# Reasons for excess cecotropes?



## neejchee (Dec 15, 2013)

My Miranda has been leaving cecotropes around for the last two days and I'm a little (okay, a lot) concerned. She seems otherwise normal, and uses the litter tray for everything else, but those she does whereever she happens to be. I've done my reading but the 'standard' answers don't seem to fit. I'll go through what I've considered thus far.

Too much pellets: It could potentially have been too much pellets at the start, but when I first notuced it I cut her pellets WAY back to encourage more hay if/when she is hungry instead, and despite not having eaten any pellets today she's still doing it.

Too much greens: exactly as above, except she's had some greens today, but minimal amounts. 

A food she's not used to: I thought at first it may have been because I introduced a bit of spinach, but I haven't given any more since and the greens she's had since are ones she's used to.

All of those have now been over 36 hours since removing/minimising/fixing them and she's still leaving stinkers. She's a bit of a chunky monkey but not enough so that she can't reach past the puddin' to get to them, so it's not that. She's doi g her normal poops too and happily eating. She has plenty of fresh hay - oaten, not alfalfa - and I kept her inside with me because I know she eats more hay when she's inside because she doesn't have the green grass, and I watched her chow her way through lots of hay, so she should have enough of that in her gut. 

There is a small question of whether she could be pregnant; aside from a bit of digging she's not acting like it at all, and I can't feel anything remotely lumpy in her puddin' belly, but because it hasn't been a full month since Samantha became Samual and I separated them I can't be 100% sure. Even so, I can't find anything online that suggests cecotrope production or waste increases during pregnancy (except if they become too big to get to it, which as already mentioned she is not) so I don't think that's it.

Sammy has the same diet and hasn't had any trouble, though admittedly he's much less of a gutso and could be perfectly trusted with an endless supply of pellets without eating more than he needs, whereas Miranda loves little more than food. 

Any ideas?


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## Imbrium (Dec 15, 2013)

Are you picking the oats/seed heads out of the oat hay before you feed it? If not, then the excess carbs in the oats could be the culprit.


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## neejchee (Dec 15, 2013)

I have been, but not too rigorously. I guess I'll be more careful?


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## JBun (Dec 15, 2013)

If the cecotropes are normal and not mushy, I wouldn't worry about a couple days of extra ones left for a few days, unless it is happening on a regular basis. If it is continuing to happen, have there been any changes or anything new that could be disruptive to her? If she does happen to be pregnant, that could certainly be a cause, as it may be more uncomfortable for her to bend down and eat them. Being overweight and also health problems like arthritis, as some other common causes. Diet can be a cause, but since you tried removing the things that commonly cause it to happen, then it may not be the culprit for your rabbit. I would suggest gradually adding her veggies and pellets back into her diet, over the next few days. If she does happen to be pregnant, she needs the added nutrition.


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## neejchee (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks for the advice! 

She's a lot better now; overnight and this morning she hasn't left any on the ground, although I could smell some when I came out this morning so it must have been hidden away in her litter tray. She's currently picking her way through a salad to get to the pieces of her beloved parsley and seems happy with that, so I'll see how she goes afterwards.


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