rebeccalyn7
Well-Known Member
Small and dark..
Not enough fibre?
Ahh worried
This poo does not look good
- Thread starter rebeccalyn7
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Small and dark..
Not enough fibre?
Ahh worried
pani
Bunny servant Lotte
Has your bun had any new foods introduced recently? I don't think the size is too concerning, my bun Felix does poops that size all the time.
rebeccalyn7
Well-Known Member
Nope, pellet mix an oaten hay is what she eats
Usually she'll pig out and be really noisey in her cage
But she's so quiet tonight
She's losing fur like no tomorrow, like all of a sudden most of her fur is just dead and usually she has healthy fur, took her to a rabbit show a couple of weeks ago and judges loved her fur.
Had to place a bed down for her because all she is doing is laying down.
Super worried.
She been outside all day, could it be the grass? She doesn't really eat much grass?
Definitely taking her to the vets tomorrow
Usually she'll pig out and be really noisey in her cage
But she's so quiet tonight
She's losing fur like no tomorrow, like all of a sudden most of her fur is just dead and usually she has healthy fur, took her to a rabbit show a couple of weeks ago and judges loved her fur.
Had to place a bed down for her because all she is doing is laying down.
Super worried.
She been outside all day, could it be the grass? She doesn't really eat much grass?
Definitely taking her to the vets tomorrow
Imbrium
Jennifer
Rabbits molt four times a year; December-ish is when they commonly have their winter molt. Molting differs from shedding in that the rabbit loses and replaces their ENTIRE coat in a short span of time. Molts can cause a rabbit to look very odd - you often see a significant "molt line" (or three, lol) at the points where new coat meets old coat, it's possible for actual bald spots to occur during a molt and some rabbits have even been known to experience a very noticeable change in fur color or markings/patterns during a molt. Some molts "migrate" - they start at one (or more) points on the rabbit and systematically progress up or down their body; other molts are extremely arbitrary/random (ie hair coming out all over the place with no apparent pattern). Some molts are pretty explosive while others happen more slowly. Also, molting can be a bit taxing on a rabbit's body, which could explain her reduced activity.
That poop doesn't appear outside the "normal" range to me (ie doesn't look indicative of a specific health issue) - my Holland's poop has always been a little smaller and darker than my Lionhead's and looks pretty similar to the poop in your picture. However, I don't know what her poop normally looks like (for comparison purposes), so I can't determine if there's been a significant change.
The biggest health concern with a molt is the potential for hairballs, since rabbits are physically incapable of barfing them up like cats do. The best prevention for this is to brush or comb your rabbit at LEAST once a day during a molt, removing as much of the dead fur as possible. My tool of choice for this is a furminator (cat, small animal or small dog versions will all work), which is stupidly expensive in most stores but can often be found for $20-25 on Amazon or eBay. I swear by the furminator (which comes with a money-back satisfaction guarantee, by the way) as the fastest/most efficient way to groom a molting bunny, but if you'd rather not cough up for one then a simple dog or cat brush or comb can still get the job done (just make sure it doesn't have wire-tipped bristles).
If a rabbit gets a hairball that they're having trouble passing, it can lead to GI stasis... suddenly not eating and/or pooping (or a sudden decrease in either) is a sign that there's a problem. If a rabbit goes 8-12+ hours without eating and/or pooping, it's a medical emergency and a vet visit needs to happen immediately.
As long as your rabbit isn't showing any symptoms or odd behavior beyond being a little less active and losing a lot of fur, then I really doubt there's anything wrong with her and I think she's simply going through a molt. That said, a vet visit is NEVER a bad idea and I always urge people to trust their "mommy/daddy" instincts - if I (or anyone else) tell you that your rabbit sounds normal/healthy but your gut is telling you to take her to the vet, then you should absolutely make an appointment to take her in.
There's a reason I **** near never tell someone "you don't need to take your rabbit to a vet" with absolution, particularly when that person already feels the urge to do so. Maybe you're being paranoid... but maybe you're subconsciously picking up on something subtle that you can't put your finger on or relay to us - either way, a vet visit will ensure that your rabbit's health is being properly tended to (and hopefully alleviate your worries).
Back to the topic of poop... this site does a wonderful job of explaining what your bunny's poop is trying to tell you.
That poop doesn't appear outside the "normal" range to me (ie doesn't look indicative of a specific health issue) - my Holland's poop has always been a little smaller and darker than my Lionhead's and looks pretty similar to the poop in your picture. However, I don't know what her poop normally looks like (for comparison purposes), so I can't determine if there's been a significant change.
The biggest health concern with a molt is the potential for hairballs, since rabbits are physically incapable of barfing them up like cats do. The best prevention for this is to brush or comb your rabbit at LEAST once a day during a molt, removing as much of the dead fur as possible. My tool of choice for this is a furminator (cat, small animal or small dog versions will all work), which is stupidly expensive in most stores but can often be found for $20-25 on Amazon or eBay. I swear by the furminator (which comes with a money-back satisfaction guarantee, by the way) as the fastest/most efficient way to groom a molting bunny, but if you'd rather not cough up for one then a simple dog or cat brush or comb can still get the job done (just make sure it doesn't have wire-tipped bristles).
