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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE Please help I am completely lost *VET UPDATE!!*

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    • sarahthegemini
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        Arrrrgh. Okay, I am feeling a bit lost. Apologies as this will be long…

        -Last year veggies and pellets were stopped as they were causing gurgling tummies
        -Couples months later, Protexin was introduced along with FibaFirst sticks. No problems.
        -Decided to try veggies again. Kept it simple with just a few different greens (all reintroduced slowly)
        -Loud gurgling again. Spoke to a vet and he said gurgling isn’t ideal but so long as no other symptos begin, not to worry. He advised giving greens on a treat only basis.
        -I stopped them completely and decided to incorporate lots of dried leaves and flowers. I figured this is a more natural way and might cause less issues.
        -No problems. Months go by with no concerns.
        -Then all of a sudden I started to hear loud gurgling again. If I recall, there was also some sticky poops at this stage. Some had a slimey substance. Others just left a residue on my hands when I picked them up.
        -I stopped pellets and FibaFirst sticks. Also stopped forage.

        SO, for about two months now they have been on hay only. Although they have been given apple twigs but I don’t know if that’s an issue?

        -Oxbow orchard is their main hay. They also had oxbow Timothy and Burns oat hay. I stopped the timothy as they started just eating the seed heads :-/ I found a better alternative to the Burns which was so lucious and green, not dusty, much cheaper too)

        Then problems start again
        -Excess cecals. Roughly 8 to 10 in about a fortnight. I usually only see one or two every month or so.
        -Loud gurgling
        -Sticky poops again

        I thought maybe the oat was too rich as it had tons and tons of seed heads.
        -Stopped oat for a week or so to see what happens
        -A little gurgling but not as much and it was quieter
        -No excess cecals
        -No sticky poop

        I try oat hay again to see if it was all a coincidence
        -Sticky poops again. One or two with slimey substance and about 6 or 7 that left residue on my hands.
        -Cecal juice on floor. This has NEVER happened before.

        SO, I stopped oat again. Decided to quit with the oat completely. So they’re back on just orchard.
        -Yesterday, there was one sticky poop again. No substance but left residue on my hands.

        I don’t know what to do.

        I’ve already taken away pellets, FibaFirst sticks, forage and of course veggies/greens. And for what? I feel like I am depriving them. I am doing for their own good but it doesn’t seem to be working?! So now I’m thinking should I have cut anything out? Have I deprived them for no good reason? I’m worried that they are malnourished or something.

        Cutting out pellets, FibaFirst amd forage was all temporary but it’s been a couple months now. I have just gave them a few pellets. I figured as it’s a probiotic, maybe it’ll do some good?

        I’m just confused. Am I expecting too much? Is it normal for buns to have the odd poop every now and then? If so, I’ve just set myself up for failure by expecting perfect healthy poops 24/7.

        My plan now
        -Stick with orchard as their staple (and probably only) hay
        -Reintroduce protexin pellets
        -Reintroduce FibaFirst sticks
        -Reintroduce leaves and flowers (as forage)
        -Possibly reintroduce greens again?

        Sorry this is a massive ramble. I don’t know what to do if any of these cause problems again :-/ I want to be hopeful that their tummies will be okay. But, what level of ‘not perfect’ is acceptable? Is anything that causes the odd dodgy poop to be cut out or is it okay? As I said, I’m lost.


      • Bam
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          I do think most buns have the occasional imperfect poop, just like humans and dogs. Are Peanut and Buttercup in any way related?

          My bunny Bam has a difficult tummy and it can be really difficult periodically. My bunny Yohio was very different, but even he had sticky poop once or twice in his life.

          It’s not just food that influences the workings of the gut. The gut has a nervous system of its own called the enteric nervous system. A major signal substance in the gut is serotonin. There are other signal substances, like the various hormones that control hunger and satiety, and it’s not fully understood exactly how it all interacts. Then there are the gut microorganisms like yeasts and bacteria. I did a MOOC on gut microbiota from the Uni of Denver 2 years back or so. Gut microorganisms are influenced by just about everything, from how much time you spend outdoors vs indoors, how much excercise you get, if you’ve had antibiotics as a child, if you were born with a C-section etc plus of course what you eat and drink.

          TLDR: The workings of the gut is mysterious. I think all buns have bouts of less than perfect poop. I don’t know though, so maybe we should set up a poll and ask the forum members?

          You’re not depriving your buns of anything. Hay, hay, hay and grass and hay plus some small additions are what adult buns need. But both dogs and buns are EXPERT at telling us they are super-super deprived and never ever get any food ever. They can be very convincing.


        • Gordo and Janice
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            Well, for what it’s worth. Icey was never perfect 24/7. Of course I don’t know that we were perfect in her diet. Looking back we probably gave more greens than we should have as a percentage of her diet for her weight. There were excess cecotropes. There were slimy, wet looking poops that would leave a slight residue when picking them up. Some days and weeks were better than others.

            Because she never experienced stasis and seemed otherwise happy and healthy we didn’t suspect that might not be normal. We assumed that was the nature of a rabbit. We were unaware that some rabbits would or could have perfect poops 24/7. Otherwise we probably would have been frustrated as well.


          • Daisy
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              I sometimes see a few tiny/stuckintoaclumppoops. It’s like 5% of the time. I do think even healthy buns sometimes get weird poops (like humans do). Could be because of stress, molting, weather I suppose.Or because I was too generous with the veggies/fruit, or because they ate less hay than usual, or a combination of all above, who knows.

              I wouldn’t start oat hay again, it does seem to have an effect on your buns. Maybe just keep it as it is now and see if the poops are good most of the time. Maybe look into grainfree pellets after a while if you feel like experimenting again. And feed veggies, but don’t feed any lettuce families or cabbage type veggies (brocoli, cauliflower, sprouts, kale) as those can upset some tummies too. Stay away from very watery veggies (cucumber) too, just to be safe. Stick to leafy non-lettuce veggies such as endive or spinach and see how they react. Don’t feed fruits or other high sugar things (carrots), the sugars in them can upset tummies.


            • Dface
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                Not to sound like a careless bun parent, but Yumi has a weird tummy, nearly all the vets we go to notice its slow and loud.
                She does not have normal poop-ever. We tried all things and I talked to vets and they have told me normal is relative.
                She sometimes has slimey poop for want of a better word, or very small, or very dark or very misshapen or very hard and has only ever had stasis twice (both times my fault- too much grass in one go/ too much dirt eating)
                Eventually I just learned to be watchful of sudden changes in her behaviour-Peep who has perfect poops is my main stasis worry though if Im honest.

                I dont know the solution for your problem, as I know you do have stasis prone babies, I just wanted to let you know that, you arent alone in the quest for perfect poop.

                For me, I would also be worried about the lack of nutrients a hay only diet provides. When mine were on hay I was also using veggies to try and make sure there was enough vitamins. Is there a chance this could be part of the problem?


              • LBJ10
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                  Leopold gets gas often, but almost always have beautiful poops. Wooly never seems to have tummy trouble, but his poops vary A LOT. He’ll go from squishy poop to small misshapen poops and back again. I honestly don’t believe it has anything to do with his diet. I believe it is all stress-related.


