A couple of questions – sorry

[Alibear]

I feel so silly asking these questions but I am just not sure of the answers.

Firstly I have noticed that my bunny seems to be shedding – a bit like a dog kind of. Is this normal? I also noticed that right on top of her head, so its not like she could scratch it or anything was very thin in hair, like she was getting a bald patch there? But it seems to be growing back?

Also, what colour is bunny pee? I have noticed either her poo is a little running. She still has the pellet type poo, but there is a redish brown spots over her hutch (I have a white board on the bottom so I see everything). Would this be runny poo or her wee or something really bad?

Thanks in advance for your advice everyone.

[BinkyBunny]

Don’t feel silly! That’s what we’re here for. 

Shedding/molting;  Yes it is absolutely normal for a bunny to molt.  Some do so in sort of  fur explosion and shed everything in a few days, while others do it over weeks.  Many time during heavy molts, you’ll see tuffs of fur basically falling off, and easily come off when pet your bunny.   Some bunnies do get bald patches during molts, and some look really odd with lots of short hair patches among a bunch of long hair.   Most bunnies molt 4 times a year (2 heavy, 2 light)

It’s a good idea, during this time, to make sure she is eating plenty of hay, and brush her once a day.  This will help keep her digestive tract moving, and will keep her from digesting so much hair when she grooms herself.

Pee color:  So are you sure it’s her poo? Are you sure she just doesn’t have red pee. What is its consistency?  IF it is pee –  Is the color all red or is it yellow with red streaks?  If it’s all red, then most likely it’s a harmless pigment change due to diet, medicine or even weather changes.  if it has changed recently, how long has this been going on?  and can you attribute it to anything new in her diet – like carrots, kale???  (or at least more than normal of some of those things?)    

If this has been going on for awhile, and there is nothing you can attribute it to then I would ring your vet.

[Scarlet_Rose]

I absolutely and totally agree! Don’t feel silly! The only silly thing would be not asking. We’re all about helping and education here! You’ve got some A+ advice from BB and I hope to see a reply from you real soon!

[Alibear]

Ok thanks for that. I have noticed her hair on her head coming back so it must have just been the “bald” spots BB was talking about.

Her pee has always been more redish then say yellow like a humans, and I did give her a bit of carrot the other day so that is probably what it is.

But, today something bad has happened I think. I picked her up and put my hand on her bum and felt it. I turned her over and there was a big wet poo there. Her poos have always been small pellet type poos, lots of them but always consistent, but this is more like a wet doggy poo. Is that really bad?

I tried to clean it off her but she started shaking and going crazy so I had to put her down.

Do you think she will be ok? I don’t know if this is a common thing for rabbits or not? 🙁

[Alibear]

Sorry, I was so worried about my baby that I forgot to say thank you for your responses. Much appreciated.

[Scarlet_Rose]

No problem Alibear, I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. A gloppy fanny is not a good thing for a bunny and can be a signal for several things. Most often it is related to the type of diet they have and it is an intolerance for something in their diet, like a vegetable they are eating for instance. Some bunnies cannot tolerate certain things. Which leads me to ask, what is her diet like and can you describe her entire cuisine morning through night? “Poopy butt” can also be a sign of a bacterial imbalance or obesity as well. Try changing the diet to strictly pellets, hay and water to see if it clears up. If not and if she is showing any signs of distress or lethargy, take her to the vet immediately with a poo sample.

[Alibear]

Thanks Scarlet Rose….

She is on a diet currently of only pellets, hay and water – as per usual since I have had her.

In all other instances she is perfectly fine. Still hoping around as usual, no other changes and no additions to her diet. Also no more sloppy butt either?

