Please help: Not eating cecotropes

[Lagomorpheus]

I have adopted 2 rabbits from the same humane society shelter. Both have shared the same problem: during their sleep, they drop cecotropes, don’t eat them, and then step all over them, smashing them into the floor of their condo. It is a huge mess to clean up and makes them dirty!

 

With our first rabbit from this shelter, we tried some vet-prescribed medicine that didn’t work, got rid of his worms that he came with from the shelter, and put him on a HAY-ONLY diet for 2 months (as per vet recommendation). He lost a lot of weight and pooped less, but the problem didn’t stop, and when we resumed his normal diet, the problem also came back.

 

We have 2 other rabbits from different shelters than the poopy ones, and they are FINE. No pooping/cecotrope problems AT ALL, EVER! But the two we got from this one humane society shelter BOTH have the same problem…messy cecotropes smashed into the floor every night! They are both otherwise litter-trained, they seem to make the mess during their sleep.

 

Their diet is unlimited hay, small handful of pellets twice a day, and fresh veggies twice a day consisting of romaine or green leaf lettuce, parsley, and cilantro. They both seem energetic and happy and healthy…

 

PLEASE HELP!!

[jerseygirl]

It does sound like cecal over production – if it’s happening during their sleep time. I think they produce them 4-5 hours after main eating time. They may be eating what they need then leaving the rest. Probably hay diet with little or no pellets might help clear things a bit. Veggies could be suspect – especially if they weren’t used to them in thier diet at the shelter. So one has checked out ok with a fecal test? Perhaps get both tested again to check there’s no nasty causing this – then alter the diet. They may be able have veg + pellets in future but just introduced back in really slowly after the gut has stabilised.

Now – how long have you had them? Names? What are they like? etc, etc

[Lagomorpheus]

thanks for the response jersey. I spoke with the shelter and we think it might have something to do with feeding them parsley + cilantro since they never ate that at the shelter. Here are the diet differences:

MY home:

Lettuce
Cilantro
Parsley
Occasional apple/bannana

Shelter diet:

Lettuce
One inch of carrot
Occasional Kale
Occasional apple

So I went out and bought carrot and kale, I’m going to try to recreate the diet he had at the shelter exactly and see if it helps. He had a wire mesh floor at the shelter, so they said they weren’t sure whether he had the problem before I adopted him or not…

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Lago!! Haven’t seen you in forever!!

Ditto the diet advice. They aren’t choosing not to eat them-sounds like they are overproduicing beause of a rich diet

Increase the hay, decrease the pellets

[MimzMum]

Hi Lago!
Wow, two new bunnies! Congrats!
I find that my mini-rex has a problem with not eating all his cecals and then stepping in them and messing his feet and bum…unfortunately I’ve found I have to cut his veggies back to almost none at all and increase his hay. (All three of mine are eating only 3rd cut timothy right now-any change in hay will also set off cecal overproduction in Fiver.) Kale, sadly, seems to really set him off, but even one piece too many of any lettuce will leave him all messy. Plus pellets are something we’re trying to eliminate. He only gets about a teaspoon of Oxbow pellets per night now and hopefully we can phase them out altogether. (They make him too fat anyway.)
I’d also watch any sugary treats. That will cause any of my bunnies to stop eating cecals and then we have quite the mess!

[Beka27]

Have they been to a regular vet for a check-up yet? I’d be interested in a second opinion/testing from someone not related to the shelter.

[reeree94803]

My bunny also doesn’t seem to be eating his cecotropes and he also steps in it. It also seems like he does it in the morning. I check his cage in the morn. I get up for work at 3:30 am & nothing. I get home about 9:00 am & there it is a pile of it squished to the bottom of his cage. I took him to the vet for his 1st check up yesterday. I did mention it to her and I was unaware that they didn’t really need the Timothy Hay pellets, even after all the reading I had done before we got him. I am going to keep a close eye on our lil guy and give him just Timothy Hay & water till his next apt. I have also given him a baby carrot here & there. Broccoli, kayle & cilantro a long w/an apple slice here & there. My vet suggested not giving him any greens till he was 4 months, but the information she gave me to read said I could if he was eating his hay. Sometimes the information is conflicting & can be confusing. She also suggested I put his dropping in w/a small amount of the pellets ( super gross) I tried it & he didn’t eat it…. I am really worried because my 6 yr. old will be beyond devastated if anything happens to him. As of now the vet said he is healthy, but I know what a problem this can turn into if he doesn’t eat his cecotropes.

[Sarita]

Hi reeree94803 welcome – we ask that members do NOT RESPOND to old posts – this post is 4 years old – also we ask that you start a new post with your concerns instead of piggybacking on other people’s posts so you get a response to your question.

As for your concern, as long as the cecotropes are uniform then there is not cause for concern – rabbits will only eat the cecotropes they need it’s not really a matter of over producing as a matter of eating only what they need.

I am going to lock this post – if you need help starting a new topic please let us know and we will instruct you.

[Author]

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