                • sarahthegemini
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                    Thank you for all your responses guys, really appreciate it and it’s given me a bit more perspective. I think I was expecting too much and then worrying that their tummies must be in distress when their poop was less than perfect. It took me a while to accept that Peanut will always have poop that fluctuates in size regardless of how much he eats. Maybe this is something I need to accept too and not get so crazy about? It’s just so scary for me, as you know, Buttercup has had stasis 3x in her first year of life *touch wood it’s been over a year since her last episode* I don’t want her to go through that again. Ironically, her poops are perfect (the only times they haven’t been are if she’s been stressed after a vet trip – they get a bit smaller, or when she was poorly) Peanut on the other hand seems (or seemed?) to have a tummy of steal but his poops are so varied. In size mainly but now this sticky issue.

                    It feels like the gurgling tummies comes in waves. I panic and cut things out and it seems okay for a while and then it starts again. Maybe I should stop immediately cutting out things from their diet and see if the gurgling actually ceases on it’s own. I’m so thankful that even with the loudest tummy sounds, both buns continue to behave normally, eat plenty and poop lots too. I just can’t help but think lpud belly = gas. Gas could = stasis. Ironically, gurgling tummy was never a symptom when Buttercup had her stasis episodes.

                    Bam I think a poll would be extremely helpful! I’ve no idea how to do that though. Could you help? Peanut and Buttercup are brother and sister btw It’s interesting to know that diet isn’t the sole factor in how the gut works.

                    Gordo and Janice thank you for your input. I’m glad Icey never had stasis problems. It’s actually quite reassuring to know that poop issues don’t automatically lead to stasis. Phew!

                    Daisy thank you for your advice. I’m definitely not giving them the oat again. Although they’re still having problems, they did have more issues whilst on the oat. It might have been coincidence but I’d rather not risk it. They love their orchard anyway. I just wished it was cheaper. But never mind. In regards to fruit – I would love to be able to give them fruit but like you said, it can upset tummies. I get so envious seeing bunnies on instagram eating banana. I don’t want P & B to miss out lol.

                    Dface it sounds like we have bunnies in common! Buttercup is my main stasis worry and her poops are glorious. Whenever I hear gurgling and see dodgy poops, I immediately observe and make sure they are behaving as normal and still doing normal poops (after the odd ones) I just hate being on edge, y’know?

                    LBJ10 It seems Peanut and Wooly are long lost siblings! You said it’s likely stress related for him – what sort of stress would cause weird poops? I’m wondering if that could be a factor for Peanut? He’s quite a laid back bunny and doesn’t really appear stressed but who knows?


                  • sarahthegemini
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                      Buttercup’s tummy has just been really loud but she’s got a great appetite and has done lovely glorious poops. Peanut on the other hand has just done 2 of the stickiest poops ever Larger than normal, oval shaped and with a stringy substance on them. They smelt foul too and were quite stodgy. He did some normal ones too though. Gaaahhhh!


                    • LBJ10
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                        Wooly becomes anxious for a lot of reasons it seems. Sometimes, I don’t even know what it was that set him off. He doesn’t always look like he’s stressed though. As in, I will only notice a change in his poop. When he is obviously stressed though, it’s easier to see the connection. It’s a delayed reaction. But I guess in terms of poop, you wouldn’t see changes immediately since they need to make their way through. Sometimes they are small and mishapen, sometimes they are mushy. It’s weird.

                        As for Buttercup, I wonder if some probiotics or digestive support supplements would help.


                      • sarahthegemini
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                          Well the pellets they have (that I stopped temporarily) are probiotic pellets – Protexin for rabbits. I’ve given them some pellets again the last couple days hoping it might do some good. I’ve thought about trying some digestive support but the only ones Iknow of are the tablets by Oxbow and I wasn’t sure if they were a bit of a gimmick? Do you have any suggestions?


                        • LittlePuffyTail
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                            Sterling used to get random, loud, like really loud tummy gurgling. It would last for several days sometimes. I was concerned and he seen the vet several times about it but since it was never accompanied by other symptoms, she didn’t think it was much of a problem. Of course, his tummy never did the super loud gurgles while he was there. He was a big bun, but it was so loud, like I would have been alarmed had my tummy gurgled that loud. Bindi also had the occasional tummy gurgle. So, from my experience, gurgling alone is not usually a reason to be concerned.


                          • LBJ10
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                              I’ve never tried the Oxbow digestive supplements, but there are people who swear by them. They contain chicory root and ginger root. Both are used as digestive supplements in people. They could be hype, but I think they are one of those things that you just have to try. If they seem to help, great. If not, then oh well.


                            • kurottabun
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                                I doubt bunnies can have completely perfect poops 24/7 365 days a year forever too :p Kurotta has the occasional small poop and he’s also left about one or two cecals in the past week. I think as long as they don’t show any other signs and you’ve done the best you can, there isn’t anything left to do but accept it. Perhaps it’ll go back to normal eventually

                                I also don’t think you are depriving them of anything. You’re even giving them a variety for the very basic -hay-!


                              • Sirius&Luna
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                                  I also occasionally see really tiny poops. It’s hard to identify who it is with a trio, but I always keep a close eye and do the treat test multiple times a day.

                                  I also think that you’re probably hyper aware because of Buttercup’s past issues, and so you focus on things that other people might not even notice, that don’t necessarily develop into a problem. It’s good to be vigilant, but try to not stress about things that in themselves aren’t illness but are just a possible symptom.


                                • sarahthegemini
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                                    LPT thanks, that’s reassuring. I just wonder what triggered it all. She never used to gurgle when she was younger. 

                                    LBJ10 ah yes I remember seeing that the Oxbow ones had chicory root. I actually used to give dried chicory root to them every day as a treat. I’ll have to restart that too.

                                    Kurroto you’re right, I just panic because bad poops can often lead to more issues if not corrected but I suppose I’ve seen that with Peanut, that isn’t the case? I know with Buttercup, when she actually was poorly, it was her behaviour that I noticed first so I would like to assume that if problems were to occur with P, his behaviour would  be ‘off’ and I’d know. It definitely makes me never want to leave them under someone else’s care. Who needs holidays aye 

                                    Sirius I am definitely hyper aware. I never used to be this crazy when I first got them. As I said, Buttercup’s last episode of stasis was over a year ago now (and Peanut has never had it) I sometimes notice bad poops and whatnot at like 1am so instead of sleep I’m sitting near them waiting for their next bowel movement  I neeeeed to relax.


                                  • Q8bunny
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                                      I still swear by a teaspoon of yogurt daily.

                                      Anyhoo… even though Chewie seems to have a cast iron tummy, I still notice smaller poops the day after my Spanish Inquisition torturer brother visits or the wookie fights the vacuum cleaner. Stress related, from what I can figure.

                                      Having said that, I know your bubs are super well taken care of, but am starting to wonder if it could be something environmental, like an allergen of sorts – a spore in the air, or something triggering them??


                                    • Gordo and Janice
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                                        Posted By sarahthegemini on 8/06/2018 8:29 AM 

                                        I sometimes notice bad poops and whatnot at like 1am so instead of sleep I’m sitting near them waiting for their next bowel movement  I neeeeed to relax.

