Poopy butt?

[J]

New to binkybunny!

I’ve had Bunbun for about 2 years now. I know the name is dumb, but she was a rescue and it’s the only name she responds to. She’s about seven at this point? Her previous owners weren’t too clear on her history or age. My problem is she’s super super fussy on hay and eats very little, to the point that I suspect her chronic poopy butt is linked to it. I try clean it as much as I can, but I’d rather nip this problem in the bud rather than deal with it as it happens.

I have another rabbit, Smudge, who is due to get fixed in about a week and he’s not fussy at all, he’s had no health concerns whenever I’ve brought him for checkups and eats like a pig! He’s had zero issues with poopy butt which leads me to belive it’s something to do with the tiny amount of hay she eats.

I feed truecolours, a local brand for hay, pellets and such, because I can get it bulk and it`s easier on my poor wallet. I had been feeding Cuni nature pellets because it was practically the only one she`d eat, but now she’s okay with truecolours. I’ve tried Kaytee, Oxbow, pretty much everything, but Cuni and truecolors are the two she won’t go on hunger strikes with. I have the exact same problem with hay, she does like Oxbow but not to the point where she eats a normal amount of it.

Should I put her on a hay/veg only diet? I don’t know if I can convince my grandmother to run into town every few days to get romaine. But if there’s anything I can do for her, I’ll try my best.

[Bam]

It’s likely that not eating enough hay contributes to her poopy butt. Romaine won’t help much. I’d not put a 7 year old bunny on hay and veg only, but you can cut back on the pellets and see if that makes her eat more hay. Cut back slowly and keep a close eye.

A bunny thats getting on in years can become stiff and “arthritic” just like us humans, and that can make it difficult for the bun to reach her cecotropes and to take care of her personal hygiene. This is a common reason for poopy butt in the elderly bun.

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