Mums poops are still small

[sweet_buns]

Is it normal for her poops to be different after giving birth? It's been 5 days now and her poops are still small. Also not as much as she normally does. She eats as she does normally and drinks too. Poops are just smaller and fewer. I'd say half their normal size. Colour is not much different, a medium brown. Her diet is the same, oaten hay (i read that lucern/alfalfa is good to give them after they've had babies so will pick some up on the weekend unless anyone advises against it?) and i keep her pellet bowl full as well as give her some spinach, celery leaves and coriander. I have given her a small slice of apple and a few shavings of carrot as well, i put half a wheetbix in with her pellets too as a treat cause she loves it.

 

[JBun]

This is kind of a tricky situation, because normally with small poops I would advise to reduce pellets and increase grass hay, to get the gut flora back in balance. The problem is that there is a gut slowdown, causing the small poops. The problem with that is that it can develop into a blockage. But because she is a new mom and needs the added protein and calcium from increased pellets, I'm not sure how to go about this. For sure stop ALL treats. That means nothing sugary like fruit and carrots, and also no carbs like the wheatbix. Her leafy greens are ok, in fact they are good for them to be eating with this kind of problem. You may also want to decrease the pellet amount just slightlly for a few days, til the poops are normal again, then gradually increase back to normal. If the oat hay has seed heads in it, then that can also be contributing to the problem as well, because of the carbs in the oats. You could switch over to alfalfa, but alfalfa usually has to be gradually introduced into the diet, or it can cause digestive upset. As long as the pellets are alfalfa based, then she should be getting plenty protein and calcium from the unlimited pellets. It would be much easier to switch her over to a grass hay like meadow hay, as it doesn't have to be gradually introduced, you can just immediately switch over, but you do need to make sure that she is eating the new hay, and a good amount of it, as that is what will help get the gut moving normal again, and get the poops back to normal. You can gradually add in a little alfalfa as well, just do it slowly.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

 

[sweet_buns]

Thanks JBun. This is the pellet i give her (http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/barastoc_rabbit_and_guinea_pig_pellet#.UWy9WrVvDK0), is it ok? I've been recommended this pellet by a few breeders here in Australia so it's what I've always fed them. I will switch to meadow this weekend as i can't get to the feed store before then. I give them lucerne cubes now and then (haven't for a few months) and have given them some lucerne hay now and then in the past. I used to buy a small bag of lucerne and use it as a treat because they gobbled it all up like it was the most delicious thing they've ever tasted lol. Ok, no more treats, shes on strict diet mode from now on! Looks like i caught it in time so it hopefully wont get worse do you think? She's not showing any other worrying signs other than the poo.

 

[majorv]

The feed you're using already has 18% protein, which should be fine for a lactating doe. If you're going to cut back on the pellets though, you'll need to offset it with some lucerne because she's expending a good amount of energy nursing. The manufacturer's website recommends feeding "350 grams per animal per day, or feed to appetite from kindling". How much would you say she's eating per day?

 

[sweet_buns]

The feed you're using already has 18% protein, which should be fine for a lactating doe. If you're going to cut back on the pellets though, you'll need to offset it with some lucerne because she's expending a good amount of energy nursing. The manufacturer's website recommends feeding "350 grams per animal per day, or feed to appetite from kindling". How much would you say she's eating per day?

I give her about a standard measuring cup of pellets per day and she usually eats about 3/4 of it.