                                        You crack me up.  I can picture you sitting there in the still quiet of the night.  No sound at 1am.  Just sitting and staring.  Camera cuts to bunnies just chilling, milling around, doing their thing.  Camera cuts back to stg….staring intently in dead silence.  Cut to minutes later, stg with chin propped up in palms of hands….staring.  Cut to many many minutes later, stg shifting a little, maybe a little sound of a breath sigh to break the silence……staring…….waiting to catch the poop gone awry.  So sleepy but so determined!  It’s almost like a scene from a comedy.


                                      • sarahthegemini
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                                          Posted By Gordo and Janice on 8/06/2018 12:35 PM

                                          Posted By sarahthegemini on 8/06/2018 8:29 AM 

                                          I sometimes notice bad poops and whatnot at like 1am so instead of sleep I’m sitting near them waiting for their next bowel movement  I neeeeed to relax.

                                          You crack me up.  I can picture you sitting there in the still quiet of the night.  No sound at 1am.  Just sitting and staring.  Camera cuts to bunnies just chilling, milling around, doing their thing.  Camera cuts back to stg….staring intently in dead silence.  Cut to minutes later, stg with chin propped up in palms of hands….staring.  Cut to many many minutes later, stg shifting a little, maybe a little sound of a breath sigh to break the silence……staring…….waiting to catch the poop gone awry.  So sleepy but so determined!  It’s almost like a scene from a comedy.

                                          HAHAHAHAHAHA OMG  


                                        • sarahthegemini
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                                            Posted By Q8bunny on 8/06/2018 10:48 AM
                                            I still swear by a teaspoon of yogurt daily.

                                            Anyhoo… even though Chewie seems to have a cast iron tummy, I still notice smaller poops the day after my Spanish Inquisition torturer brother visits or the wookie fights the vacuum cleaner. Stress related, from what I can figure.

                                            Having said that, I know your bubs are super well taken care of, but am starting to wonder if it could be something environmental, like an allergen of sorts – a spore in the air, or something triggering them??

                                            Hmm, I can’t think of anything as nothing in their environment has changed, although it has been insanely hot here lately. Could that effect their tummies? They’re still eating just as much hay so maybe not? Peanut is moulting a lot at the moment too.


                                          • kurottabun
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                                              Seems like there are a couple of people posting about tummy troubles recently with the heat wave. So I definitely wouldn’t rule that possibility out since bunnies are often affected by changes in the environment.


                                            • Q8bunny
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                                                Moulting and heat can both affect bunny tums


                                              • sarahthegemini
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                                                  I’ve ordered some papaya tabs so I’m hoping they’ll help a little!


                                                • sarahthegemini
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                                                    Arrrr sticky poops again :-/


                                                  • LBJ10
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                                                      Mucous? Or just sticky?


                                                    • sarahthegemini
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                                                        I don’t think it’s mucous (what would that look like?) It’s a sticky stringy looking substance covering one of his poops. It’s not fur and if I pull on the substance ( ) it’s quite elastic-y. I’ve sent some photos to Wick which will be posted here for me asap. Hopefully you guys will see what I mean.


                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                          Sounds like mucous, which would suggest intestinal lining might be irritated for some reason. This is so perplexing…


                                                        • sarahthegemini
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                                                            Posted By Q8bunny on 8/09/2018 8:54 AM

                                                            Sounds like mucous, which would suggest intestinal lining might be irritated for some reason. This is so perplexing…

                                                            I saved it in a tissue overnight with intention of taking it to the vet but it has dried out completely and now the sticky part just looks like a dried stain. Any ideas how to preserve poop? Lol. For when it happens again? 


                                                          • Sirius&Luna
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                                                              OK, I know its not funny, but that is hilarious  Maybe you could freeze it in a freezer bag?


                                                            • jerseygirl
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                                                                Posted By sarahthegemini on 8/09/2018 12:26 AM

                                                                I don’t think it’s mucous (what would that look like?) It’s a sticky stringy looking substance covering one of his poops. It’s not fur and if I pull on the substance ( ) it’s quite elastic-y. I’ve sent some photos to Wick which will be posted here for me asap. Hopefully you guys will see what I mean.

                                                                Here’s the photos. Wick wasn’t able add them from phone. 


                                                              • sarahthegemini
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                                                                  Thank you Jersey. So the first photo is the poop as I found it. I then pulled the substance off the poop ( ) which is what you’ll see in the 2nd and 3rd pictures. The 4th is a close up of the substance.


                                                                • sarahthegemini
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                                                                    The only thing that seems to be constant is that when he does the sticky poops, most of the time it’s evening or night. Very rarely happens in the morning. It’s so strange.


                                                                  • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                      Again since I don’t have an answer, I know this doesn’t help. Hopefully, maybe, it’s a piece in this elaborate puzzle. But Icey’s would be first thing in the morning after sleeping with us during the night, or, first thing in the evening after sleeping or napping during the afternoon. Pretty consistently. Almost always. So maybe the time component is significant for whatever reason? Is it after a nap? Or just different times while moving around and active in the evening? Several different times? All during the evening? Or just during one of the litter box visits that evening?

                                                                      I don’t know. Just throwing stuff out there to see if it helps a light bulb come on with anyone. I do know that your “green about to vomit” emoticon or emoji was pretty accurate the first time I looked at your poop slime and poop dissection. My tolerance has since increased. Not so bad now. It looks like little tiny slimy wet balls are in the stringy covering.


                                                                    • sarahthegemini
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                                                                        Posted By Gordo and Janice on 8/10/2018 2:12 PM

                                                                        Again since I don’t have an answer, I know this doesn’t help. Hopefully, maybe, it’s a piece in this elaborate puzzle. But Icey’s would be first thing in the morning after sleeping with us during the night, or, first thing in the evening after sleeping or napping during the afternoon. Pretty consistently. Almost always. So maybe the time component is significant for whatever reason? Is it after a nap? Or just different times while moving around and active in the evening? Several different times? All during the evening? Or just during one of the litter box visits that evening?

                                                                        I don’t know. Just throwing stuff out there to see if it helps a light bulb come on with anyone. I do know that your “green about to vomit” emoticon or emoji was pretty accurate the first time I looked at your poop slime and poop dissection. My tolerance has since increased. Not so bad now. It looks like little tiny slimy wet balls are in the stringy covering.

                                                                        I definitely feel like the timing of the poop must have significance. I’m just not sure how. I know he (and Buttercup) do the majority of their hay eating early morning (between 5 and 9am) and then they just nibble on it here and there throughout the rest of the day. Maybe that’s part of it? But then that’s been their pattern for quite a while now so it would be weird if that’s the main issue. Usually when it happens, it’ll be just one or two odd shaped poops with that coating amongst a bunch of normal poops. Or I’ll see just the goopy poop on it’s own and his next bowel movement is totally normal (and that’s usually quite soon after)

                                                                        I must apologise for the grossness of the photos but I’m glad you guys can see what I’m talking about. I’m a bit numb to how disgusting it is now (kind of)  I see what you mean about looking like slimey wet balls in it but I think it’s just the way the stringy thing is twisted?  When I pulled on it () it was very much a straight goop. 


                                                                      • LBJ10
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                                                                          Hmm… mucous suggests inflammation. But without any known cause, it makes you think maybe he some sort of IBD. It isn’t well documented in rabbits, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a thing. It could explain the seemingly randomness of his episodes.


                                                                        • Bam
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                                                                            Bam has poop like that sometimes. He’s always had a sensitive tummy whereas my other bun didnt. Same food, same house etc. Maybe it’s a black lop thing?

