sick bunny

[kblair]

I have a 2 year old flemish giant who has beenhaving diahhrea. It happens in the morning, her poops are reallysoft, but them by the evening they are strung together (which issupposed to indicate constipation). I have tried everything over thepast couple months, changing food, reduced or eliminating veggies,adding more hay...etc, and nothing has changed. She has never shown anychange in behaviour or other sick symptoms, but i don't think it'shealthy for her to be sick everyday. I read in a book thatI could try taking away pellets for a few days and just feeding hay,but I'm not sure about this, especially since she is such a big bunnythat eats a lot. Any ideas??Thanks in advance

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I can't help with all of this but the 'string ofpearls' may not indicate constipation. Actually, I have never heard ofthat at all. But if the rabbit is shedding, even slightly, it could behair that is stringing the poos together. It's not a bad sign, itindicates that the rabbit is successfully passing ingested hair whichis good.

As for the soft poos, how much pellets are you feeding? I know somerabbits get soft poos when they are not eating enough hay and too manypellets.

Other than that, I'll let those with more experience help you.

 

[Pipp]

Yeah, as MBB noted, more often than not it's thepellets causing the problems, not the veggies. Ifhe's two, he's fully grown, and should be on a low protein, high fiberpellet. I give my problem bunnies a mix of OxbowBunny Basics T and Martin Adult Less Active -- and I only give them asmall handful, although they're small bunnies. Some forumposts have a recommendedpellets-per-pound, maybe somebodywilldig that up for you, although you may do better feedingeven less than that.

You can stop feeding him pellets altogether and just feed him allveggies, but seeing as rabbits can eat their weight in veggies daily,you may have to sell the farmto keep up!

The most important thing is unlimited hay -- anything to get him to eatmore of it. I buy it by the bale (it's way cheap that way)and give it mine in a big hay playbox, I put it in their litter pansand in a food dish.

Let us know how it goes!

sas and the gang of five :bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance: