# daily amount of pellets?



## ilovepets (Jun 26, 2014)

how much should i feed my mini lop daily? when i got her 3 years ago, the breeder told me to feed her 3/4 cup daily. i have been doing this, usually a 1/2 cup during the day and a 1/4 at night which is not always finished.

over a little bit of time, she has also gotten poop stuck in her fur. why does this happen? (i am taking her to the vet tomorrow for a checkup and to see what they can do about her poopy bum)


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## iLuvMyLilBuns (Jun 26, 2014)

what does she weigh? Do you feed her hay and veggies? She needs unlimited hay. The reason she has the poop stuck on her bottom could be because she is getting too much pellets and treats and not enough hay. I feed my holland lops 1/3 cup of pellets a day, unlimited hay, and veggies a few times a week. I would say a little more then 1/3 cup a day, lots of hay, and 1 cup of veggies a day. If you can't give her veggies everyday then you can substitute it with a bit more pellets. If you can give her veggies consistently then she can have less pellets.


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## whiskylollipop (Jun 26, 2014)

3/4 cup pellets daily is for a growing baby bun who needs lots of protein. Adults need much less food. I feed my adult minilop less than 1/4 cup pellets daily plus a handful of fresh veggies and herbs. As said above, feeding too many pellets can cause poopy bum because the diet is too rich - gradually cut back and you should see positive changes.


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## JBun (Jun 26, 2014)

It's called cecal dysbiosis when there is mushy unformed or semiformed cecals, and usually normal fecal poop. This is caused by a bacterial imbalance in a rabbits cecum, which leads to mushy uneaten cecals. Most often this is caused by too many sugars and carbs in the diet, and/or not enough fiber from hay. You can try cutting back on the pellet amount and eliminating all sugary starchy treats, and free feeding a variety of grass hay. You do need to ensure that with reduced pellets, that your bun is eating plenty of hay. Increased hay consumption is the best thing to correct the bacterial imbalance and clear up poopy butt. In cases that have been going on for a longer time period, gradually cutting pellets out of the diet for a time, may be needed to give the microflora in the cecum a chance to restore to the proper balance.

Other possible causes of mushy poop, can be from a sensitivity to a particular veggie or food, arthritis leading to difficulty reaching the cecals to eat them, dental problems resulting in reduced hay consumption, medications contributing to a gut imbalance, and specific parasites or bacteria (which would require immediate vet attention and medication).

http://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/
http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/


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## Bville (Jun 26, 2014)

I have a mini lop too. She weighs about 5 lbs and I feed her 1/2 cup of pellets a day. I think you could slowly reduce your bunny's food down to 1/2 cup or less and she'd be fine. My bunny Pepper actually could probably get by with even a little less because she is kind of chubby, but she is an outdoor rabbit and I wanted to make sure she had enough food to keep her weight up in the winter to help her stay warm. I am giving her just a little less than 1/2 cup now that it's summer. Good idea to go to the vet to check on the poopy bum problem. I hope they figure out what it is.:?


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## Azerane (Jun 27, 2014)

I agree with reducing the amount of pellets, as it's likely the cause. Over time you should see an improvement. Hope all goes well at the vets and there's no underlying issues.


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## ilovepets (Jun 27, 2014)

the vet said that she was great all around. they shaved her bum a little that had the poop mats. i am going to decrease her pellets. she gets unlimited course/grassy and grassy hay. she does get some fresh greens, but the vet said that that might have caused the problem. he gave me a probiotic to give to her once a day for 2 weeks, which should get every thing back on track  the best part was the bill (she cost less than a regular check up for a budgie!!)


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## Bville (Jun 27, 2014)

Sounds great!:happybunny:


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## ilovepets (Jun 27, 2014)

she is a whopping 7 lbs though!! time for more walks and less pellets


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