                                                                            Bam is currently having a bout of tummy trouble, last time was in January 2017. He’s getting meds and CC.


                                                                          • sarahthegemini
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                                                                              Posted By LBJ10 on 8/10/2018 11:31 PM

                                                                              Hmm… mucous suggests inflammation. But without any known cause, it makes you think maybe he some sort of IBD. It isn’t well documented in rabbits, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a thing. It could explain the seemingly randomness of his episodes.

                                                                              IBD. Irritable bowel disease? How would something like that be diagnosed? I’ve been reluctant to take him to a vet just because I can’t determine when the episodes are going to occur and he’s perfectly normal in every other way so I don’t know if a vet could detect any issues unless they do something invasive? But even then, I don’t know if anything would show if it’s a day when he doesn’t have any poop issues. Hmm.


                                                                            • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                Posted By bam on 8/11/2018 5:24 AM

                                                                                Bam has poop like that sometimes. He’s always had a sensitive tummy whereas my other bun didnt. Same food, same house etc. Maybe it’s a black lop thing?

                                                                                Bam is currently having a bout of tummy trouble, last time was in January 2017. He’s getting meds and CC.

                                                                                It’s odd because prior to this problem beginning, he never had any tummy sensitivity. This has been going on for a couple of months now I think? With Bam, did his tummy sensitivity just start randomly or was he like that when you first got him? I know you rescued him (from a forest, is that right? ) so you won’t know whether he was born with it but did he have issues right from the start when you found him?

                                                                                I hope Bam is okay and overcomes his tummy troubles quickly  What meds does he have? 


                                                                              • Bam
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                                                                                  Bam had the tummy issues from the start and the young girl bun that was with him also had those problems according to the woman that took her in. So it seems it could be hereditary. Seems less likely that’s the case with Peanut.

                                                                                  He has infacol, ranitidine and Metacam. He’s also had probiotics. He’s still eating leaves and fruit but not the hay or pellets. He pees like he should, but the poop is tiny.


                                                                                • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                    Posted By bam on 8/11/2018 7:44 AM
                                                                                    Bam had the tummy issues from the start and the young girl bun that was with him also had those problems according to the woman that took her in. So it seems it could be hereditary. Seems less likely that’s the case with Peanut.

                                                                                    He has infacol, ranitidine and Metacam. He’s also had probiotics. He’s still eating leaves and fruit but not the hay or pellets. He pees like he should, but the poop is tiny.

                                                                                    Ah, bless him.

                                                                                    Peanut’s appetite doesn’t seem affected at all. He’s a really good hay eater. If Peanut has IBD, would that also be the reason for his fluctuating poop size?


                                                                                  • Q8bunny
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                                                                                      Not sure I have anything helpful to offer. But if you put stool samples in plastic cling film (Glad or Seran wrap) and refrigerate in a zipped baggie, it should keep


                                                                                    • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                        Posted By Q8bunny on 8/11/2018 10:33 AM
                                                                                        Not sure I have anything helpful to offer. But if you put stool samples in plastic cling film (Glad or Seran wrap) and refrigerate in a zipped baggie, it should keep

                                                                                        Thank you for the tip!


                                                                                      • LBJ10
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                                                                                          sarah – I don’t think they have a real way to diagnose it. Like I said, it isn’t well documented. I’m just throwing thoughts out there. Since it all seems so random, it makes you wonder if there is something else going on internally. But yeah, that is a problem. I can see taking him to the vet and him looking just fine when you go there.


                                                                                        • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                            Posted By LBJ10 on 8/11/2018 3:06 PM
                                                                                            sarah – I don’t think they have a real way to diagnose it. Like I said, it isn’t well documented. I’m just throwing thoughts out there. Since it all seems so random, it makes you wonder if there is something else going on internally. But yeah, that is a problem. I can see taking him to the vet and him looking just fine when you go there.

                                                                                            Ah okay. I just don’t know what to do I think my best bet is to wait til he does another sticky poop and save it. I’ve actually just found an unused sample pot that I could put it in. At least I’ll have something to show the vet even if Peanut seems absolutely fine.


                                                                                          • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                              Sticky poops again (11:40pm!) No mucous substance on them. Just sticky and leave residue on my hands. I’m not going to save these ones for the vet, I want the vet to see the ones with the stringy substance/mucous! Sigh.


                                                                                            • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                Tummy (((vibes)))


                                                                                              • Poppyhani
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                                                                                                  Hi Sarah!

                                                                                                  Sorrel has a weird tummy too. The vet says it’s basically fine every time he checks it, gurgles are quiet but constant, yada yada, but he has goopy substances around the cage at night. Sometimes it’s cecals, sometimes it’s poop, but otherwise his poop is pretty dang healthy. Sorrel is on a hay diet with the selective science pellets, but he was on antibiotics for a while, which seemed to stop the poop problem. Now that he’s back off it, he’s doing it again.

                                                                                                  He’s had his diet completely reworked, and my vet is also at loss LOL. He says as long as Sorrel is fit and healthy, he can’t find any fault with his diet, so there isn’t much they can do. Basically, he’s told me it’s just gonna be a thing, and that’s how Sorrel’s tummy works. As a mum with a colitis disorder, I sympathise with him. He shares a diet with his wife bun, so I completely understand feeling like you’re depriving them. I miss giving the poor souls veggies.

                                                                                                  I hope the poops stop soon, but don’t think you’re a bad bun mum for it! Like humans, they get issues like this too that diet just can’t fix.


                                                                                                • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                    Last night, either Rumball or Ailis produced a poop exactly like the first one in your pic. I suspect Rumball as he was near litterbox where it was. I left it as I wanted to see of he’d go over to it and eat it. Sure enough, it disappeared.

                                                                                                    It’s like cecal material but not formed in the small balls and coated in the super glossy mucus membrane. I wonder if it’s the separated stuff that didn’t go back into cecum for fermentation? Or it is cecals that weren’t expelled with the majorirty then became unformed. Much like described here in regards to Intermittent Soft Cecotrope syndrome but less liquid then described.

                                                                                                    When the contents of the cecum are retained for longer than normal periods of time the cecotropes are eventually excreted in a more liquid state and it is impossible for the rabbit to eat them. The mucous in these soft or liquid cecotropes causes them to adhere firmly to any surface, making it difficult to clean the pet and its environment. Not only is the condition messy, but there is a concern that the rabbit may be missing vital nutrition if he cannot eat the cecotropes. rabbit.org//intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/

                                                                                                    So sort of like there was some cecal material left, then when normal poop making its way out, this is “dumped” first.

                                                                                                    I also wonder if some rabbits just have oddly shaped areas in the digestive tract that trap some materials back longer then it’s supposed to. Hormones can come into play also, as some of the digestive process is hormonally controlled. This affects timing of the waves/moments the intestine makes to separate fibres and produce the 2 different types of poop.

                                                                                                    btw, though I mention Rumball earlier, he’s actually had great gut & poop for years. This was a one off as far as I know. He is on metacam though, and recently had ear drop antibiotics…
                                                                                                    Gooseman is actually my poopy bunny.


                                                                                                  • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                      Posted By Poppyhani on 8/13/2018 7:51 AM

                                                                                                      Hi Sarah!

