# Diarrhea in my Rabbit



## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

My rabbit, Sugar, has diarrhea again. She had it a few days ago, but recovered within a few hours. Right now, it has been going on for maybe a day or so. She is 3 months old and used to eat 1/4 cup of pellets and all the timothy hay she wants. She is not moving, not eating, and not drinking. Her stomach is empty and I keep fussing over her to make her comfortable because I have owned a rabbit before. My mom has not and she wants me to stop making her drink water and to leave her alone. She keeps saying that because I keep making her drink water and eating something, I am trying to kill her. Diarrhea will make her dehydrated and my mom doesn't understand that. She also does not want to take Sugar to the vet. She wants to "wait and see." I am very scared for her and I am very frustrated with my mom. What do I do? Do I just listen to my mom? Or do I keep fussing over her to help her get better? I have no infant relief drops or any kind of gas medicine. I do not have diarrhea medicine either. I also do not have any way to get them at this time of day. Please Help!:England:


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## Kipcha (Dec 6, 2012)

Has she had any changes to her diet? Does she get fruits/veggies?

I would be sure to keep her eating and drinking. Try and get her to eat hay if you can, the fibre will help, and you are right that she needs to keep drinking as it will dehydrate her fast. Do you have any critical care on you?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

My mom is constantly watching me so I have no way of making her drink without my mom shouting at me to leave her alone and that i am killing her. I do not have any critical care on me and she has had no changes to her diet at all. I have not given her any fruits and veggies before because I have heard that it is bad for them. She is cleaning herself! Is that a good sign? She didn't move at all before! Oh! She does have these dried papaya treats that I give her once a week. She likes them. They are tiny cubes about 5 millimeters in size and smaller.


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## agnesthelion (Dec 6, 2012)

Agreed!!^^^

(I can't get to the emoticons on my iPad anymore...I wanted to say yeah that)


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## agnesthelion (Dec 6, 2012)

mini990701 said:


> My mom is constantly watching me so I have no way of making her drink without my mom shouting at me to leave her alone and that i am killing her. I do not have any critical care on me and she has had no changes to her diet at all. I have not given her any fruits and veggies before because I have heard that it is bad for them. She is cleaning herself! Is that a good sign? She didn't move at all before! Oh! She does have these dried papaya treats that I give her once a week. She likes them. They are tiny cubes about 5 millimeters in size and smaller.



Why does your mom think you are killing her? What is your moms "side" or perspective in this?
And if you don't mind saying....how old are you?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

I am 14 years old. She thinks that me giving her a water bowl to drink from is giving her too much water. She thinks that too much water is killing her and that me making her drink more when she has diarrhea is also killing her. She thinks that I am feeding her too much when I give her all the timothy hay she wants. She also thinks that me fussing over her too much is also killing her. She gave my last rabbit a heart attack by vacuuming right next to her cage when I wasn't home, so I don't expect her to be talking...I don't get her logic at all. Do we, as humans, get diarrhea from too much water? I don't think so.


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## Kipcha (Dec 6, 2012)

Well, show your Mom this info,

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Bunny_201.pdf

It has all that you need to know for basic, important treatments. If you look ANYWHERE on rabbit care, keeping the rabbit hydrated and eating is CRITICAL. This reading should help your case a bit. There are a few threads on here that you can look at as well under the Library section,

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f22/diarrhea-10389/

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f22/gi-stasis-what-everyone-should-know-23808/

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f22/dehydration-51561/ 
If I were you, I would be pushing food more. It is good she's cleaning herself, at least she is moving a bit and doing some normal behaviours. If you hold hay in front of her mouth will she take any at all? I know with some of ours when they aren't feeling the best, if I am just consistent in trying to get them to take hay, they sometimes gat annoyed enough and start biting it, eventually leading to her eating it.

I wouldn't give her any of the treats till she's better, though, the sugar wouldn't be good for her right now.

Let us know how she does.

Is she willing to read anything? I would be more then willing to hunt down some good reading material for you guys. You are absoloutly right that they should have unlimited water (As any animal should!) and the unlimited hay is an absoloute must! You are doing the right thing, just keep pushing.


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

*sigh* She wouldn't read it. She said: "Why would I read that? Thats just a bunch of nonsense!" She would not eat any hay, but she did eat one piece of pellet when she thought my finger was a carrot. I thought I saw her chewing on something, but she is still sitting there with her eyes half closed.


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

Is it bad if she doesn't eat any hay, but keeps biting on her cage doors for pellets? She keeps doing that and when I give her one pellet, she finishes it and bites on the doors again.


