Soft stools in winter

[ibala7]

My 8-year-old neutered buck, Scout, has had an unusual increase in the amount of caecotropes produced after I moved him indoors for the winter. April through November, he is outdoors on grass but does not eat much of it at all. In November I move his hutch and run indoors on a hard floor. He gets the same diet of pellets, veg and hay. The first few winters all was normal, but for the past two he has produced many more caecotropes throughout the day and night. I don't know how many he may be eating. He does produce normal stools, too.

Has anyone experienced this or have advice? Is it something to be concerned about? Otherwise he is healthy and acts perfectly normal.

 

[Imbrium]

How much pellets does he get a day? How much hay is he eating (A good rule of thumb is the volume of his own body in hay each day)? If it only happens in winter and this isn't the first winter, that suggests that we can rule out something like arthritis making it difficult for him to eat them normally.

The number one cause of abandoned cecals in adults is an overly-rich diet (ie too many pellets). It's possible that as he ages, his metabolism has slowed a bit. Combined with the shift to being indoors, he may simply not need as much extra nutrition from pellets during the winter month - outdoor rabbits tend to have somewhat higher calorie needs than indoor rabbits. I would gradually cut back on his pellets and watch for a decrease in excess cecal poops. If you don't see an improvement after scaling back the pellets, it's probably time for a vet visit to rule out an underlying medical cause.

 

[ibala7]

Thanks for your response. I'll try reducing pellets.