                                                                                                      Sorrel has a weird tummy too. The vet says it’s basically fine every time he checks it, gurgles are quiet but constant, yada yada, but he has goopy substances around the cage at night. Sometimes it’s cecals, sometimes it’s poop, but otherwise his poop is pretty dang healthy. Sorrel is on a hay diet with the selective science pellets, but he was on antibiotics for a while, which seemed to stop the poop problem. Now that he’s back off it, he’s doing it again.

                                                                                                      He’s had his diet completely reworked, and my vet is also at loss LOL. He says as long as Sorrel is fit and healthy, he can’t find any fault with his diet, so there isn’t much they can do. Basically, he’s told me it’s just gonna be a thing, and that’s how Sorrel’s tummy works. As a mum with a colitis disorder, I sympathise with him. He shares a diet with his wife bun, so I completely understand feeling like you’re depriving them. I miss giving the poor souls veggies.

                                                                                                      I hope the poops stop soon, but don’t think you’re a bad bun mum for it! Like humans, they get issues like this too that diet just can’t fix.

                                                                                                      Thanks for this. It’s a shame that you haven’t been able to find a specific trigger for Sorrel but I’m glad he is okay and his tummy issues haven’t led to anything scary. I’m really starting to think that this is just how Peanut is too. I hate to think he could be in some discomfort but his behaviour doesn’t indicate that he is uncomfortable or in pain so that’s positive. They’ve been having their pellets again for about a week now and I don’t think his tummy is any worse. I’m going to gradually bring fibafirst sticks back into their diet, along with forage. I figured there’s no point in keeping them off it as it hasn’t made a difference. 

                                                                                                      Also I’m sorry to hear you have colitis. I don’t have it but I do have bowel damage from medication as a child. You’re right that there are some things diet won’t fix


                                                                                                    • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                        Posted By jerseygirl on 8/14/2018 6:43 AM

                                                                                                        Last night, either Rumball or Ailis produced a poop exactly like the first one in your pic. I suspect Rumball as he was near litterbox where it was. I left it as I wanted to see of he’d go over to it and eat it. Sure enough, it disappeared.

                                                                                                        It’s like cecal material but not formed in the small balls and coated in the super glossy mucus membrane. I wonder if it’s the separated stuff that didn’t go back into cecum for fermentation? Or it is cecals that weren’t expelled with the majorirty then became unformed. Much like described here in regards to Intermittent Soft Cecotrope syndrome but less liquid then described.

                                                                                                        When the contents of the cecum are retained for longer than normal periods of time the cecotropes are eventually excreted in a more liquid state and it is impossible for the rabbit to eat them. The mucous in these soft or liquid cecotropes causes them to adhere firmly to any surface, making it difficult to clean the pet and its environment. Not only is the condition messy, but there is a concern that the rabbit may be missing vital nutrition if he cannot eat the cecotropes. rabbit.org//intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/

                                                                                                        So sort of like there was some cecal material left, then when normal poop making its way out, this is “dumped” first.

                                                                                                        I also wonder if some rabbits just have oddly shaped areas in the digestive tract that trap some materials back longer then it’s supposed to. Hormones can come into play also, as some of the digestive process is hormonally controlled. This affects timing of the waves/moments the intestine makes to separate fibres and produce the 2 different types of poop.

                                                                                                        btw, though I mention Rumball earlier, he’s actually had great gut & poop for years. This was a one off as far as I know. He is on metacam though, and recently had ear drop antibiotics…
                                                                                                        Gooseman is actually my poopy bunny.

                                                                                                        That’s really interesting Jersey. If the mucous is indeed just unfermented cecal material, I guess that would explain why Peanut doesn’t act as though his tummy is in distress. Because, it isn’t? Or if the whole poop itself is an unformed cecal, that would make sense too because the poops smell absolutely foul, much like cecals. And if I break the poop apart, there are no hay particles inside. I wonder though if there is a fix for this or if it’s just something to accept. Especially as it’s occurring quite often now. 

                                                                                                        I also had no idea that hormones can affect the digestive process. Rabbits are so much more complex than I could have imagined 


                                                                                                      • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                                                          A-ha! Yep, failed to mention (or did and forgot) that Icey’s first thing in the morning after sleeping and first thing in the evening after napping issues with the random soft slimy poop mixed in with the regular were indeed pungent, often times “absolutely foul” as you put it. I suspected her “cecotrope/poop keeping separate mechanism” wasn’t working 100 percent or was more relaxed and not quite as efficient when she slept so hence the problem. And the assumption became that was just the way rabbits are. But again, didn’t (and don’t) understand everything in detail about rabbits. That was our first and only with no real resources available like now so we could only assume such. Obviously that is not the typical case, since most owners seem to have rabbits who poop “glorious poopage”.

                                                                                                          But what you said struck a familiar cord.


                                                                                                        • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                            Yep, hormones are basically chemical signals that are involved in a lot of the body’s processes, ours included.
                                                                                                            I was reading a bit more on the hind gut in rabbits, and I think I had it around the wrong way with my speculation about this coming out before hard poop phase. It could be right after hard poop phase. Honestly, Ive gotten more confused and the print on the page i was reading was tiny!
                                                                                                            But as Gordo says, perhaps it’s to do with the “cecotrope/poop keeping separate mechanism” or a bit of a cross over with the different phases.

                                                                                                            Interestingly, I also read the cec’s are produced in the day (especially for wild rabbits) yet we so commonly see them referred to as “night droppings” .
                                                                                                            I suppose it’s more consistent for wild rabbits as they can only feed at certain times, and the cecal phase is around 4-6 hrs after eating when they’re relaxed and at rest. Whereas for our rabbits, they have food available to them constantly and might eat at all sorts of hours.


                                                                                                          • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                              Posted By jerseygirl on 8/14/2018 10:32 AM

                                                                                                              Yep, hormones are basically chemical signals that are involved in a lot of the body’s processes, ours included.
                                                                                                              I was reading a bit more on the hind gut in rabbits, and I think I had it around the wrong way with my speculation about this coming out before hard poop phase. It could be right after hard poop phase. Honestly, Ive gotten more confused and the print on the page i was reading was tiny!
                                                                                                              But as Gordo says, perhaps it’s to do with the “cecotrope/poop keeping separate mechanism” or a bit of a cross over with the different phases.

                                                                                                              Interestingly, I also read the cec’s are produced in the day (especially for wild rabbits) yet we so commonly see them referred to as “night droppings” .
                                                                                                              I suppose it’s more consistent for wild rabbits as they can only feed at certain times, and the cecal phase is around 4-6 hrs after eating when they’re relaxed and at rest. Whereas for our rabbits, they have food available to them constantly and might eat at all sorts of hours.

                                                                                                              Do you think it’s still worth taking a mucous poop sample to the vet? I’m starting to feel a little more relaxed about the whole issue but don’t know if I should get it checked out anyway?

                                                                                                              I’ve always found it interesting that cecals are called night droppings as I see mine eating directly from the source at all hours during the day 


                                                                                                            • jerseygirl
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                                                                                                                If it helps put your mind at ease by ruling out other things, for sure. It won’t hurt. Well, only your bank balance…


                                                                                                              • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                  They already cost me a fortune, one more bill won’t hurt 

                                                                                                                  What do you think about the non mucous, sticky poops he does sometimes? They seem to be normal poops (no odour, good size, round, hay particles in them) but that leave residue/stick to my hands but there’s no noticeable substance on them. There’s usually a few of these along with the mucous ones but sometimes he just does these w/o the mucous ones. Could that be similar sort of thing?