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## NorthernAutumn (Dec 6, 2012)

Offer some greens, like parsley, cilantro. Tease her with hay, so that she snaps at it. 
Do you have any canned pumpkin in the house (not spiced)?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

Sorry, no I do not. We don't eat pumpkin. Niether do we have a baby in the house. I just teased her with the hay and she just moves her head away.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

Yes, stop ALL TREATS! No more papaya treats. Can you tell me *exactly* what she ate today and yesterday? How many pellets, how much hay, any treats and veggies? You said she has a water dish, is she drinking still? Is she eating and what is she eating? Is it real diarrhea, like watery poo, or poo with clear jel or mucous in it? Or is it just really soft sticky poo? How are you cleaning the poop off her bum?

If you want, tell your mom that it is like when a kid has diarrhea, they need to stay hydrated or they can get really sick and have to go to the hospital and get an iv. It'll be the same with your rabbit. If you don't make sure she is getting enough water and staying hydrated, then she can get very ill and either have to go to the vet, or she will die. Same goes for food. Rabbits always have to have food in their stomachs. If they go too long without food they can get really sick, get a very serious digestive illness and can possibly die. Your rabbit will do much better with you giving her food and water, in fact if you don't help her, she may not get better. And yes, rabbits are ALWAYS supposed to have as much timothy hay as they want. Rabbits are grazing animals and need to pretty much be eating throughout the day and night when they aren't sleeping.


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## Kipcha (Dec 6, 2012)

So she is eating pellets? Hay would be more ideal, but if she's willing to eat *something* I would probably keep pushing that.

If you could answer all of JBun's questions that would give us a much better idea on what we're dealing with.

For the future, I would recommend buying some canned pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin, nothing else added). It has a ton of fiber and can really help with GI distress.


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

I have been telling her that and she just ignores me. She will just yell at me or remind me that she will severely punish me if I get a single A- in any of my classes.  She ate all timothy hay today. Up until about 4:30, when I got home, my mom (thinking that she likes pellets better) gave her a handful of pellets which she didn't eat. She was drinking, but only when I hold her water bottle up to her mouth and squeeze it. It is real diarrhea. It is mushy brown, really smelly, and totally not mucousy. It also has a small pool of water or stuff around it. I am cleaning off the poo with a damp paper towel.


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## Kipcha (Dec 6, 2012)

I'm sorry the situation is so frustrating for you 

So she hasn't been not eating for long? How much hay is "all her hay"? A little handful? A big handful? A litterbox full?

If she'll only drink if you do that I would try periodically to get her to drink, but I would probably still be pushing food. It may take a while to get her to eat hay, but it's pretty rare that I cannot get one to take some eventually, usually because they're biting out of annoyance and want it gone. And usually, fingers crossed, I can get them to keep eating that way.


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

A BIG handful, but that was before I went to school. When I came home at 4:30, she had a lot a diarrhea and she was in a corner. She is not eating much, but she is drinking without me forcing her. She bites it when i put it in her face, but I have been doing that for half and hour and she just tries to bite is so close to my hand that I drop it in fear of her biting me. If I do manage to get it in her mouth completely, she just spits it out as far away from me as possible.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

She really needs to get to the vet, like now, but if your mom absolutely will not do it, then I think we will all try our best to help you out. 

So her poop is watery then, or just mushy and maybe a little watery? Does she have a dish of water to drink out of? If not, give her a water dish. Rabbits usually drink better out of them then a bottle. Have you been giving your bun pellets after this happened last time? Was she ok yesterday and did she get any pellets yesterday? Or has she only been getting timothy hay since this all started happening? What about the papaya treats, did she get any today? Was this before of after the diarrhea? Any other treats?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

A little watery. She does have a water dish and she is drinking out if it without me forcing her. She already had mushy poop before she gave her the pellets. No, I have only given her hay. She was or seemed ok yesterday. She has soft-ish poo but she was very active and greeted me at the cage door and licked me for a LONG time. I have not given her ANY treats at all since yesterday.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

I just have to get as much info from you about your bun and her food, to try and figure out what is going on. Ok, so you have only given her hay, nothing else, she was doing fine, and then today she all of the sudden had diarrhea again. Is this all right? Is it possible that anyone else has given her something else to eat besides the hay that you have been giving her?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

I don't think so! My mom hates animals and stays as far away from my sweet little girl as possible. My dad is allergic (or so he says he is, but he sneezes at everything so...) to her so I don't think he would even get close to her. She had mushy poo every so often yesterday, but she was fine and very active, happy, and very hungry. And this morning, i think she was still asleep, but I didn't really see her. When my mom picked me up from Math Counts, she told me that she changed Sugar's bedding and that she was having diarrhea everywhere, but when I got home, she wasn't as bad as my mom said.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