How do you know if they are obese? She is getting sooo big but I’m not sure she is overweight. I just give her a bowl of pellets each day and she nibbles on hay etc. Am I doing the wrong thing? 🙁

[Gravehearted]

how old is your bunny and what type of pellets are you feeding?  I agree with ScarletRose that the poopybutt is generally caused by diet related issues – usually it’s too much carbohydrates and not enough fiber. hay is the single most important thing in your bunny’s diet.  they have very sensitive gi tracts, so they can easily get out of whack.

generally once a bunny is about 7 months old it’s time to transition from alfalfa pellets to timothy pellets and start limited the amounts.  i follow the guideline of 1/4 cup of pellets daily per 5 pounds of bunny. At around the same time she should also be switched to unlimited timothy or other grass hay and should be getting veggies every day.  pellets are a convience food – kinda like fast food, so they are ok as a small part of the diet in an adult bunny, but they shouldn’t be the main part.

good way to tell if your rabbit is the proper weight is to feel the spine. Run your hand over the spine, and don’t press in on it. If you feel it easily, your rabbit is too thin. Then press in on it a little, and you should feel it this time. If you do not feel it, your rabbit is likely overweight.

there’s very helpful information on the bunny info section of the site, and I really like this article about diet and it’s effects on bunny’s health  too

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

 

[Alibear]

Ok thank you. Some things are going to be different for me as I’m in Australia so let me see if I have this correct.

Right now she has unlimited pellets which are Lucerne ones (which I’m guessing are like the alfalfa pellets?) and has lucerene hay in her hutch.

She is only about 4mths old. I have been told to keep feeding her like this until she is 6 – 7mths old and then take her off all the lucerne stuff and just give normal hay and slowly add vegies?

I will check out this link you have provided above, thank you for that.

I just feel so helpless really. I have owned dogs all my life and I know about them and what to expect and what is normal and when something is wrong. I have read lots of bunny books etc but I’m just not as confident I guess.

[Gravehearted]

well, don’t feel bad – we’re all learning 🙂 And the important thing is you’re willing to put in the time and effort to learn about bunnies, right?

I looked online at several Australian rabbit sites and they all seem to have the exact same section on diet, which makes no mention at all of young rabbits. It sounds like Lucerne is the same as alfalfa, and several of the sites mentioned Peter’s brand. I think if she again has issues with poopy butt, I’d cut out treats and start to slightly reduce the amount of pellets she’s getting to see if it helps.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hey how neat, someone else from accross the pond in Oz!!! Welcome!!!! FYI you are correct, Lucerne hay is alfalfa hay. Hey, don’t worry you’re at a great site to learn about raising your bun and just ask away, we’re here for info & support! Is her poo Ok today?

[Alibear]

Who else is from Oz? I thought I was the only lonely one 🙂

Ok excellent so Lucerene Hay is alfalfa hay. Good. And she has unlimited amount of that. I also have some straw in her bed area to help keep her warm, she does chew on this – is that bad?

And yep, I give her Peter brand Lucerene Pellets. No treats though, I didn’t think she was allowed to have any vegies / fruit etc yet.

Yep it was only that one time on saturday, but if I didn’t know better I would have sworn she sat on a HUGE pile of sloppy dog poo, it was HUGE! Her poo is back to the pellet type ball things and I haven’t seen anymore runs expect for what I have noticed like redish brown / yellow water type stuff, which I’m guess could be her pee.

Also, this is probably the dumbest thing ever but I have never seen her close her eyes not once!!!! I don’t even see her blink, is that normal? how often do they blink?

Also I have heard about that thing at night that they lick from there bottoms I cant remember what that is called now? Crystals? no I don’t know, anyway, I have never seen her do that either?

[Deleted User]

Hi Alibear

I am the other Ozzie chicky here … Dawn8940 … I am in Perth (over the better side lol)  Joking there!

I have a dwarf lop (Luey) … I know how you feel about obtaining information about bunnies in Oz … not much I am afraid.  And as for Timothy Hay and those brands of pellets, and of course those stove pellets for the littertrays … we just don’t have them. 

I buy a bale of hay from City Farmers and also a 10kg bag of pellets.  Cheaper and more economical as I have guinea pigs too. 

I have learnt so much from BinkyBunny and the other wonderful ladies here … just keep posting like I do.  The information and advise is amazing … i just love those yanky and cunuk girls here LOL.