                                                                                                                • Poppyhani
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                                                                                                                    I’ve started putting my buns back on the Fibafirst again too, and even though I worried it was causing it, I’ve given up depriving them, haha. I’ve noticed he’s way more lively when he has those, so I can’t help but think the increased fibre is doing them good, anyway?

                                                                                                                    I’d also hate to think they’re in pain, bunnies are especially good at hiding it, but given he was such a reclusive and shy bun in the beginning, to now being a nosy little bugger, I can’t help but think it isn’t causing him too many problems. Chances are, he really does have a special tummy, if your other bun doesn’t have the same problems as him! As for going to the vet… I kept going, haha. What they told me to do was stop the nuggets and put him on a recovery food, but they had none in stock, so they gave me a fibre boosting syringe thing instead called Fibreplex. It hasn’t helped, but like I said, the livelier they are, the healthier I’m… assuming they are!


                                                                                                                  • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                      Yesterday afternoon Peanut did so many odd poops. He had tons of hairy strung-together ones for a start. He’s moulting and we groom him every day so usually one or two hairy strung together ones are normal or a few slightly mishapen with fur. I hoped the papaya tabs would help. Nope, he did about 12 to 14 hairy poops (some strung together, some just mishapen by fur) He did a few that looked normal but were sticky and then he did a couple that were odd shaped and stinky and somewhat sticky – much like his previous mucous ones but w/o the muscous? I’ve kept those in a pot as we’re going to the vet this afternoon.

                                                                                                                      I’m kind of dreading it because I’ve got to explain everything without confusing myself and them. I’ve got photos of mucous poop to show them and an actual poop sample.


                                                                                                                    • Sirius&Luna
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                                                                                                                        I hope the vet goes well – you know what you’re talking about so don’t worry! You’re one of the most dedicated bun mums!
                                                                                                                        Let us know how it goes. I hope they have some solutions for you.


                                                                                                                      • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                          Back from the vets. Right. I showed him the mucous poop photos and immediately he said the mucous looks like unfermented cecal matter. I showed him the poop sample that I got from Pea early this morning and he said it looks like a mix of normal poop and cecal, so it could be due to the mechanisms in the bowel not being fully efficient at times. So, it’s basically what you guys thought  

                                                                                                                          He then gave him a physical exam. He felt his tummy thoroughly and said it feels fantastic. He felt his bowel and said he could feel normal round poops. He felt the cecum area and said it felt a little bit bloated and gassy. Not extraordinarily so, but a little. He listened to it and said it sounded like there was a lot of movement. Basically, Peanut has an overactive bowel. He is producing poops so quickly that the cecals aren’t all able to form properly before they are expelled. He has been put on Cisipride (sp?) x2 daily for two weeks. If he improves,  we will stop the Cisipride and see if his bowel stays okay. If it goes back to being a bit rubbish, we’ll need to think of having him on it long term. Or perhaps trying a different drug short term and again, go from there. 

                                                                                                                          I feel somewhat relieved that we have a diagnosis. I was worried that he’d be given a clean bill of health and we’d have no answers whatsoever. So I’m glad that the vet was able to find a reason for the weird poops, and I’m happy to know that it really isn’t diet related. I’m just worried that he might need medication long term On the bright side, the vet said his bowel is so active that chances are he’ll never have constipation (makes me feel relieved, you all know Buttercup’s stasis issues!)


                                                                                                                        • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                                                                            Good news! Always dark side/bright side it seems. That whole thing probably explains why Icey never had statis issues even though there were always strings tying her poops together in bracelet fashion from her excessive grooming of that crazy angora hair. Overactive bowel. Down side/up side.

                                                                                                                            Keep us posted. Curious to know if the meds straighten him out.


                                                                                                                          • LBJ10
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                                                                                                                              Yay! That’s great Sarah! Glad to hear everything is OK and the vet was able to give a diagnosis. I guess that means they can go back to a regular diet?


                                                                                                                            • Sirius&Luna
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                                                                                                                                I’m glad your vet could provide an answer! Fingers crossed that the cisipride helps


                                                                                                                              • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                  It’s always a relief to have something to go on – that way one can formulate a plan of attack. Less frustrating than pure speculation.

                                                                                                                                  Fingers crossed that Peanut’s overactive tum settles into a nice steady rhythm. xx


                                                                                                                                • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                    Thanks for all the support guys, it is really appreciated. I have my fingers crossed that a fortnight of this will clear up his troubles. Medicating him is interesting! Actually, medicating him is easy, it’s the picking him up! But I’m sure we’ll get better at it. At the moment it’s taking quite a while as I’m making sure he feels relaxed calm, so that when I pick him up, I can scoop him up w/o him scrambling. It’s effective but as I said, a little time consuming. It’s not a problem right now but I’d like to be able to pick him up safely in a timely manner in case of emergency. Something to work on!

                                                                                                                                    He’s had 4 doses of cisapride so far. I’ve noticed his poops have been smaller since the first dose. Usually they fluctuate but they are consistently the same size at the mo. No weird mucous or sticky ones so far. A few hairy though. I’m grooming him daily and haven’t been able to get much of him. He definitely doesn’t look as tufty either but he is still doing hairy poops?

                                                                                                                                    Edit: I was actually so overwhelmed at the vets that I didn’t ask if I can start bringing things back into their diet. D’oh! I did however mention that we’d just restarted the pellets and the vet was happy so long as it hadn’t made things worse (which it hadn’t) so I’m going to add in FibaFirst sticks and forage but I’ll do so with caution.


                                                                                                                                  • Tony's Mum
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                                                                                                                                      My two get the hairy poop thing because Tony is so furry despite daily grooming. I know they’re on a restricted diet but I find a cube of fresh pineapple every two or three days really helps them digest the fur. Maybe if things settle down a little it would be worth a try? I keep a bag in the freezer and use them as treats. Also when I get a fresh pineapple I let them play with the core, (which I believe Q8 recommended to me as Chewie also had fur poop issues) and they love it!


                                                                                                                                    • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                        Posted By Tony’s Mum on 8/18/2018 8:21 AM

                                                                                                                                        My two get the hairy poop thing because Tony is so furry despite daily grooming. I know they’re on a restricted diet but I find a cube of fresh pineapple every two or three days really helps them digest the fur. Maybe if things settle down a little it would be worth a try? I keep a bag in the freezer and use them as treats. Also when I get a fresh pineapple I let them play with the core, (which I believe Q8 recommended to me as Chewie also had fur poop issues) and they love it!

                                                                                                                                        Ah yes, Q8 recommended pineapple too if Peanut didn’t start taking his papaya tabs. Luckily he’s taking them now but I think he’s had more hairy poops since?! Could be coincidence but I’m not sure. Peanut has been extra generous with grooming Buttercup lately so he’s getting double the fur! I’ll give the pineapple a go once he’s back on his regular stuff and is doing okay with that. I’ve restarted giving both buns a piece of dried chicory root. I believe that is one of the ingredients in the Oxbow digestive support tabs so I’m hopeful that it will do some good. They’ve always loved chicory anyway. It’s nice to be able to give them treats again. Although for Peanut, it’s after he’s been medicated!