And she's been only getting hay and no pellets when this started happening yesterday and today?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

Well, as I said, my mom gave her pellets...but other than that, yes. Thats right.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

She may have a parasite or bacteria that is causing the poop and digestive problems. If she does, both can be very serious and need a vet to give you medicine to help her get better. Is there anyone in your family that will help you with your rabbit? What about your dad? Older siblings? Friends? Is there anyone that can help you out with this?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

Dad works with Eli Lilly medicines, not animals. Mom works with killing mice and injecting small rodents with mutative chemicals. No siblings. Its 9:30 at night and very dark, so no way to reach friends. She eats her hay if I stuff her face really close to her bowl, drinks when I put her next to her water bowl, sits in a pile of carefresh bedding that she dug out for herself.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

You could try some pellets if she'll eat them. Normally I wouldn't suggest pellets but green leafy veggies, but with her having diarrhea, I don't know if giving veggies would be very good. And since she wasn't eating pellets when this started again, it might not be pellets that are causing the problem, and she needs to be eating something more then a few pieces of hay. So if you don't think she's eating enough hay, then see if she'll eat a few pellets. I really don't know if this will be good or not, but I really don't know what else to recommend since no one at home will help you with this.

Will anyone help you take her to the vet tomorrow?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

There she goes AGAIN! My mom keeps rambling about how I should not have refilled her water bowl a few minutes ago and that eating so much hay will give her diabetes! Is there even such thing as rabbit diabetes? I searched on the internet and nothing showed up that had anything to do with giving them too much timothy hay to eat! What does she know about rabbit care! Sure, she can lecture me about how to mutate a rodent, but rabbit care? I would rather come here and trust you nice people.


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

No, i don't think so. But she will eat if I put her close to the food, she will eat. If I put her close to her water, she will drink. She hasn't pooped yet, so I can't tell if her wet poo is gone or not.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

Hay is like green leafy veggies, just dried. They're not going to give anyone or anything diabetes. You're doing really good, hopefully we'll be able to get your rabbit the help it needs. Oh, and are the pellets just the plain kind, with no added treats in them?

How long has it been since she pooped at all? So no matter what, no one will help take your rabbit to the vet tomorrow?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

I don't think so. It is this kind: http://c4.wag.com/images/products/p/vkd/vkd-033_1z.jpg but without the fruits, nuts, and vegetables. I does have colored pellets though, like the round ones. No one will take her to the vet. My parents do not want to spend the money on a "rodent" right now. That makes me sad. It has been like half an hour since she last pooped.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

Keep trying to help her eat hay and drink water. Pick out the colored pellets and soak just the green pellets in some warm water, then try and see if she'll eat it. Spoon feed it to her if she'll take it that way. Try and get her to eat again in the morning before you go to school, then just leave her the water dish and food in her cage. If she's still having problems tomorrow, we can try something else. Do you know anyone with horses that might have some horse wormer, or do you have a horse feed or tack shop near you, that someone will take you to tomorrow, to get a tube of horse wormer?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

Yes, I do, but I see her at school and tommorrow is Friday. She lives really far away and I can't go home with her. She rides horses, but they are at a barn in the country. How am I supposed to clean her bum? I am using a wet paper towel, is that right though?


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

Will anyone take you to go get some wormer tomorrow if your bun is still sick?

If her bum is really bad and paper towels aren't working, you can give her a butt bath. What I do, is get lukewarm (not hot) water running in the tap, then hold your bun with it's belly facing up but not like it's all the way laying down, just kind of slanted at an angle. Then slowly stick just the dirty bum part under the warm water and kind of use your fingers to break up the poop in the fur. Then towel dry the fur as best you can. And make sure your bun is warm enough until she's dry. If she's an outdoor rabbit, DO NOT put her outside until she is completely dry. If this seems to hard, you could try just using a wet cloth to try and clean off the poop, and just keep wiping and rinsing until it's as clean as you can get it, then towel dry your bun. Try to get as little of her bum wet as possible.


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

ok! she is done! and clean, but watery orange-ish yellow-ish stuff keeps coming out of her bum! It is completely watery...


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

Is she acting normal or does she act really tired? Is the stuff really coming out of her bum and not just the water from washing her?


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## mini990701 (Dec 6, 2012)

Yeah it's coming out of her bum. I wiped it and then a few moments later, more stuff would come out. She is acting all tired and she flops down next to her food and stares into space...


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

I really need to tell you that you *really* need to get her to a vet tonight. Will your dad listen to you and help you take your rabbit in? I think she has a bacteria and she needs an antibiotic. I know that if your parents won't help you, that you don't have much of a choice, but try and convince them. If they won't help, then just keep trying to get her to drink and eat. If you have a syringe, squirt it into the side of her mouth, slowly, if you have to. Do that with the mushed up pellets too if you can. Do you have pedialyte for kids? Give that to her instead of water if you do. If not do you have any gatorade?


