# My bunny's poop is coming out weird!!!!!



## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

I have two 5-week-old Holland Lops. One has normal microscopic poop balls. The other one, has tiny microscopic poop balls. In a big clump. Its as big as a small grape and its sticking to his butt. I'm always having to get it off with a towel but lately it has been wet. Whats wrong with my bunny? Its really gross but is there anything I can do to help him?

PS: All he eats is alfalfa pellets and an untreated wicker tunnel. Which he just pretty much chews on it and doesn't eat it. Help please!


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## Blue eyes (Sep 27, 2012)

Hay. He needs hay. 
I would defer to those on here who breed and deal with babies, but it is my understanding that buns should really still be on their mother's milk til 8 weeks of age (along with pellets and hay). 
Here is a good article on the importance of proper nutrition when they are so young. Paragraphs 9 & 10 speak about weaning.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

...after reading more of your posts, I think it will be very important for you to read the above article. It completely talks to everything you are dealing with now, including how to keep your remaining buns safe.


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

I have a bale of alfalfa hay. I gave them a box that attaches to the cage. I filled it with alfalfa hay and they are digging in.
:bunnyheart


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## Blue eyes (Sep 27, 2012)

oops! I edited my prior post and then saw that you posted as I was typing. Just wanted to be sure you saw my last line suggestion (above).

Great that you got them some hay in the meantime.


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## agnesthelion (Sep 27, 2012)

I agree that they were probably weaned too young and that article does provide alot of good info. How long have you had them and are they eating okay?

Anyway, also be aware that all rabbits produce Cecotropes or night droppings that look like what you described. They are moist amd stink really bad. Rabbits eat these for nutrients so we usually don't see them but you may every once in awhile and it could be what you are seeing now.


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*agnesthelion wrote: *


> I agree that they were probably weaned too young and that article does provide alot of good info. How long have you had them and are they eating okay?
> 
> Anyway, also be aware that all rabbits produce Cecotropes or night droppings that look like what you described. They are moist amd stink really bad. Rabbits eat these for nutrients so we usually don't see them but you may every once in awhile and it could be what you are seeing now.


I've only had this bunny for about 3 or 4 days. They love the alfalfa hay and hopefully it'll help him.

And yes. It stinks and its moist. But its sticking to his tush. Is that normal?


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## Blue eyes (Sep 27, 2012)

Sticking is not normal. Please be sure to read the article from bio.miami.

I do hope your bunnies improve. The avatar photo is just adorable.


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## agnesthelion (Sep 27, 2012)

Cecotropes can most definitely stick. I think Suzette, you might be talking about diarrhea or runny poop that isn't "normal" but night droppings are moist, sticky poops that have potential to get caught and stick to fur.

So, to Mary...sorry if this is confusing. But the article posted is a must read for you. Your buns were weaned too early and there is the possibility that the poop issues you are describing are because of that. I don't mean to trivialize Suzette points at all because runny poop issues can be VERY dangerous to young buns.

With that being said, I have had very similar issues with nigh droppings with Agnes when she was a baby. Personally, I think it was simply a combination of her age (young buns don't know what is good for them yet, they might not eat all their Cecotropes) and also just her personality. I posted a thread on here about night droppings and found out that some owners see them all the time from their rabbits, some never do. 

Now, too many uneaten Cecotropes can indicate a diet problem, but in Agnes's case it wasn't. She is over it now, I only see a night dropping every now and again.

So, to again reiterate, read that article and make sure you are educated on signs of a baby being weaned too young and could be in danger. But also know that if bunny seems okay in all other areas, it could just be night droppings too.

Phew! Sorry this is so long  I might not be explaining myself good. And not meaning to cancel out what suzette is saying too. Very good info


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*agnesthelion wrote: *


> Cecotropes can most definitely stick. I think Suzette, you might be talking about diarrhea or runny poop that isn't "normal" but night droppings are moist, sticky poops that have potential to get caught and stick to fur.
> 
> So, to Mary...sorry if this is confusing. But the article posted is a must read for you. Your buns were weaned too early and there is the possibility that the poop issues you are describing are because of that. I don't mean to trivialize Suzette points at all because runny poop issues can be VERY dangerous to young buns.
> 
> ...



You explained it good lol. I know she was weaned young but there's a long story behind that. I think its just 'night droppings'. But how do you cure that? Just by him/her getting older? I gave the bun some hay (Some people suggested that I do)


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## CharmmyBunny (Sep 27, 2012)

good poop






cecotropes 









my bun would sometimes have a wet poop stuck to her butt when she was a baby but she quickly caught on and would eat them and more hay. 

and yeah the cecotropes are really stinky and they look funny i still see an occasional one every now and then. you dont want to find a bunch of them in their cage or stuck to their butt. because they are so young it could be an indication of something else or just not eating those yummy poops up. they are necessary for digestive health. hay is great for buns they should have it always available to them.


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## Blue eyes (Sep 27, 2012)

Yes, totally agree with Lisa. (thanks, Lisa for clarifying) And Lauren's photos are perfect. 

The reason we keep pushing the article, Mary, is because it explains the difference between mushy poo, cecotropes, runny poo, etc. This is especially important given the history of your other rabbits. Always better to err on the side of caution.

It's important to keep a close eye in case the hay doesn't do enough to help. The article will explain what to look for since in some situations even a couple hours delay can mean the difference between life & death.


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*CharmmyBunny wrote: *


> good poop
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thats what it looks like except it sticks to his butt. It felt like toothpaste when I got it up. He pooped once again but it was not as bad. It wasn't so moist. It was just stuck to his butt again.:?


