Permanently Smaller Poops

[Dee]

Hi Everyone,
This isn’t a big deal, just something I’m curious about because it bothers me a bit. When I adopted my bunny Lukie a little over a year ago, he had HUGE poops. Like twice the size of Nelli’s poops, but Bell was 5.5 lbs and Lukie was 3.5 lbs. He pretty much only ate hay at that point, and I know that was why his poops were so big.

As he became a spoiled house bunny, he learned to enjoy different food. Now his daily diet usually includes his hay (of course), a wide range of greens (serving size about 3 cups total, split into 2 servings), a few pellets, a handful of dried rabbit-safe flowers/herbs/dried pumpkin flakes, a couple raisins, a teaspoon of plain oats, sometimes a piece of apple or banana, and finally- his obsession- a dandelion root (I buy them dried, specifically for bunnies). Sometimes I don’t give greens because we ran out or I’ve been too busy/lazy to wash them. His diet is still about 80% hay as far as I can see. However, his poops reduced in size within a couple months after his arrival and remain about half the size they originally were. His wife-to-be, Precious, has the same diet and her poops are almost marble sized- shockingly large. They have shrunk just a bit since she got here, due to all the other things she eats now.

Lukie rarely gets gas and his only health problem has been his little peeing problem of last Saturday (he’s been fine since ☺). Do you all think I should cut back on his non-hay food to see if his poops enlarge, or just keep things the same since he does so well? He is about the right weight, maybe a tiny bit pudgy, but he is a dwarf bunny and has that round little body ❤.

Thanks for any opinions!

[Q8bunny]

Well, if you can cut back the treats (not hay, fresh greens, few pellets – just everything else), and his pudge goes away and you see a bit more definition in him, it wouldn’t hurt. We all know ideal-weight bunnies live longer healthier lives. I’m thinking that less treat food would make him turn to hay more often and increase poop size a bit?? Just a theory…

[Dee]

Hi Q8,
I think you’re right. He’s such a little beggar, it’s hard to say no, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt him to do without his treats. I make excuses, telling myself they are healthy as far as treats go and just a little bit… But when I stop and consider his tiny size, just a “handful” from me is probably a bellyful for him!

I’ve started limiting his treats lately, and I wake up every morning to him crunching on hay in his litter box ☺. Hopefully I’ll start to see bigger poops and a bit less Lukie soon lol.

[Q8bunny]

That’s a fantastic start! (((Go, Lukie, go!)))

[Author]

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