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

Is the watery stuff really watery or is it more gel like?


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## LakeCondo (Dec 6, 2012)

mini990701 said:


> There she goes AGAIN! My mom keeps rambling about how I should not have refilled her water bowl a few minutes ago and that eating so much hay will give her diabetes! Is there even such thing as rabbit diabetes? I searched on the internet and nothing showed up that had anything to do with giving them too much timothy hay to eat! What does she know about rabbit care! Sure, she can lecture me about how to mutate a rodent, but rabbit care? I would rather come here and trust you nice people.



Hay is mostly fiber. And fiber is good for people and animals. It certainly doesn't contribute to diabetes. Rabbit diabetes is very rare. And of course fresh water is always good & is needed with diarrhea, It sounds like your mother is just talking randomly. 

I would suggest putting water in some pellets & feeding them to her. And over the weekend I hope you can buy a jar of squash baby food. It costs less than a dollar.

I certainly do not think she has worms & treating for them could be fatal. And assuming a bacterial infection is a bad idea as well.


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## JBun (Dec 6, 2012)

If you can't take her to the vet, then she needs electrolytes. Mix 1 cup warm water, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda. Mix til all dissolves in the water, then if you have a syringe, squirt it into the side of her mouth very slowly, giving her time to swallow. Very important to do it slowly. Give her as much as she wants to drink. Also make the pellet mixture with water or the electrolyte solution, and get her to eat some of that too. Just keep giving this to her.


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## Imbrium (Dec 7, 2012)

here's an article describing the symptoms of dehydration in rabbits - if you start to notice any of them, that could PROVE to your mom that she needs to be syringed some water: http://www.helium.com/items/1641618-dehydration-in-an

babies can have unlimited pellets until about 6-7 weeks of age if they're not having weight issues, so you can give her more pellets to get something in her stomach.

you can also offer pain meds to make your bunny more comfortable in case she has a tummy ache - metacam/meloxicam if you have it (bunny painkillers); baby aspirin or low-dose aspirin if you don't. this website has dosing info for pain meds - http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm


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## Kipcha (Dec 7, 2012)

How is she doing this morning?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

She is doing ok! She licked my hand and is eating and drinking. Not a lot, but she is eating.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm really glad to hear she's doing ok to day. And that's really good that she is at least eating a little. Has she pooped at all since last night and is it still runny?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I don't think she has pooped, yet...


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Not at all since last night, not even regular poops?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I think I see a few pellets, but she is eating so slowly and drinking a lot (I see her doing it and she is peeing a LOT). I don't know if she poop is still runny, but at least when I gave her a butt bath, yellowish-brownish-orangish stuff didn't come out and she didn't have runny poop this morning so...


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

She seems to forget what she is doing. She still isn't eating hay unless I manage to stuff it in her mouth and get her to chew and swallow, but she keeps eating pellets. The pellets, she will chew and not swallow and I have to come over and very so softly tap her on the head or she will stare into space and forget to chew and swallow.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Well, at least she's eating. It's not good when they won't eat anymore. Just keep helping encourage her to eat hay. If you have green leafy veggies like green leaf lettuce, cilantro, or parsley, you could try feeding her a little of that. Hopefully she'll start feeling better soon. If she's drinking ok on her own then you don't need to help get her to drink water anymore. And as long as she's not having diarrhea, just give her plain water(not the electrolyte water that I suggested earlier). You're doing great. Having a sick bunny can be really hard to deal with, so just keep doing your best and give her lots of love.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Did you try making the electrolyte mix and giving her some? She doesn't sound good. She may need some electrolytes. Here's the recipe again, 1 cup warm water, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda. Mix it up and make sure it's all dissolved into the water, then put it in her dish. She sounds a little lethargic, sleepy not energetic at all. Is she laying down a lot, more than she usually would?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

Ok. Thanks. But why does she favor pellets? she absolutely refuses to eat hay and she forgets to chew.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

No, she just doesn't move. She was laying down yesterday because she was trying to get her stomach to touch the ground, but otherwise, she is just laying there like she was asleep.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

Is it ok if I give her smartwater? It is pure water with electrolytes in it.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Is that for people? What are the ingredients?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

um...i don't know, but never mind cuz we don't have any. Is there any other way to treat lethargy?


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Yeah, try and get her to drink some of it. If it seems like she's cold, maybe warm it up a little if it's cold. Test it on the back of your hand to make sure it's only lukewarm and not too hot. If she does seem cold, maybe get some warm towels or a hot water bottle and set it near her.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I will try the electrolyte mix and see if it helps, but she does like the warm water bottle.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I don't have any more smartwater, but I will try the electrolyte mix and is there any other way to treat lethargy?