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## CharmmyBunny (Sep 27, 2012)

the article everyonekeeps pushing is really helpful it will explain a lot more. those are just visuals of what we are talking about. if the ceco's are sticking to his butt he really should eat more hay and try to maybe watch and see if he does go to clean his butt and starts eating youll see him nomming up his poops with a very satisfied look on his face. this should help you know if he is eating them up and some are just sticking to his butt. its good youre cleaning up his butt but dont remove all the cecos you see in his cage he may eat them later sometimes charmmy will poop one and then go back to eating it in a bit. i would keep an eye on him and just monitor.


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*CharmmyBunny wrote: *


> the article everyonekeeps pushing is really helpful it will explain a lot more. those are just visuals of what we are talking about. if the ceco's are sticking to his butt he really should eat more hay and try to maybe watch and see if he does go to clean his butt and starts eating youll see him nomming up his poops with a very satisfied look on his face. this should help you know if he is eating them up and some are just sticking to his butt. its good youre cleaning up his butt but dont remove all the cecos you see in his cage he may eat them later sometimes charmmy will poop one and then go back to eating it in a bit. i would keep an eye on him and just monitor.



I filled a container with hay which they ate completely. (Him and his sibling who he lives with.) So I'll keep checking his fur "down there". Hopefully his poops will change. Right now he is completely IN the box. Sitting in it and lapping up the crumbles. :biggrin:


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## CharmmyBunny (Sep 27, 2012)

i would put more hay in it any time i see my buns hay even running low i put more in.

its really good they are eating up the hay!


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*CharmmyBunny wrote: *


> i would put more hay in it any time i see my buns hay even running low i put more in.
> 
> its really good they are eating up the hay!



Oh okay! Thanks for your advice. I have heard baby buns aren't supposed to have hay until they are considered adults (which is like 5 or 6 months)


The rabbit sitting in the container 
http://s1327.photobucket.com/albums...n=view&current=kennethsbunny1_zpsa1efdf42.jpg


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## Blue eyes (Sep 27, 2012)

PLEASE! Read the article.



The House Rabbit Society also explains that it is very important for baby bunnies to be getting hay. (rabbit.org)
That size hay container you can fill up as often as needed (which could be more than twice per day).


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## I_heart_Fraggles (Sep 27, 2012)

Sounds like cecals. A lot of babies fail to eat there cecals. My vet told me that babies have better things to do 
When we got Fraggles at just under 5 weeks she passed cecals all over the place. Just make sure your limiting the diet to just pellets and unlimited hay.


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*Blue eyes wrote: *


> PLEASE! Read the article.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hi Blue eyes. I read your article over like twice lol.

I didn't know I was supposed to feed them hay until today. I had read several different sites about them not supposed to. One said they aren't supposed to get alfalfa hay as it is too sweet for babies. I have a bale of alfalfa hay and some sort of golden hay I used for my outdoor bunnies. (They are gone now but I use it for my chickens in the winter ) I know they can eat that golden hay but I prefer them eating alfalfa. They are currently eating alfalfa in their container. Its their second helping of hay!


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## Blue eyes (Sep 27, 2012)

That's great! You never mentioned the article, so we didn't know, lol.

I would load up the hay as much as they need it. I'd also leave lots extra for overnight, even if it overflows out the container. You can even leave a big handful on the floor too. That way they won't run out overnight. :big wink:


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*Blue eyes wrote: *


> That's great! You never mentioned the article, so we didn't know, lol.
> 
> I would load up the hay as much as they need it. I'd also leave lots extra for overnight, even if it overflows out the container. You can even leave a big handful on the floor too. That way they won't run out overnight. :big wink:



Alright. Good idea lol. They are just babies so they don't eat TOO fast but two babies who are loving a new food might run out! Before bed I'll probably fill it up and when I wake up I'll refill.


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## CharmmyBunny (Sep 27, 2012)

yeah hay lots of hay you can see they are obviously in love with it! haha yeah hay is good lots of hay yummy yummy!!!


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 27, 2012)

*Blue eyes wrote: *


> That's great! You never mentioned the article, so we didn't know, lol.
> 
> I would load up the hay as much as they need it. I'd also leave lots extra for overnight, even if it overflows out the container. You can even leave a big handful on the floor too. That way they won't run out overnight. :big wink:


Blue eyes just a question. I know its off subject but, where did you make that cute avatar!? That changes through pics of your bunnies


You did a :goodjob on it!


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## Imbrium (Sep 27, 2012)

*I_heart_Fraggles wrote: *


> Sounds like cecals. A lot of babies fail to eat there cecals. My vet told me that babies have better things to do


my vet told me the same thing (he said "short attention span") when my holland lop (got her at 8 weeks old) kept leaving cecals around... she's nearly 18 weeks old now and almost never leaves them any more. they tend to be a little sticky, so it's not uncommon to find one in the fur if it's been sat on.

the alfalfa hay is GREAT for babies because it has more protein and calcium than grass hays (alfalfa is actually a legume hay), which helps them grow. the same protein and calcium can cause health problems in adult rabbits, so around 6-7 months old, you should start switching them over to some type of grass hay (timothy, orchard grass, bermuda, coastal, oat, wheat, etc.).

by the way, between your bunnies being fully weaned a couple weeks younger than they should've been and one of their siblings dying suddenly, I strongly recommend taking your bunnies to a rabbit-savvy vet for a general check-up just to make sure they're in good health. unfortunately, not all vets willing to see rabbits are truly rabbit savvy, so you may have to look around to find a good one. we have a nice library of rabbit-savvy vets here - http://rabbitsonline.net/view_forum.php?id=9


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## Holland Lops1247 (Sep 28, 2012)

UPDATE:

Little bun-bun's droppings are coming out better! I have seen ALOT more normal balls and I just checked and there is a small clump on his butt but it isn't as big and it looks better. Thanks to everybody for the info! The hay is most definitely helping! 


Thanks again :thanks::bunnydance:


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