Poopy Butt

[introoder]

So, I brought home two new rabbits from the show yesterday. Very exciting!

One doe, though, was very matted on her butt, with lots of poop and pee, and VERY bad urine stains. I didn't know this until I inspected her more closely, when we got home. I watched her poop, and it's not hard, very soft and squishy. Completely dark brown, darker than I've ever seen it, and doesn't hold a circular shape.

Can anyone help me treat this? I've never had a run in with stool that wasn't correctly, well, done. I've been very lucky as to that. (Guess I need to start learning. Babies on the way! =D)

She's apart from my rabbits, though still in the same room. It's not viral, I know that. I'm thinking that might be classified as diarrhea? But I've never seen it before, so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks!

 

[bengal77]

It sounds like diarrhea. I'm not an expert but from my reading I think the best thing to do is cut out fruits cut down on veggies and increase hay and pellets and water intake. Is she dehydrated? If you pinch the skin does it stay raised or does it snap back? If she has had diarrhea for a while then she will need a lot of fluids. Pedialyte is great for re hydrating animals.

I think that canned pumpkin (unseasoned) can also help firm up loose stools but I don't know if it will work for rabbits like it does for hedgehogs. Just another idea.

 

[tamsin]

Yes, increase the hay intake and hold off on any veggies. You need to feed the same brand of dry food as she was previously eating and gradually switch to whatever you use.

It's most likely a diet related issue but is a sign of bad husbandry and could be a side effect of a whole range of conditions. There is no way to 'know it's not viral' by looking at a rabbit.

I'd recommend any new rabbit be quarantined particularly if they are showing signs of illness or previous bad husbandry. That increases the odds that they could be carrying other illnesses that aren't necessarily showing symptoms yet. It's a hassle but a lot less so than infecting all your other bunnies.

 

[Maureen Las]

If you can get some benebac (probiotic) and give a dose this could help ; you could also use a probiotic called Probios which is sold for horses at farm stores; it comes in a large tube

She probably should be seen by a vet who may suggest deworming her... and also may check her poop for coccidia

symptoms like these could be from multiple sources.

I would not give pumpkin for firming up stools butI would just feed hayand water for now.
syrininging a baby electrolyte drink ( like pedialyte or a generic )is fine if she seems dehydrated

Iwould keep her isolated for now.

 

[Maureen Las]

I am moving thisthread to the infirmary

 

[tonyshuman]

I agree, when diarrhea is suspected you want to eliminate any sources of sugar/carbs in the diet. The bacteria that can be a cause of diarrhea thrive on simple sugars/carbs. A hay, water, pedialyte (unflavored is best=less sugar), and pellets diet is best for now.

How old is the doe? A younger bunny (under 6mo) can have very bad reactions to diarrhea and go downhill quickly. For them, it's good to get some metronidazole (flagyl) to kill bad bacteria and have anti-imflammatory properties in the gut. This is prescribed by a vet. An older bunny will usually be ok without vet care, as long as it doesn't get worse.

Do you have your bunnies on a regular de-worming schedule? It may be a good idea as this may be coccida. Also, it's usually recommended to keep new bunnies in quarrantine for 2 weeks before putting them with the rest of your herd. Depending on how big your operation is, this may be difficult. I know people with larger bunny barns have designated quarrantine areas, but if you're just running out of your home, it may be more difficult.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

introoder wrote:

So, I brought home two new rabbits from the show yesterday. Very exciting!

One doe, though, was very matted on her butt, with lots of poop and pee, and VERY bad urine stains. I didn't know this until I inspected her more closely, when we got home. I watched her poop, and it's not hard, very soft and squishy. Completely dark brown, darker than I've ever seen it, and doesn't hold a circular shape.

Can anyone help me treat this? I've never had a run in with stool that wasn't correctly, well, done. I've been very lucky as to that. (Guess I need to start learning. Babies on the way! =D)

She's apart from my rabbits, though still in the same room. It's not viral, I know that. I'm thinking that might be classified as diarrhea? But I've never seen it before, so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks!

find a dvm lagamorph specialist,,schedule an exam (new rabbit),mouth inspec/teeth/-eyes,ears,/fleas/mites,etc...have test done on the poops--may only be a bad diet-to-gi tract problem...offer timothy/orchard grass(hay),-and water in a bowl,,some pellets/quality,,lowfat....you might even google/ mysterys of rabbit poop/-very informative,...sincerely james waller:wave:

 

[introoder]

I gave her a tube of pro-biotics that came with rabbit milk replacer. Her poop as firmed up a lot, but they're still very small. I'll keep watching her. The nearest vet that's recommended to me is around an hour away.