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

She's probably not eating hay and only the pellets cause she's getting weak and the pellets are easier to eat.

You need to mix up that electrolyte mix then. If anything will be able to help her then that will. Also if you have any leafy green veggies, then see if she'll eat some of those. But make the electrolyte mix right away and get her to drink some. Do you? have any bananas? See if she'll eat a little piece of one.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Make sure you change out the water in the warm water bottle, as it starts to get cold, or the water, as it gets cold will actually start to make her cold.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I will check and see. the electrolyte mix is ready and in her bowl.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Great! Now just try and get her to drink some.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

she doesn't like it, but is drinking it by syringe.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

Nope! No bananas...


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

That's good. She doesn't have to like it, just needs to drink it. Just make sure you squirt it in slowly and give her enought time to swallow. What about green leafy veggies, or even a baby carrot, or small piece of a regular carrot?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

No carrots, i don't think we have any GREEN vegetables...


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

She wont drink anymore! She is letting it drip down her chin!!!


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Ok, well just keep trying to get her to take the electrolytes and eat pellets. If you can pick up some green leaf lettuce, parsley or cilantro, that would be good too.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

we have cabbage, i think thats what it is...its partially green, partially white...


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## Nancy McClelland (Dec 7, 2012)

Tell your mom to call the vet and see what they say needs to be done for a bunny with the runs that isn't eating or drinking. The phone call is free and the advice is coming from an expert, so it's harder to dismiss.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

She won't call and she says that she will just get better by herself....


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Just give her some of the electrolytes every few hours. Cabbage can sometimes upset their stomach. Can you go to the grocery store and get some green leaf lettuce? Is she still eating any pellets? If she's hardly eating any, can you soak some, then spoon feed them to her? After giving her some of the electrolytes, does she seem more alert at all, or is she still pretty lethargic?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

@JBun: Thank you so much for the good advice! The second batch of electrolyte mix she loved! I think she just needed time to adjust to the new water. She just drank 3 syringes full of it at one time and is getting more active! She still isn't eating though. What do I do about that?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I ran to the store and got some lettuce for her cuz my parents won't go get her some. She was lying down a lot, but now she occasionally hops around, but i still need to syringe feed her like when she was a baby.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Did you get green leaf lettuce? You don't want to give her iceburg lettuce. Try and give her a little of the lettuce if it's green leaf, and see if she'll eat it. Take all the colored pieces out of her pellet mix(not good for rabbits) and soak the green pellets in some warm water. If you have a big enough syringe, you can try syringe feeding the pellet mash to her. Make sure it's not to thick. If you don't have a big syringe with a large tip, then the pellets will just clog it. You could try spoon feeding it to her instead if the syringe doesn't work.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

Will rabbits eat something like bok choy or something like that?


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

It's on the bunny veggie list, so you could see if she'll eat some. Is the lettuce you got not the right kind?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

I don;t think so. Does green leaf lettuce have white at the bottom?


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Iceburg lettuce is the light colored lettuce that is a round head of lettuce, and looks a bit like a head of cabbage. Green leaf is dark green and leafy at the ends but it is lighter colored towards the stem of the lettuce


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

We have this light green vegetable that looks like parsley, but bigger. Much bigger. We also have celery, big carrots, broccoli, iceburg lettuce, bok choy, green onion, and grapes...


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

The light green one that looks like parsley, do you know what it is?


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

maybe its the top of celery, but i don't know for sure. She is eating some hay if I tease her with it enough.


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## JBun (Dec 7, 2012)

Don't feed the onion or grapes. Let's just stick with the pellets and hay for now, as long as she keeps eating enough of them. If she isn't eating enough then maybe you could try some of the veggies, like the parsley like one and the bok choy. I would say try them now, but sometimes if a rabbit isn't used to veggies, they can get an upset stomach from them. Just remember with the pellets to pick out all of those colored pieces before you feed the plain pellets to her.


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## mini990701 (Dec 7, 2012)

Ok! I will do that and I will keep you updated!


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

She is eating hay and drinking electrolytes by herself without being forced. She is still a little lethargic, but much more active than she was yesterday. She drank the whole cup full of electrolytes yesterday after I went to bed and I made her another cup.


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

Is she supposed to have gurgley noises coming from her stomach?


