Decrease in Droppings, when to worry?

[JuliaKoster]

I am wondering if someone can clarify: 

a) How many hours is “normal” for a rabbit to go without passing any droppings? (I’ve heard 6 hours no eating/pooping potential emergency?)

b) How do you quantify a “concerning” decrease in droppings? (I just notice the amount fairly generally when I change his box).

My bun Pip is eating/drinking/producing some droppings, but I’m noticing much less (poop & hay eating) lately (couple of days). I’m pushing the hay, but he hasn’t been as interested as normal. He also seems a bit less active than usual. (Maybe the heat? We are in a fairly cool suite).

I hate worrying about him when he is perfectly fine (it happens a lot  and even now as I write this he is suddenly deciding to munch his hay and scoot laps around the carpet). But he’s my first bun! and i find it hard to gauge what is normal (so thankful for this forum!)

Thanks so much!

[Bunny House]

Usually 8-12 hours of no pooping is an emergency. Do you have critical care to feed him? When they start to eat less, then their gi tract can slow down and cause them to go into stasis. Do you have a rabbit savvy vet to call and see if they want to see you? Offer him anything that he will eat and see if it stimulates him to eat. You can also massage his belly and give him baby gas drops as he might have some gas building up in there. Often times a vet doesn’t want you to force feed Incase there is a blockage and that requires X-rays. But if they say it is okay to force feed, and you don’t have critical care, you can wet pellets and put it in a syringe to feed him and you can mix some with pumpkin to make it more appetizing.
Bunny info tab has a lot of information for first time but owners so I suggest you read some of that so you can learn more about buns.

[JuliaKoster]

Thank you for your reply and the info.

Yes, I do have critical care if necessary, but I should have stated he is still eating his normal amount of daily pellets and greens (it just took him longer than usual yesterday morning). So he has an appetite, just less for hay.

I also have a great, rabbit savvy vet I am very thankful for. 

[kurottabun]

Sometimes a decrease of hay consumption could indicate dental issues. Hay is more abrasive so it’s not as comfortable to eat them compared to pellets or greens if they have dental problems.

Have you had Pip’s teeth checked before? Not just his incisors but also his molars at the back.

[Bunny House]

I would agree with Kurottabun that since it took him longer to eat that he might have molar issues, and depending on his breed, he might have life time trims that will need to be done.

[LBJ10]

To be fair, both of my boys acted like they were dying about a month ago. Summer came and it hit very hard (100F days, high humidity). Even though the house is air conditioned, it was clear they were feeling it. And, of course, they hate frozen water bottles. They only like their tiles. So yes, they were definitely less active and less interested in food for awhile. They didn’t stop eating, but the pellet craze just wasn’t there. LOL I guess their bodies finally adjusted to the change because they are both very enthusiastic around dinner time now.

It could be the heat or maybe your bunny just doesn’t like that particular batch of hay. I’ve had that happen too. Less hay is going to mean less poop. But if he is still eating other things (pellets, veggies, treats) and poop is still coming out the other end, then I wouldn’t be horribly worried… yet. Also, a very particular bunny can hold their poop a lot longer than you might think if they are determined to poop in their litter box.

[Sirius&Luna]

My bunnies have been significantly less enthusiastic about their new batch of hay. I know they won’t eat any other hay though, but it normally takes them a few days to get excited by a new bag. Creatures of habit!

The heat is also making them more sluggish, so as long as he is eating and pooping, I wouldn’t worry too much.

[JuliaKoster]

Thanks, everyone for the support.

It really helps to know how many hours before I should really start watching!
(I mean, I suppose I can’t expect him to constantly eat and produce, but knowing a few hours no poops is okay, 8 hours not okay, is a big difference). And what is normal for my bun is A LOT of droppings, like a big pile, so when they don’t come for awhile, and then there are only a few, I start to wonder. I’m sure he’s fine! I just read about how fast rabbits can decline and be “pretending” they’re fine, so whenever there’s a minor change I can get concerned.
But if and when I have been seriously concerned, I always call my vet.

We did have to switch his hay recently as well (which I forgot to mention), as we made a mistake with outdoor storage and MICE had gotten into it!
Needless to say we got rid of that batch, and now after reading up, store it secured in a big garbage bin. Pip’s vaccine’s are up to date (and he wasn’t that long ago to the vet where they inspected his teeth).

He seems to be getting back to normal, filling his litter box (strange thing to be happy about!) I will continue keeping an eye on him though.

[Bunny House]

Keep us updated and I hope he gets better

[kurottabun]

If I’m not mistaken hay needs to be able to “breathe”, which is why the bags they come in usually have holes in them. I’m not sure if “sealing” them in a bin would be the best way to do it (somebody please correct me if I’m wrong), unless you leave the lid open

[JuliaKoster]

Update on Pip:

I took Pip to the vet yesterday, even though he WAS still eating/drinking/urinating/passing droppings. He was just so up (going to town on his hay, putting out droppings, flopping, running around and binkying) and then down (lethargic, slow to eat, long time between droppings) – my nerves were getting shot. I’m glad I took him in. 

He has an ear infection, and some large (mobile) droppings (he has since yesterday passed some big ones! good bun!) He is now on antibiotic ear drops, started critical care supplement, and also a bit of a diet shift decreasing the pellets (2 Tbsp/day instead of 6 Tbsp/day – which I had based off of https://rabbit.org/faq-diet/, unless I got something wrong? He is 9 mths, 4.5lb) and upping the fresh greens (generous helpings to keep him hydrated at this point). (And as usual, pushing the “hay, hay, hay,”). He may have some potential dental issues down the road that will require filing. Also trying a new, softer brush for grooming that hopefully he will tolerate better to avoid hair consumption.

So … hoping he recovers and gets back to being himself. I hate seeing him out of sorts =(

[Bunny House]

I hope he gets better too keep us updated and let us know if you have any questions

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