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Any advice much appreciated....

D

Dylan's Mum

New Kit
Dylan is a male dwarf cross, 9 months and lives in an outdoor hutch. He lives on a diet of hay, green excel topped up with bunny brunch type mix. He is given fresh veg regularly including spinach, carrot, sweetcorn. He gets pieces of apple for a treat, which he loves. My boyfriend and I very rarely see him drinking water......which worries me, but whenever I have mentioned to vet they say its no problem. The majority of the time his poo is hard small balls. Every so often he passes large soft stools. Tonight in his play pen in the house was one of these times. He was in the house from 2.30pm till 7pm and the whole time he passes large soft stools and never urinated once? At times like this I worry but the next day and weeks later he is fine. Any help/advice?? Thanks..
 
A bun's diet should be composed of 90% hay, in particular the stem of the hay, w/ the remaining 10% compose of pellet and treats, greens and fruits. Is that the case?

It seems to be a diet issue of too much soft food like greens or fruit.

Also, at the weather, rabbit can't handle the temperature difference of indoor then outdoor everyday. Either they stay totally outdoor w/ shade to block the wind, or they stay totally indoor 24 hr./day
 
Dylan's Mum said:
Dylan is a male dwarf cross, 9 months and lives in an outdoor hutch. He lives on a diet of hay, green excel topped up with bunny brunch type mix. He is given fresh veg regularly including spinach, carrot, sweetcorn. He gets pieces of apple for a treat, which he loves. My boyfriend and I very rarely see him drinking water......which worries me, but whenever I have mentioned to vet they say its no problem. The majority of the time his poo is hard small balls. Every so often he passes large soft stools. Tonight in his play pen in the house was one of these times. He was in the house from 2.30pm till 7pm and the whole time he passes large soft stools and never urinated once? At times like this I worry but the next day and weeks later he is fine. Any help/advice?? Thanks..
Click to expand...

It sounds as though he is getting way to much carbohydrate/sugars in his diet.

A Buns diet should be 80-90% hay. I'd cut out all fruit and sugary veg (Corn/Carrot)
How much pellet feed are you giving?

I would stop feeding the mix.

Has he had his teeth checked ? Although young on the diet he is having he may well already have some problems with his molars (cheek teeth)

Try offering him a bowl of water rather than a sipper bottle. Buns tend to drink more from a bowl. Adding some Avipro-C probiotic to his water may also get him to drink more. Although he will get some water from the Veg he eats.

Does he get lots of free range time ? The small poos indicate a reduced gut motility and this can be improved by correcting the diet, increasing exercise and encouraging a better water intake. But its also important to make sure he has no discomfort in his mouth from spurred/too long molars :)
 
On reading those two replies there I reckon we are probably giving him too much fresh veg. He has a constant supply of hay and he is given about two handfuls of pellet/brunch stuff a day.Once in morning and once in evening. Gonna stop the brunch stuff. His hutch isnt attached to an outdoor run. We have brought him in the house into his playpen over winter for exercise as the weather isnt the greatest for his outdoor run andd like to keep an eye on him. I appreciate the temp issue but in my defense the heating is never on when he comes in. I sit freezing with my coat on so to allow him exercise in horrible weather.I would love to buy him a hutch come run but my garden is far too sloped to accomodate this. How much veg does everyone give their rabbits?? Everday, weekly?? His teeth were last checked in December when he got his 2nd VDH jag. No problems.....
 
As long as his diet is 90% hay, then the remaining 10% would be a small amt. of pellet, on a dish about 6.5" in diameter (Inner diameter) I cover 1/2 of it w/ pellets for 2 rabbits, every 24 hr.

Then I gave 1 carrot w/ leaves for these 2 bunnies once a day. I like carrot because it's 1 of the recommended veggies to prevent cancer.

Beyond that, just a bit of spinach leaf during the week and some treats.

To prevent heart disease and cancer, I gave them blackberries daily, (I eat the blackberries too), but I don't think there is any other members in this forum that does blackberries.
 
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