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## JBun (Dec 8, 2012)

Gurgling sounds when they are drinking is sometimes normal, but if it's when she's not drinking then that isn't normal and she may be getting gas. I would stop the electrolytes now. The sugar isn't normally good for them, but it's just something you have to do when they are dehydrated from having diarrhea. She doesn't have diarrhea anymore does she? Has she pooped normal poops since yesterday? Is she eating her hay pretty good now? What about pellets? But stop the electrolytes and give her just plain water now.


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

i just gave her plain water. Yup normal poops except that they are smaller! She just pooped about 30 minutes ago. She eats hay now and I don;t have to force her. I hand her a piece of hay and she yanks it out of my hand and eats it.


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## missyscove (Dec 8, 2012)

In general gut sounds can be a sign of a healthy gut, but if you're hearing them without the aid of a stethoscope, i'm guessing she has a gassy stomach. My understanding is that you don't have access to any simethicone which could help if she's gassy. Definitely keep her hydrated. It's good that she's still eating hay. How do her poops look?


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

They look normal, but are smaller. No i do not have any infant gas relief drops or any simethicone.


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## LakeCondo (Dec 8, 2012)

You should be able to get simethicone if you're near a drugstore or big-box store. Look in the infant section for small bottles of anti-gas products & then make sure it's simethicone.

But if there hasn't been much food in the gut & now there is, I think gurgling sounds are normal. But if her body starts getting tight like an inflated balloon, it's time for simethicone asap. It's a good idea to have some on hand just in case you ever need it.


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

Nope! She is very relaxed and her stomach feels normal. She is just moving as little as possible. She is eating a lot and the gurgleing sounds could have come from me because I have not eaten lunch yet and I can always hear my stomach growling.


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## JBun (Dec 8, 2012)

Go eat lunch! Lol, I need to too, I'm starving  That's so great she's eating better now. As long as she keeps eating lots of hay, don't give her very many pellets. Lots of hay is really the best thing for her right now. After what she's been through, it's good that she's pooping at all. Now that she's eating, they should start getting back to normal looking by tomorrow.


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

Horray for Sugar!


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

She is sometimes flopping over like she died, but then getting up about 2 seconds later. She also sort of acting lethargic. She is only getting up to eat and drink. Otherwise, she is just sitting there, a little bit flatter, and staring.


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## JBun (Dec 8, 2012)

Is she pooping and how does it look? You could try the electrolytes again. I don't know what else you can do for her. I really wish your parents would have let you take her to the vet.


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## JBun (Dec 8, 2012)

She doesn't sound like she is doing very good. There's really only one other thing I can think of for you to try. You need to get some horse wormer, but I don't know if you'd be able to get any at this time of night. If you can find a store open and they have some, would one of your parents take you to get some.


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## mini990701 (Dec 8, 2012)

Her poops are normal again. At times she is like her old self, happy and alert. Other times, I have to pet her on the head to get her to be responsive again. She is licking my like normal and she has no more tummy problems. She is eating a lot of her hay now. She is also drinking like normal now.


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## Kipcha (Dec 8, 2012)

You did such an awesome job getting her through that  

I am glad she is doing better. Hopefully she gets back to 100% soon.


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## JBun (Dec 8, 2012)

The laying down and getting back up right away sounds like she may have gas. That's what rabbit's will do to try and find a position that's comfortable because their tummy is hurting. As long as she keeps eating and pooping the gas should go away soon. You'll only want to give her the electrolyte mix if she starts acting like she was yesterday. I'm really rooting for your bunny. If she keeps having a hard time after a few days, you may want to try the wormer next. But we'll just wait and see how she does.


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## Imbrium (Dec 8, 2012)

just getting caught up on the last few pages of this...



JBun said:


> If she does seem cold, maybe get some warm towels or a hot water bottle and set it near her.


another option is to fill a sock with uncooked rice and microwave it for a minute or two (I rest it on my wrist when I take it out to make sure it isn't too hot)



JBun said:


> If you have a big enough syringe, you can try syringe feeding the pellet mash to her. Make sure it's not to thick. If you don't have a big syringe with a large tip, then the pellets will just clog it. You could try spoon feeding it to her instead if the syringe doesn't work.


there's a couple things you can do to make it easier to get pellet slurry through a syringe. you can cut off the tip and stick something in the hole (like a pen or something) and wriggle it around to widen the opening a bit. also, if you happen to have a mortar and pestle available, you could grind the pellets up before you add the water. failing that, you could try putting them in a ziplock baggie and hitting them with a hammer a bit.

if she seems to be in pain at any point, you can offer her pain meds... while metacam (from a vet) is the best choice, it's not the only one - you can use baby aspirin, baby ibuprofen or low-dose asprin. if you don't have/can't get any of those, I would think you could get away with using regular aspirin if you could figure out how to break it up to get a small enough dose. here's dosing info for pain meds:
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm

I'm glad she seems to be doing a lot better... it always makes me so sad when someone under 18 knows their pet needs a vet trip but their parents are setting a poor example by refusing to take the animal. as frustrating as it is for me to hear about it, I know it must be so much worse to be the one with a sick pet who can't get medical attention. it certainly reminds me how fortunate I was that any time one of my pets appeared to be seriously ill, mom always took it to the vet even if it was "just a $5 hamster" (it probably cost us like $50-100 the time we took a sick hamster in and that was about 17 years ago).


