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Sticky bum and bad moulting.

VickyC83

Mama Doe
Bunz has had a messy bum a couple of times over the week. I've cleaned him up as advised by the vet with baby shampoo.

He still seems to be passing normal solid drops but every now and again they go slightly sloppy. Nothing at all has changed in his diet. Has anyone else had this problem before? It just concerns me that it's happened more than once this week.

He's also moulting really bad, when I'm grooming him it appears to make him itch. He also gets tetchy. I obv need to groom him but don't want to be hurting him.

Any advice/tips would be appreciated :)
 
Can you tell us a bit about what your rabbit eats including quantities. Do they have any known health problems.
 
Can you tell us a bit about what your rabbit eats including quantities. Do they have any known health problems.

He's in a strict routine when it comes to food.

He has Burgess Jr & Dward pellets.
A little srping greens in a morning.
A basil leaf when we eat dinner.
One yoghurt drop at bed time and a quarter carrot too.
Obviously he has fresh hay all the time. He's had the same diet since we got him. He rarely eats fruit cos of the sugar content. He sometimes has a couple of carrot crunchie treats (the natural range from P@H)
As soon as I#m home from work he goes straight in the play pen til bed time and we always sit and snuggle before he goes to bed.

I have no quarms taking him to the vets, but it stresses him out and don't want to take him unless he needs to go.

He had cystitis last November, but he is fully recovered.
 
In quantity how much pellets are you giving him a day. If you arnt sure put the total amount in a bowl and post a picture of the quantity, this will help us
 
I can't feed carrot to Mini, like fruit it has a high sugar content and too much gives her those excess cecal sticky cow pat like poos.
 
He has Burgess Jr & Dward pellets - 1 handful - this is 17% crude fibre and 16% protein. I would consider decreasing the amount of pellets they have slowly and also consider changing on to a higher fibre and lower protein food. Science Selective which include 19% fibre http://www.supremepetfoods.com/product/science-selective-rabbit/ or Bunny Basics https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Foo.../Bunny+Basics+Adult+(%252FT)+:+4.5kg.245.html are both high fibre foods. You would need to change over very slowly over a period of about 2 weeks.

A little srping greens in a morning - should be fine
A basil leaf when we eat dinner. - should be fine
One yoghurt drop at bed time and a quarter carrot too - would suggest not feeding yogurt drops as this is not part of their normal diet in the wild, rabbits are also lactose intolerant. Carrots are high in sugar and may be worth avoiding until you can sort out the sticky botton.

Obviously he has fresh hay all the time - he should be eating roughly the same size of his body in hay a day.
He's had the same diet since we got him - as rabbits get older there needs change,
He rarely eats fruit cos of the sugar content. - all high sugar and carbohydrate foods should be avoided.

He sometimes has a couple of carrot crunchie treats (the natural range from P@H) The contents of these carrot crunchies are Green Carrot Shape: Wheat (min. 23.9%), Maize (min. 13.9%), Wheat Feed (min. 9.2%), Ground Peas (min. 1.6%), Sunflower Oil, Mixed Herbs (min. 0.2%) (Oregano, Marjarom, Thyme, Parsley).
Orange Carrot Shape: Wheat (min. 25.8%), Maize (min. 13.9%), Wheat Feed (min. 9.2%), Sunflower Oil, Carrot (min. 0.02%). Coloured with EC Additives. I would avoid these as they are high in carbohydrate and proteins which all can cause dirty bottoms. Some of the ingredients are not ones which would naturally be found in a wild rabbits diet such as sunflower oil. You can supplement these with dried leaves and flowers such as https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Natural+Treats+%2526+Herbs.7/Natures+Salad.295.html or http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=296573 these are far more natural and beneficial for rabbits. Collecting your own leaves and drying them may also help your bunny keep clean

The other things to consider is if he is overweight and cannot reach his bottom to keep himself clean, if he is you need to consider cutting out the high sugar foods, treats and reduce the pellets. If he is elderly and has arthritis he may not be able to reach his botton, a vet review and may be an antiinflamatory may help him if this is a problems.
Dental buns often also are more prone to dirty bottoms, this can be checked out by a vet.
There are a few gut problems which could be causeing problems which you would need to speak to a rabbit savy vet, however start with the easy option by changing his diet as this may well sort out the problem.
It is good that you are trying to look at what you can do to help you bun.
 
I can't feed carrot to Mini, like fruit it has a high sugar content and too much gives her those excess cecal sticky cow pat like poos.

:)

That's why he only has a little bit, but he's had it all his life. I dunno why it's suddenly got like this :s He doesn't seem bloated and isn't off his food.
 
He has Burgess Jr & Dward pellets - 1 handful - this is 17% crude fibre and 16% protein. I would consider decreasing the amount of pellets they have slowly and also consider changing on to a higher fibre and lower protein food. Science Selective which include 19% fibre http://www.supremepetfoods.com/product/science-selective-rabbit/ or Bunny Basics https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Foo.../Bunny+Basics+Adult+(%252FT)+:+4.5kg.245.html are both high fibre foods. You would need to change over very slowly over a period of about 2 weeks.

A little srping greens in a morning - should be fine
A basil leaf when we eat dinner. - should be fine
One yoghurt drop at bed time and a quarter carrot too - would suggest not feeding yogurt drops as this is not part of their normal diet in the wild, rabbits are also lactose intolerant. Carrots are high in sugar and may be worth avoiding until you can sort out the sticky botton.

Obviously he has fresh hay all the time - he should be eating roughly the same size of his body in hay a day.
He's had the same diet since we got him - as rabbits get older there needs change,
He rarely eats fruit cos of the sugar content. - all high sugar and carbohydrate foods should be avoided.

He sometimes has a couple of carrot crunchie treats (the natural range from P@H) The contents of these carrot crunchies are Green Carrot Shape: Wheat (min. 23.9%), Maize (min. 13.9%), Wheat Feed (min. 9.2%), Ground Peas (min. 1.6%), Sunflower Oil, Mixed Herbs (min. 0.2%) (Oregano, Marjarom, Thyme, Parsley).
Orange Carrot Shape: Wheat (min. 25.8%), Maize (min. 13.9%), Wheat Feed (min. 9.2%), Sunflower Oil, Carrot (min. 0.02%). Coloured with EC Additives. I would avoid these as they are high in carbohydrate and proteins which all can cause dirty bottoms. Some of the ingredients are not ones which would naturally be found in a wild rabbits diet such as sunflower oil. You can supplement these with dried leaves and flowers such as https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Natural+Treats+%2526+Herbs.7/Natures+Salad.295.html or http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=296573 these are far more natural and beneficial for rabbits. Collecting your own leaves and drying them may also help your bunny keep clean

The other things to consider is if he is overweight and cannot reach his bottom to keep himself clean, if he is you need to consider cutting out the high sugar foods, treats and reduce the pellets. If he is elderly and has arthritis he may not be able to reach his botton, a vet review and may be an antiinflamatory may help him if this is a problems.
Dental buns often also are more prone to dirty bottoms, this can be checked out by a vet.
There are a few gut problems which could be causeing problems which you would need to speak to a rabbit savy vet, however start witk h the easy option by changing his diet as this may well sort out the problem.
It is good that you are trying to look at what you can do to help you bun.

:) Thank you :)
 
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