If a rabbit gets a hairball that they're having trouble passing, it can lead to GI stasis... suddenly not eating and/or pooping (or a sudden decrease in either) is a sign that there's a problem. If a rabbit goes 8-12+ hours without eating and/or pooping, it's a medical emergency and a vet visit needs to happen immediately.
As long as your rabbit isn't showing any symptoms or odd behavior beyond being a little less active and losing a lot of fur, then I really doubt there's anything wrong with her and I think she's simply going through a molt. That said, a vet visit is NEVER a bad idea and I always urge people to trust their "mommy/daddy" instincts - if I (or anyone else) tell you that your rabbit sounds normal/healthy but your gut is telling you to take her to the vet, then you should absolutely make an appointment to take her in.
There's a reason I **** near never tell someone "you don't need to take your rabbit to a vet" with absolution, particularly when that person already feels the urge to do so. Maybe you're being paranoid... but maybe you're subconsciously picking up on something subtle that you can't put your finger on or relay to us - either way, a vet visit will ensure that your rabbit's health is being properly tended to (and hopefully alleviate your worries).
Back to the topic of poop... this site does a wonderful job of explaining what your bunny's poop is trying to tell you.
Is your rabbit still eating and pooping now? Have you changed anything in her diet or environment lately? Small, hard, darker than usual poop can be a concern, especially coupled with a change in behavior. If she is acting more quiet than usual, it could be because of not feeling well. It's possible that she is experiencing a GI slowdown(small hard poop) and that could be the cause of her discomfort. I would suggest puling her pellets and any sugary starchy treats, and feed only her hay and her usual leafy veggies. If her oat hay has a lot of seed heads in it, you may need to pick them out so that she isn't getting a lot of carbs from the oats. Then you want to keep a close eye on her to ensure that she is eating her hay and veggies really well, and drinking. Once her poop looks more normal and she is feeling better, you can slowly reintroduce the pellets. Fiber and hydration is the key to getting the gut moving.
Dehydration can also contribute to small hard poop. You want to ensure she is staying hydrated(and cool if she is an outdoor bun and it is hot at your location). If she normally drinks from a bottle, offer her a water dish as well. If she is an outdoor bun, you may want to bring her indoors where it is cool, if it doesn't stress her too much. Also letting her hop around inside will be helpful to get her gut moving better.
http://rabbit.org/sluggish-motility-in-the-gastrointestinal-tract-2/
http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/
Eating fresh grass can make rabbits poop slightly smaller and darker, but shouldn't be the cause of a GI slowdown. If anything it will cause loose stools if a rabbit isn't used to it.
If she is ingesting fur, that can be contributing to the small poop and upset. Taking away pellets and her eating more hay should help with that. Sudden hair loss could be due to a molt, but there are other causes as well.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html
If your pellet mix has treat bits in it, that's not really the best thing for rabbits. At a later time when she is feeling better, I would suggest switching to a good plain rabbit pellet if available to you.
If she doesn't perk up and act normal soon, if she isn't eating and pooping, her condition worsens, or you are at all concerned about how she is doing, get her into your vet.
Dehydration can also contribute to small hard poop. You want to ensure she is staying hydrated(and cool if she is an outdoor bun and it is hot at your location). If she normally drinks from a bottle, offer her a water dish as well. If she is an outdoor bun, you may want to bring her indoors where it is cool, if it doesn't stress her too much. Also letting her hop around inside will be helpful to get her gut moving better.
http://rabbit.org/sluggish-motility-in-the-gastrointestinal-tract-2/
http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/
Eating fresh grass can make rabbits poop slightly smaller and darker, but shouldn't be the cause of a GI slowdown. If anything it will cause loose stools if a rabbit isn't used to it.
If she is ingesting fur, that can be contributing to the small poop and upset. Taking away pellets and her eating more hay should help with that. Sudden hair loss could be due to a molt, but there are other causes as well.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html
If your pellet mix has treat bits in it, that's not really the best thing for rabbits. At a later time when she is feeling better, I would suggest switching to a good plain rabbit pellet if available to you.
If she doesn't perk up and act normal soon, if she isn't eating and pooping, her condition worsens, or you are at all concerned about how she is doing, get her into your vet.
Last edited:
pani
Bunny servant Lotte
It looks like Rebecca's in Australia, going off her profile location. It's summer here right now, so a winter molt wouldn't really fit, but I'm not sure when the other molting periods tend to be since I'm still a fairly new bun mum.
Imbrium
Jennifer
My bad, I didn't think to check the OPs location (since the geographic location only changes the semantics and not the heart of the information) - I imagine the approximate months/times of year for molting are the same, since seasons in the southern hemisphere are mirror opposites of the seasons in the northern hemisphere (obviously the details of the coat changes, such as thicker to thinner and vice versa, would be the opposite of what bunnies in the US are experiencing at the time).
