Mucus and soft stool. Should I be worried?

[aurora]

Hi, so my baby Aurora is about 8 weeks old. Last Friday she started having really soft sticky stool. It was the first time I went to pick up a dropping from the floor and it left a residue. Sat I noticed there was a lot more. Sunday I went to take her out and clean her cage and that's when I noticed it was very different.

She had sat in it and it was all over her bottom. I cleaned her up but in cleaning the cage saw there was mucus in some of her stool. I've been checking her stool every day and it's still not normal (darker, soft, leaves residue where it touches) although it looks fine inside. She's also having mucus in parts too. I had to wipe her bottom because some was stuck today.

I had a friend tell me her sons rabbit died after mucus stool so I am worried. I don't have money to take her to the vet if it can be avoided but I will do whatever I need to keep her health.


Other that that she is perfectly normal and active. I finally got her eating pellets about a week ago when I got some of the store brand from where I got her (she wouldn't touch other pellets for a week) it is a high fiber alfalfa based pellet and she is free fed but eats just over a 1/4 C on average. She also eats Timothy hay and drinks about 6oz of water a day only (though she has unlimited access) and that's gone up a lot since day 1 and keeps increasing daily. She hasn't changed behaviors (except hid from me for a day after the poopy butt cleaning).

A friend adopted one of her brothers and hasn't had any of these issues which makes me more worried. Any advice or knowledge is appreciated.

TIA!

 

[napagirl]

She needs to see a rabbit savy vet. There are many things that could be going on... diet, infection. Do you give her any fruit or wheat based treats? If so, cut back on those. If the only thing she eats is the alfalfa pellets and hay, I would back off a bit on the pellets, and make sure she has unlimited access to high quality hay. If not improved, she will need a vet.

 

[aurora]

Ya I don't give her anything else yet because I was told not until she's 3 1/2 months. The only other thing she could ingest is the willow sticks and the grass her hut is made from. She chews on both.

 

[JBun]

Mucous in the stool is usually an indication of a very serious digestive issue. It could be due to the protozoal parasite coccidia, or possibly a pathogenic bacteria like e. coli. Both can prove fatal if not treated promptly and appropriately. Your bun needs to be seen by a vet right away, and it would be good to take a fresh fecal sample so it can be tested.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm

It is also good to cut out pellets and any other sugary starchy foods from the diet temporarily until your bun gets on the right meds, as sugars and starches will promote further imbalance in a rabbits digestive system, complicating and worsening matters. Best thing at this point is feeding the timothy hay only and water. You do need to ensure your bun is eating the hay well though, and drinking well. Because your bun is still eating well, hopefully this means you will have caught it early before anything has progressed too far.

http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

 

[Aki]

Go see a vet as soon as possible. Soft stools are one thing (and giving mostly hay can help), but mucous is another thing completely. It is really serious, your rabbit will probably need antibiotics.
Moreover, you say she wouldn't touch pellets for a week, that she's been eating them for a week,and that she's 8 weeks old. That means she was separated from her mother really (too) early. The rabbits you get usually already eat pellets when you get them (and the breeder give you some of those pellets to avoid brutal changes of food, which can cause severe problems in a creature as fragile as a baby bunny).

 

[aurora]

She ate pellets before I adopted her but wouldn't touch the two different brands I bought. When my friend sent me home with a little of the store brand from where I got her she started to eat immediatly and cut back on how much hay she was eating. She's either 8 or 9 weeks old (the shop wasn't sure when I got her at 6 or 7 weeks) her brother is doing great at my friends which is what got me so worried.