String of dark pearls - good thing or bad?

[Tweetiepy]

Both my bunnies are lionheads, one now looks like a regular bunny with a bad haircut he's lost most of his mane, the other is a teddy lionhead and all fluff. I've often found strands of pearls in their litter - they eat lots of hay and they're brushed at least twice a week. Is it okay if they make these necklaces? Is it good that they get these out. The have mostly separate poops but I've found strings of about 7 together.

Popcorn also often has egg (or oblong) shaped poops too! I'm hoping that it's good that they're getting those hairs out and they're not staying in. They sure do poop a lot! I can get at least a 1/2 cup of poop a day from each of them.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

That is not poop its cecums. Rabbits digest kinda like a cow but instead of bring up there "cud" threw the throat its passed as a cecum and the bunnies eat them. There full of nutrients and fiber and rabbits must eat them or they will actually starve. Encourage your rabbits to eat these by putting them in the hay or offering them in front of there nose. Hope this helps.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

I just reread your post and I would try papaya or pineapple just to be on the safe side. But it really does sound like uneaten cecels.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Doesn't sound like cecals to me. Cecals are very soft and shaped kinda like a raspberry. They also smell awful.

As for the "necklaces", they happen with longer-haired rabbits or when bunnies are moulting. I don't think you can do much to eliminate the amount of hair they ingest, short of brushing them 100 times a day. (Not to say that grooming them doesn't help!) Some papaya or pineapple enzyme probably won't hurt, but lots of hay or other stemmy fibre will be the best to help keep the hair moving through.

Oh, and water. Water is very important for bunny digestion. This is why I gave Gus back his bowl. I don't think he was drinking enough using a bottle.

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Sometimes Fraggles produces cecels that are one or to pieces stuck together that's why I was thinking cecels when she described what she was seeing. I'd go with the pineapple or papaya for sure. Plus lots of hay you can also try a little canned pumpkin for extra fiber.

 

[Tweetiepy]

I've been giving them dried papaya as treats, just a small piece the size on an eraser head - but they eat lots of hay. They're not cecals - I only saw those once when my younger was a baby and eating too many pellets, I never find them now. These are their regular poops - I guess as long as they're coming out it's a good sign right. Would that be fresh pineapple? I happen to have one

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Cecals look like a dark greenish brown corn on the cob. If it's strung together like pearls, it's hair and regular poop. Hay is supposed to help this along and you got several other good suggestions.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Yes the pineapple should be fresh. As long as the belly does not start becoming hard or rigid then it should be OK.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

Could it be, like someone mentioned, caused by being long haired? Too much hair ingestion might produce that kind of poop