August/September, November/December, February/March and May/June (end of/start of the respective months) are when I always seem to see a significant number of posts pop up regarding molting bunnies (or which pose a question whose answer is "your bunny is molting") and are also when my own two molt.
Regarding JBun's post that followed my earlier one... I added the line about "However, I don't know what her poop normally looks like (for comparison purposes), so I can't determine if there's been a significant change." while proof-reading because I really felt like I was forgetting something important that I couldn't pin down and that was the best I could come up with at the moment to suggest that a major change in poop characteristics could indicate a problem... as usual, Jenny picked up where my brain left off - her post covers everything I felt like I was forgetting in great detail.
August/September, November/December, February/March and May/June (end of/start of the respective months) are when I always seem to see a significant number of posts pop up regarding molting bunnies (or which pose a question whose answer is "your bunny is molting") and are also when my own two molt.
Regarding JBun's post that followed my earlier one... I added the line about "However, I don't know what her poop normally looks like (for comparison purposes), so I can't determine if there's been a significant change." while proof-reading because I really felt like I was forgetting something important that I couldn't pin down and that was the best I could come up with at the moment to suggest that a major change in poop characteristics could indicate a problem... as usual, Jenny picked up where my brain left off - her post covers everything I felt like I was forgetting in great detail.
rebeccalyn7
Well-Known Member
Thank you for all your inout,
Taken her to the vet and she has a inflamed lymph node
as well as mites.
Vet said she was very sore to touch, so she gave her a pain killer injection and if things don't look still, taking her back in a few days, so fingers crossed,
She isn't sure what caused the lymph node to inflam, it's right near her abdominal area,
Taken her to the vet and she has a inflamed lymph node
as well as mites.
Vet said she was very sore to touch, so she gave her a pain killer injection and if things don't look still, taking her back in a few days, so fingers crossed,
She isn't sure what caused the lymph node to inflam, it's right near her abdominal area,
Imbrium
Jennifer
Poor thing... I'm glad the vet is getting her fixed up! I hope she feels better soon 
ray:
ray:
Michelledickerhoff
Well-Known Member
That explains why my bunny was a red head when he was a baby any now it's more brown! It's nice to have people to talk to and get advice from on here because no one I know knows much about rabbits.
rebeccalyn7
Well-Known Member
It's amazing being a member on here
I am one paranoid person
So both pepper and I are so happy this website is here and there is always someone on.
Makes me feel safe & lucky
I'm so thankful for everyone on this site
I am one paranoid person
So both pepper and I are so happy this website is here and there is always someone on.
Makes me feel safe & lucky
I'm so thankful for everyone on this site
Aubrisita
Aubrey, Member
Regarding hair balls, someone told me that I should give Stache pineapple or pineapple juice to help break down the hair so it doesn't cause problems. It sounded a little strange to me, anybody have any thoughts?
Ps. I am now the bun momma that inspects her buns poo everyday. If you told me a month ago that I would be this worried over poo, I would have laughed at you. I am not laughing now.
Ps. I am now the bun momma that inspects her buns poo everyday. If you told me a month ago that I would be this worried over poo, I would have laughed at you. I am not laughing now.
Imbrium
Jennifer
*Fresh* pineapple does have some digestive enzymes that can supposedly help, as does papaya (the enzymes are denatured during the canning process, so canned juice won't do), but there's some debate as to the effectiveness. Oxbow makes a papaya tablet that has extra enzymes from both fruits crammed into it, which offers a better enzyme to sugar content ratio. I believe someone posted recently that they found a papaya enzyme supplement at Walmart (for humans) that's pretty much the same thing, though I haven't been able to find it myself.
rebeccalyn7
Well-Known Member
That's strange
Best wishes for her recovery, hopefully the swelling goes down. Not sure what the weather is like out your way at the moment, but it's been very hot over here so do your best to keep her out of the heat while she's trying to recover. Heat is very stressful for rabbits.
Love the picture She's beautiful.
Love the picture
She's beautiful.
rebeccalyn7
Well-Known Member
She's alright now.
I'm just wondering if I should take her back to the vets Monday to check if this lymph node has gone down,
Vets still confused as to what caused it,
She doesn't look in pain at the moment, she has her appetite back so I'm pretty happy
I just hope it doesn't come back, she was in so much pain.
It was hard to tell if it was the weather or her.
Because in aus we are in summer now,
So it's getting really hot,
I'm just wondering if I should take her back to the vets Monday to check if this lymph node has gone down,
Vets still confused as to what caused it,
She doesn't look in pain at the moment, she has her appetite back so I'm pretty happy
I just hope it doesn't come back, she was in so much pain.
It was hard to tell if it was the weather or her.
Because in aus we are in summer now,
So it's getting really hot,
Imbrium
Jennifer
I would absolutely take her back in - if the lymph node hasn't gone down, the vet needs to do tests to figure out what's going on as it could potentially be something serious.