                                                                                                                                      • Q8bunny
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                                                                                                                                          The nice thing about pineapple is that any buns on a restricted fruit diet can have the washed woody peel and benefit from it (bromaline enzyme AND heaps of fiber).


                                                                                                                                        • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                                                                                            Glad you got a diagnosis! Fingers crossed the cisapride works.


                                                                                                                                          • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                              I’m pleased to report that the cisapride has made a huge difference! No odd poops of any kind since early Thursday morning* (he started the meds Thursday evening) I know it’s only been 4 days but w/o the cisapride, he would have definitely done the odd one or two (or several..) over the course of 4 days. Feeling very positive right now.

                                                                                                                                              *touch wood*


                                                                                                                                            • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                                                                                                Great! I love the *touch wood*, it’s *knock on wood* here.


                                                                                                                                              • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                  Ahhhh bloody jinxed it didnt I. Last night Peanut’s tummy was gurgling a little, nothing too major as it wasn’t too loud but then he did a few odd shaped poops, some poops with sticky residue and three poops with a little mucous on them. On the bright side, the poops themselves (apart from being sticky or having mucous on them) were fairly normal inside. Not as stodgy, there were hay particles in then and only a slight odour so I’m guessing that’s some progress. I’m just a little disheartened.

                                                                                                                                                  Also, Buttercup’s tummy was gurgling too. It didn’t go on for long but it was quite loud the first few times and then it quietened down. She was eating and pooping as normal though. I’m feeling disheartened about that too as loud gurgling had pretty much stopped when I stopped the oat hay. Not sure why it would start again.


                                                                                                                                                • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                                                                                                    Awww….sorry to hear that. But I wouldn’t be too discouraged. Bunnies and their tummies…..so frustratingly sensitive.


                                                                                                                                                  • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                      So sensitive

                                                                                                                                                      Both bun’s tummies were okay last night. A little gurgling but it was fairly quiet.

                                                                                                                                                      I have a suspicion that Peanut might need a longer course of treatment. The vet did initially say a month but because of how nervous we were about the prospect of medicating a very squirmy bun, he said start with two weeks. Pleased to say picking up Pea is getting SO much easier! That’s what my main concern was in terms of giving him his medicine. At least if he has to have cisapride for longer, I’m pretty confident with picking him up so it’s not as daunting.


                                                                                                                                                    • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                                                                                                        My cat, Kyle, had a severe blockage last summer. We almost lost him. Vet thinks he has a sensitive tummy. Doesn’t help that he is always trying to eat hay…. But he was put on Cisapride for almost a year. And (((crossing fingers))) he’s been good for a while. I monitor his poops like a hawk, though. Sometimes I clean the litter box twice a day.

                                                                                                                                                        Not related to your situation, just blabbing, I guess…


                                                                                                                                                      • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                          Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 8/22/2018 9:57 AM
                                                                                                                                                          My cat, Kyle, had a severe blockage last summer. We almost lost him. Vet thinks he has a sensitive tummy. Doesn’t help that he is always trying to eat hay…. But he was put on Cisapride for almost a year. And (((crossing fingers))) he’s been good for a while. I monitor his poops like a hawk, though. Sometimes I clean the litter box twice a day.

                                                                                                                                                          Not related to your situation, just blabbing, I guess…

                                                                                                                                                          I’m sorry to hear about Kyle’s tummy troubles *fingers crossed he continues to be okay * I am with you right there on monitoring poops like a hawk. It’s almost an obsession.


                                                                                                                                                        • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                            Feeling so disheartened. Almost every poop that Pea has done this morning has had sticky residue on it. I haven’t seen any improvement and he’s due to finish his meds on Thurs


                                                                                                                                                          • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                                                                                                              Sorry. I know you put a lot of time, energy, and effort into figuring this out and getting it back to where it used to be. How old is Pea now?


                                                                                                                                                            • Sirius&Luna
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                                                                                                                                                                so annoying to not know what the problem is.


                                                                                                                                                              • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                                  Posted By Gordo and Janice on 8/28/2018 8:18 AM
                                                                                                                                                                  Sorry. I know you put a lot of time, energy, and effort into figuring this out and getting it back to where it used to be. How old is Pea now?

                                                                                                                                                                  He has just turned 2. He’s still a baby really


                                                                                                                                                                • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                                                                                                                    Yeh, you know, I was really trying hard to think back. It’s been so long. And we, being inexperienced with rabbits and what to expect, weren’t as concerned with the occasional abnormal poopage so it didn’t register clearly as to when it started. I do know when Icey was young there were no issues. All poops were stellar. Perfect, hard, dry, round, consistent. For the life of me I can’t remember when it began. And even worse I can’t remember if it began very intermittently and gradually became regular or just all of a sudden became a regular issue.

                                                                                                                                                                    It definitely didn’t happen at the old house and started at some point after moving into the new house. So she cleared a year and a half at the old house with no issues. And it was something that we had gotten accustomed to for quite a few years. So again I’m guessing that anywhere from that 2 to 3 to 3 1/2 year mark is when she started. And it was pretty consistent for the rest of her years in that it was an issue first thing in the mornings after dozing in the room with us all night and early to mid evening after napping in the afternoon.

                                                                                                                                                                    I know this doesn’t help resolve the issue. But I was curious about Pea’s age and it seems somewhat similar in onset with ours. Oh the unanswered dilemmas. And you know there is an answer. There is always an answer. It’s just whether or not we will be privy to it.

                                                                                                                                                                    Anyhow, made me think and wonder if it is something that develops in some buns as they progress in years. The whole mechanism of keeping cecotrope contents and regular poop contents separate and perfect in their separate compartments not operating 100%. Or something else. Maybe some buns have an overactive gut due to genetics or personalities which again doesn’t allow their mechanisms or the actual processes to function 100%. Just don’t know. You would think that there would be more discussion of it, if it were indeed something that happens. But regardless, just a reminder, in our instance, she never had statis issues, she was as content, loving, curious, binkyful, ornery, mischievous, and all those things that I would think indicated she was feeling good and healthy. So I don’t think Pea will necessarily have any quality of life issues. Not that that is your primary concern. And obviously the ideal would be for poops to normalize and you could put the issue to rest. And that is still a possibility and my hope. But just putting all of this out there for what it’s worth.


                                                                                                                                                                  • Gordo and Janice
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                                                                                                                                                                      I mean, I know all of that has already been talked about, pretty much. Just trying to give encouragement.


                                                                                                                                                                    • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                                        Posted By Gordo and Janice on 8/28/2018 11:47 AM

                                                                                                                                                                        Yeh, you know, I was really trying hard to think back. It’s been so long. And we, being inexperienced with rabbits and what to expect, weren’t as concerned with the occasional abnormal poopage so it didn’t register clearly as to when it started. I do know when Icey was young there were no issues. All poops were stellar. Perfect, hard, dry, round, consistent. For the life of me I can’t remember when it began. And even worse I can’t remember if it began very intermittently and gradually became regular or just all of a sudden became a regular issue.

