey when she's fluffy, in case I miss some when I remove as much as I can.

It certainly a fact that fresh pineapple dissolves hair. If you look at gelatin boxes, you should see that you cannot get it to set if fresh pineapple is used. This is the same chemical property. Canned pineapple [including juice] no longer has the active enzyme, but you can get it in bromelane tablets. preferably chewable.

 

[Imbrium]

whitelop wrote:

Awesome! Thank you guys so much. She isn't picky AT ALL, she was first and asks questions later. Would it be alright if i mixed up the papaya tab, fresh pineapple and pumpkin? Like every other day one or the other? Or just stick to one?

I usually give her the greens wet nd she drinks a good amount of water, she's just a pellet monster!

you can use all three, though there's really no need to mix 'em together as they love all three

 

[whitelop]

I couldn't find the papaya tablets, so I got the papaya pieces. I hope those are okay, they're the petsmart brand.
I only gave her two because I was unsure about how many to give her. I also got her a small bag of oxbow orchard grass for her to munch on.

I've read a lot of mixed things about putting a little pineapple juice in the water. Is that okay to do? I don't have any pineapple juice, and I read some mixed things about apple juice. There was something that said that apple juice has something in it that is bad for buns. I assume that its the natural cyanide in the juice, but I could be wrong.
But I have Motts Tots apple juice, with 40% less sugar, if its okay to put in the water, can I put that in?

I know that stuff in the water isn't necessary, I'm more so asking for future reference.

 

[Imbrium]

the apple juice wouldn't help with GI issues - it's the enzymes in the pineapple that help. only concern I know of with spiking water is that you also need to have unspiked water available.

 

[whitelop]

Right now I don't have any spiked water and I probably won't get any pineapple juice to put in. She drinks a lot of water already, so I'm not worried about her hydration. I was just wondering, but thank you for answering me!

Also as far as I saw in her poop today, no fur! I'm glad I know how to avoid and fight furry poops for future reference.
Thanks guys!

 

[Imbrium]

glad she's doing better!

if you're looking for a quick and easy way to cut down on the loose hair, try dampening your hands and running them over her, then rub your hands together to roll the hair off and do it again