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## mini990701 (Dec 9, 2012)

Thank you so much everybody!


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## LakeCondo (Dec 9, 2012)

I hope all is well. The symptoms of worms is eating a lot but losing weight, so this clearly isn't the case.


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## mini990701 (Dec 9, 2012)

Yeah. She did have mushy poo today, like play-dough, but she is acting normal, not losing weight, eating a lot, and drinking a lot.


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## JBun (Dec 9, 2012)

I'm glad she's eating and seems to be doing better, besides the poops not being normal. Have you been feeding her pellets?


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## mini990701 (Dec 9, 2012)

A little bit.


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## JBun (Dec 9, 2012)

How much of the pellets do you think you feed her total in a day now, and are you still picking all the colored pieces out? I'm just wondering if it's the pellets that might be causing her poop problem or not. Are you also still giving her electrolytes to drink?


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## mini990701 (Dec 9, 2012)

Nope. No more electrolytes. I still pick out the colored pieces. I give her a small handful of pellets and a big handful or two of hay.


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## JBun (Dec 9, 2012)

Maybe cut the pellet amount in half and increase the hay to as much as she wants to eat in a day. You don't want her running out of hay at all. See if that clears up the soft poops. Some rabbits are sensitive to pellets, and too many can cause the digestive upset. Eventually you'll slowly want to start switching her over to just a plain pellet. Then you won't have to pick out the colored pieces anymore. You'll want to start switching her over as you start to get low on these pellets but still have a few cups of it left so you can mix the new food with her old food, to give her stomach a chance to adjust to the new food so it doesn't make her sick. But as long as you have plenty of this food left, just wait to switch foods so that you can get her poops back to normal first, and just keep picking out those colored pieces.

Good job on all you've done in helping her


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## mini990701 (Dec 9, 2012)

Ok! I will!


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## mini990701 (Dec 10, 2012)

Just a question, will a rabbit die if you switch their water bottle to a water bowl because they won't drink out of a bottle? Also, can a rabbit get diarrhea if it drinks too much? Can a rabbit get diarrhea from eating too much timothy hay? Should rabbits only be fed pellets?


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## Kipcha (Dec 10, 2012)

As long as you make sure they are drinking from the bottle, it should not be a problem. However, I would recommend keeping the bowl in there since it is easier for the rabbit.

No, they won't get diarrhea from drinking too much. They will never drink too much on their own anyways. They will just pee a lot more often.

Quite the opposite, they should have more firm poop from hay! Diarrhea is from usually not getting enough of it.

No, hay should always be provided. It provides fibre, keeps the gut moving well and helps wear down the teeth to prevent dental problems


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## mini990701 (Dec 10, 2012)

Is poor quality hay better for rabbits than Timothy hay? Are rabbits supposed to eat thier bedding? What does it mean when a rabbit is sick, but gets better, and then gets sick, and then gets better, and then gets sick?


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## missyscove (Dec 10, 2012)

I have yet to meet a rabbit that cannot drink out of a bowl, but I have met rabbits who will not drink out of a bottle (especially the bottles that don't have the ball in the spout but have a metal rod instead.) I always offer water from a bowl because I find it encourages them to drink more and stay hydrated. Water intoxication can occur but is generally the result of too much water without any nutrition which can disrupt the electrolyte balance.
There are four main types of diarrhea: hypersecretory, altered permeability or osmotic, altered motility, and malabsorption. Hypersecretory diarrhea is generally caused by enteric bacterial disease and results in a rate of secretion too great for the villi to absorb typically resulting in a watery diarrhea. 
Altered permeability diarrhea caused electrolytes that are typically absorbed from the intestinal lumen to flow back and increase the fecal water. 
Altered motility diarrhea is typically due to hypomotility (rather than hypermotility as was the traditional thought).
Malabsorption diarrhea is the result of destruction of the villous integrity, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or several other factors. 
I could see osmotic diarrhea occuring in cases of water intoxication, but you might see the effects on the brain first. In a small animal with diarrhea, maintaining hydration is essential.
Timothy hay is an important part of a domestic rabbit diet and, IMO, should be fed ad libitum. I cannot imagine a scenario where timothy hay causes diarrhea in an otherwise healthy rabbit. 
While some domestic rabbits are raised on exclusively pellets and water, I believe that offering a constant supply of grass hay and a varied supply of leafy greens more closely mimics the diet their GI tracts were made for. Constant access to food keeps their GI tract motile.