                                                                                                                                                                        It definitely didn’t happen at the old house and started at some point after moving into the new house. So she cleared a year and a half at the old house with no issues. And it was something that we had gotten accustomed to for quite a few years. So again I’m guessing that anywhere from that 2 to 3 to 3 1/2 year mark is when she started. And it was pretty consistent for the rest of her years in that it was an issue first thing in the mornings after dozing in the room with us all night and early to mid evening after napping in the afternoon.

                                                                                                                                                                        I know this doesn’t help resolve the issue. But I was curious about Pea’s age and it seems somewhat similar in onset with ours. Oh the unanswered dilemmas. And you know there is an answer. There is always an answer. It’s just whether or not we will be privy to it.

                                                                                                                                                                        Anyhow, made me think and wonder if it is something that develops in some buns as they progress in years. The whole mechanism of keeping cecotrope contents and regular poop contents separate and perfect in their separate compartments not operating 100%. Or something else. Maybe some buns have an overactive gut due to genetics or personalities which again doesn’t allow their mechanisms or the actual processes to function 100%. Just don’t know. You would think that there would be more discussion of it, if it were indeed something that happens. But regardless, just a reminder, in our instance, she never had statis issues, she was as content, loving, curious, binkyful, ornery, mischievous, and all those things that I would think indicated she was feeling good and healthy. So I don’t think Pea will necessarily have any quality of life issues. Not that that is your primary concern. And obviously the ideal would be for poops to normalize and you could put the issue to rest. And that is still a possibility and my hope. But just putting all of this out there for what it’s worth.

                                                                                                                                                                        I really appreciate your words of support G&J, especially as this must be upsetting with Icey having had similar issues. I’m really glad to hear that she never had stasis issues and was otherwise unaffected? It gives me a lot of reassurance. Of course it would be wonderful if we could ‘fix’ him, more so he doesn’t ever have to deal with any discomfort. If that means long term meds, then that’s what it will be but I’m hoping it won’t come to that. I am wondering if it’s somewhat genetic or whether something environmental has caused it. Whether it was going to happen anyway or whether something in particular triggered it. I have lots to ask the vet. September 6th can’t come quick enough.


                                                                                                                                                                      • TheDuchess
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                                                                                                                                                                          Oh no! I didn’t know that Pea was having issues He’s still looking his usual handsome self on Instagram though, so at least he’s keeping up appearances (even if he’s got a smelly bum) But I do hope that you can figure it out! I obviously wasn’t able to catch up with the whole thread, but I know that those two are your pride & joy, so any little issues must be very upsetting ***Hugs for the hooms*** and snoot rubs for the monsters


                                                                                                                                                                        • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                                            Thanks Duchess He seems happy and healthy in all other aspects so I’m really thankful for that. He tried humping Buttercup the other day too so he mustn’t be feeling too bad He has finished his cisapride now. I’m sure he was glad to get his treat this morning without having to be medicated first. We have a week break before we go back to the vet :-/


                                                                                                                                                                          • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                                              Went back to the vet today and I’m feeling a bit mixed. The vet didn’t seem to take things as seriously? I thought he’d said last time if the cisipride doesn’t work, we’d try something else but today he didn’t say that. He said because of how complex the bowel/cecum area is, it’s very likely that one drug won’t make things perfect. He said the cisipride was just to ensure things keep going (but then if it was overactive, it wouldn’t stop anyway?) He said if Pea seemed a lot better on the cisipride then we’d do it long term but as it didn’t make a difference with his poop, it’s pointless continuing to medicate. He was very much against overmedicating.

                                                                                                                                                                              He said this could very well be ‘normal’ for Peanut.

                                                                                                                                                                              He felt Peanut’s tummy and bowel and said it feels good, doesn’t feel bloated at all. He also listened to his bowel again and said it doesn’t sound overactive like last time so maybe the cisipride helped to some degree? He’s only done mucous poops a couple of times so I guess that’s an improvement. I suppose I just expected more. He said his body condition looks great. His weight is slightly down (but again, they’ve been off pellets for a while) He said best thing to do now is keep an eye. If it gets worse (if he stops doing normal poops and they’re all sticky for example) or if he loses weight, starts to look bloated or changes his behaviour then obviously we will bring him back.

                                                                                                                                                                              I’m just a little confused. I’m relieved that he’s not on medication but at the same time, I’m a bit worried about how it seemed quite serious before and now not so much? Unless I just misunderstood. I’m also a bit worried as he seems to be doing these sticky poops almost every day. Still does plenty of normal ones. It’s definitely the majority of his poops that are normal. I would say out of all his daily poos, maybe 5 to 10 are sticky? At most. But I don’t want the number of sticky ones to keep increasing :-/

                                                                                                                                                                              Does anyone have any thoughts on this?


                                                                                                                                                                            • LBJ10
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                                                                                                                                                                                Perhaps the vet just gave him the cisipride just to see if it helped, but wasn’t necessarily expecting it to? As long as stuff is going in and coming out the other end, I don’t see any reason to (overly) worry at this point. If he starts having problems in the future, then you’ll cross that bridge when you get to it. For now though, it sounds like he is happy and healthy. He just has some sticky poop here and there.


                                                                                                                                                                              • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                                                  Posted By LBJ10 on 9/06/2018 9:25 PM
                                                                                                                                                                                  Perhaps the vet just gave him the cisipride just to see if it helped, but wasn’t necessarily expecting it to? As long as stuff is going in and coming out the other end, I don’t see any reason to (overly) worry at this point. If he starts having problems in the future, then you’ll cross that bridge when you get to it. For now though, it sounds like he is happy and healthy. He just has some sticky poop here and there.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Thanks LBJ10. My partner pretty much says the same. I just don’t want to become so comfortable with it that I miss any other worrying signs. I mean, I don’t think I would but the worry is still there


                                                                                                                                                                                • Sirius&Luna
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                                                                                                                                                                                    I think it’s useful to know that maybe this is just Peanut normal – obviously still keep an eye out for changes, but it may be useful to know that the baseline for Peanut is different to Buttercup, and to know you don’t need to stress as long as the sticky poop situation remains the same.


                                                                                                                                                                                  • sarahthegemini
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                                                                                                                                                                                      Y’know thinking about it…I know he did mucous poops for the first time last December-ish but it was only two random ones and then no more til this all started again but the sticky ones…I wonder if he’s always done them and I just didn’t know because I wasn’t obsessively checking before?

                                                                                                                                                                                      I find it interesting that both buns have some sort of tummy troubles and they’re both related :-/ I wonder how the other litter mates are doing?

                                                                                                                                                                                      Oh, I forgot to say! I got Buttercup checked out again too as I wanted to discuss the whole gurgling tummy issue. He felt her tummy and bowel and said it feels absolutely fine, no issues whatsoever. He said that Buttercup could just naturally have a louder tummy, or maybe because of her stasis past, her tummy isn’t quite as efficient (or, I guess QUIET) as it should be but if she’s not showing any other symptoms, this is likely to be just normal for her. I’d actually had the same convo with him over the phone months ago but it was nice to get her tummy felt/checked too. I forgot to ask about that when we were at the vets a few weeks ago, I was too focused on her bald patch ?

                                                                                                                                                                                      He said both bunnies – from what he can feel/hear/see – have good tummies and bowels. So I don’t need to worry unless anything changes.

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                                                                                                                                                                                  Forum DIET & CARE Please help I am completely lost *VET UPDATE!!*