You Beauty!

Dawn xx

[Alibear]

Hey Dawn – my best friend lives in Perth! I actually met her on a forum just like this but for dogs 🙂

Your right, hardly anything in OZ, but your also right with this forum being great and very helpful. Everyone is so lovely here.

You just get normal Hay? From the farmers? What kind of pellets do you get?

[Deleted User]

Hey Alibear

Nice to know there is another Ozzie girl here … we are a bit out numbered.

Yes, I go to City Farmers to get my bunny/piggy feed …. I buy the bale of hay … you know the type horses, sheep and cows eat … that’s the only sort City Farmers stock … but my Luey and the piggies just love it.  I also buy the pellets from City Farmers …. there is no labelling on the pellet packet but they all enjoy them.

I live in Thornlie, south the the river in Perth.  Whereabouts does your friend live?

Dawn xx

[Alibear]

I don’t think we have “city farmers” here in sydney. Man its seems we have nothing here. LOL I have just been getting the Peters brand pellets which are not to expensive and getting the lucerene hay and straw from the pet store.

My friend lives at Daniella? Is that near there? Sorry I’m not sure, only been there a couple times.

[Deleted User]

Dianella is North of the river … about 40 mins drive from where I am.

I thought you would of had City Farmers … I used to buy from the pet store too but very expensive.  For a bale of hay I pay $14 which is great as it lasts for ages.  I store the hay in a huge box outside under cover.  The pellets I buy are the City Farmers brand about $9 for a 10kg bag.  The pellets I have found are much better than the pet store type.  But then again if you don’t have a large variety to choose from, pet store is ok.

Do you have a wholesale grain store in Sydney … perhaps you can get your bunny food from there.

I use a cat litter tray for Luey, line with newspaper and pop a load of hay on top.  I change everyday for him and if he has the run of the other pen as well I have also placed a littertray in that area for him to use.  He is pretty good with his littertray habits now … does not pee on the floor or carpet which is great!

I buy the asian greens from the local chinese markets (cheap as chips there) for him and I am a mean bunny mum as I give him no treats.  Well, if I do its very very occasionally.

Glad to hear another ozzie chick has a bunny!

Dawn xx

[Deleted User]

Oh I did mean to mention Alibear … have you visited this Ozzie rabbit website.  It has some pretty good information too.

http://www.boingonline.com

Dawn xx

[Alibear]

No I haven’t, but I will now, thanks for that 🙂

[Scarlet_Rose]

Well Alibear I see you’ve met our other member from Oz, Dawn8940! I’m glad to see you two chattin’ it up! Cheers!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Sorry Alibear I didn’t catch your other question, yes usually at night or early morning bunnies produce cecotropes that provide additional nutrients for a bunny. They are much smaller than normal poo and are in a grape-like cluster and have a mucus sack around them.

[Alibear]

Ok but I have never seen these – what do they look like though? Are they brown like poo? a mucus sack, ewww. Ok.

[Scarlet_Rose]

*Chuckle* Ewe I know TMI and thus it is good that you haven’t seen it! I’ll see if I can scare up a picture.

Here ya go:

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/diet/cecals.html

[Alibear]

OH wow!!! Thanks for that info and I have seen those before, some on the bottom of the hutch in the wire.

Is it normal that they would produce them but not eat them?

Oh no, is that bad?

[NHarris]

Hey, I am fairly new to looking after bunnies as well and it’s nice to know there are others out there with the same questions as me!

When I saw what I now believe to be cecotropes on our living room floor I thought Currant was sick and had runny poo, so I took his pellets away from him and he just had hay and water.

I have the same question as Alibear – is it normal for them to not eat them?

[MooBunnay]

Hello! Sometimes my bunnies do not eat their cecals, from what I understand, its OK if they don’t eat them every once and while, but if its consistent they are not eating them, then that means that they are producing too many. To give you an idea of what is normal, I would probably see one or two cecals from my adult rabbits once every couple months, so not many at all. When I had two baby foster rabbits I would see a couple cecals every couple weeks, but still not many.