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## missyscove (Dec 10, 2012)

Even timothy comes in "poor quality." My rabbits prefer the softer greener strands, but some prefer the tougher options. My personal preference is to offer a variety which keeps their lives interesting and keeps their teeth working on different textures. 

Whether or not it is safe for a rabbit to eat its bedding depends on what that bedding is. If you're using hay as a bedding, litter training would be more difficult, but yes it is safe to eat. If you use a clumping cat litter as bedding, that would be dangerous due to risks of clumping in the GI tract. 

That sort of cycle of illness could be due to any number of causes from a drug not being given to its full dose to an immune condition to reexposure to a pathogen.


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## JBun (Dec 10, 2012)

missyscove said:


> There are four main types of diarrhea: hypersecretory, altered permeability or osmotic, altered motility, and malabsorption. Hypersecretory diarrhea is generally caused by enteric bacterial disease and results in a rate of secretion too great for the villi to absorb typically resulting in a watery diarrhea.
> Altered permeability diarrhea caused electrolytes that are typically absorbed from the intestinal lumen to flow back and increase the fecal water.
> Altered motility diarrhea is typically due to hypomotility (rather than hypermotility as was the traditional thought).
> Malabsorption diarrhea is the result of destruction of the villous integrity, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or several other factors.
> I could see osmotic diarrhea occuring in cases of water intoxication, but you might see the effects on the brain first. In a small animal with diarrhea, maintaining hydration is essential.


 
That was a little too technical even for my adult brain 

Your rabbit is fine drinking out of a water bowl. She'll actually drink more that way and drinking extra water isn't going to give her soft poops. It will actually help keep her hydrated. But if she keeps having diarrhea problems, you will probably need to give her more electrolytes.

So is she still having soft poops, or is it turning into diarrhea again? I guess if there is something wrong with the hay that it could possibly cause diarrhea problems. If it had some mildew or fungus on it, but usually hay makes the soft poops go away. You could try cutting back on the hay and giving more of the plain pellets, but didn't this all start when you were still feeding pellets to her normally?

It's ok for rabbits to eat some of their litter if you are using a rabbit safe litter. What kind of llitter are you using?


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## mini990701 (Dec 10, 2012)

I am using carefresh naturals.


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## JBun (Dec 10, 2012)

It's ok if she's just nibbling on it, but you don't want her chowing down on it.

Is she still having soft poops or diarrhea?


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## mini990701 (Dec 10, 2012)

Nope! No more, but I need more electrolytes. She is acting lethargic again.


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## JBun (Dec 10, 2012)

By lethargic, do you mean she is laying down a lot and not wanting to get up, or is she sitting up kind of hunched up in a corner and just not moving very much? Is she still eating? So the poops are normal now?


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## LakeCondo (Dec 10, 2012)

Many years ago people used to think too much water & other liquids contributed to diarrhea, but in fact the opposite is true. During diarrhea water is sent into the waste stream before the body gets to use it properly. For humans, rabbits, & any other mammal I can think of, the best things to do for to relieve diarrhea is more liquids & more fiber. For rabbits, the fiber comes from hay. For myself, I take something like Metamucil. It's usually thought of as being for constipation, but it helps with diarrhea as well.

It's probably impossible to pinpoint the cause of the diarrhea, but I'd be careful about giving any treats. Too much sugar can reduce the amount of acid in the gut & that COULD lead to diarrhea.


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## Imbrium (Dec 11, 2012)

hay is primarily fiber, so any grass hay is about the same as any other ("cereal" hays like oat and wheat are a little different - with those, you need to remove the oats or w/e because the extra carbs are bad for bunnies). at your bunny's age, she could also have alfalfa hay - it's generally recommended for babies (under 7 mos) and pregnant/nursing mothers because it's higher in calcium and protein than grass hays. if you do decide to switch to alfalfa, though, you need to gradually wean her onto it rather than abruptly switching (just like switching pellet brands).


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## HolyHandGrenade (Dec 13, 2012)

How's Sugar doing?


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## JBun (Dec 13, 2012)

Yeah, how's your bun? Is she doing alright now?


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## Desma (Dec 15, 2012)

When my Hunny Bunny would get mites near her tail, she would have the poops. I would give her some uncooked oatmeal and not only does she love it, it would help to stop the poops. You may want to try that. Now I just get ivermetin injections all the time for her to keep the mites away. Her immune system is not good even though I have managed to keep her in fairy great health the past six years that I have owned her.


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