I saw this online regarding cecotropes:
Please consult your veterinarian if you see a large number of cecotropes in the cage because your rabbit may be missing vital nutrition. If a rabbit is eating a diet that is too rich in nutrients, such as one that contains mostly commercial pellets, there may normally be a few cecotropes dropped in the cage.

I am thinking that maybe because younger bunnies need their alfalfa hay and pellets as they are growing, they might produce more cecals because of how rich the food is, but unlimited pellets and alfalfa are OK for the younger bunnies because they need those nutrients to grow.

How many cecals do you see? Not many? I would say if its quite a few that might merit a call to the vet just to see if that indicates that you need to change the bunny’s diet, but remind the vet of your rabbits age because that factors into the diet plan as well.

[NHarris]

Hi, I have probably seen 3 or 4 in the last 5 days – do you think that’s a lot?

[MooBunnay]

Hmm, I am actually not sure myself. You said your bunny just has hay and water? I saw on your post that he is just 10 weeks old, and I do remember seeing a few with my baby bunnies. I looked at a couple of your old posts but wasn’t sure if it was someone on the site, or maybe the vet that recommended you stop pellets? The reason I am asking is because its generally OK for babies to have unlimited pellets and hay up until they are 6 months old because they need the nutrients to grow. I looked at baby bunny diets online and found this information at the carrot cafe (http://www.carrotcafe.com/diet/index.html#young)

Young rabbits
Young rabbits (8 weeks to 8 months of age) are rapidly growing and require diets high in energy, minerals and protein to support that growth. Young rabbits should be fed a diet of unlimited pellets and unlimited hay. After about 12 weeks of age, fresh vegetables can be introduced. Any treats should consist of fresh vegetables or herbs. Young bunnies can be fed a handful of alfalfa hay daily in addition to unlimited grass hay.

Have you ever seen your bun eating cecals? They almost look like they are itching their tummy when they do it because they stick their head “down there” to get the cecal, they don’t eat it off the floor. If your bunny is eating cecals, and has the recommended baby bunny diet, I think that he or she is doing well, however, a call to the vet might not hurt just to make sure because I myself am not sure how many uneaten cecals are too many!

[NHarris]

I haven’t seen him eating them but then I didn’t know about them until I read this forum. He has definately been in a position where he could eat them – looks like he is cleaning himself but I will keep a closer eye this evening and see if I can see him eating them.
My friend has a rabbit and told me to take his pellets off him as she thought he was poorly, but that’s because I told her he had sqidgy poo so I’m now not sure that was the right thing to do. I reintroduced his pellets the next day and he seemed fine so thinking about it now the ‘squidgy poops’ don’t correlate with me taking his pellets away. I’m hoping that he’s okay – what do you think?

[osprey]

I have been fostering several batches of babies over the last few months, and I have definitely noticed that the babies leave alot more cecals around than adults do.  A change in environment/diet can also trigger excess cecal production, as can stress.  When I got my last batch of babies in, they were leaving cecals all over for the first 48 hours or so, then they seemed to settle down.  Maybe your bunny is still adjusting to you.

For reference purposes, here is the diet that we feed most of The Haven’s babies (and boy do we have a lot of babies lately): unlimited Oxbow 15/23 pellets (these are alfalfa pellets), unlimited alfalfa hay, and after about 6 weeks or so we introduce green leafy veggies like parsely, cilantro and romaine lettuce.  This is the diet recommended by Dr. Harvey, who is one of the most experienced rabbit vets in the Bay Area.

 

[Alibear]

I have seen some maybe once every few weeks possibly? I just thought it was a chunk of poo stuck together and then thought it seems “soft” compared to her normal coco puff type poos but didn’t think much of it really until now.

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

I love how poo is a typical topic on this message board. Ah, the joys of bunny butts.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Absolutely! Part of being a bunny owner is being a poopologist! Didn’t they give you that course at bunny-mommy camp?

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

ahaha, certified poopologists.

[Author]

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