Sticky, mucusy, hair filled poo

Last Sunday evening I noticed Rupert wasn't quite right. He then only 'picked' at his veggies. It indicated tummy pain to me and I gave him a dose of metacam in the hope it would soothe his tummy and allow him to calm down a bit and hopefully he'd be okay. He was pooing but much less than usual. He cheered up and on Monday seemed much happier. He's a very frightened man so always balancing vet need and stress caused. Since then he's been much better-eats veggies, herbs and his dried willow, strawberry an apple leaves from Twig's goodie boxes. He won't eat pellets and just isn't quite right. He does hop around but then will sit in an unusual place for him. Today I picked him up to check on him as his cheek looked as if his eye had been running. On his bum was approx a teaspoon of a very sticky, mucusy poo with lots of hair in it. It had no form but smelt like normal squidy poos. I've dealt with GI before and as they recover the poos are small and with mucus, but these weren't formed. It wasn't liquid, more a sticky paste. But so sticky with mucus and lots of hair-like a cake mixture, the hairs were completely part of the poo. Rupert is a VERY hairy Californian and try as I do with grooming he is very fluffy. I believe the hair is his.

My vet wasn't as helpful as I'd have liked. I didn't feel reassured. He said normal as 'gas'-but Rupert has no gurgling. This is the 4th day. He said no blockage and to syringe a recovery food as 'the sugar will help'. In the end he gave Rupert a metachlopramide injection, said it would last 8 hrs, goodbye.

Am I overly worrying? I just have seen a lot of bunny poo in my time but not like this. Rupert isn't in an acute state-alot of his behaviour is -normal' but this poo, not eating hay or pellets and sitting in a corner isn't him. He's not cuddling with Milly much either. He doesn't seem to be in pain-no grinding teeth, eyes bright, ears alert, hopping etc.

Rupert has a history of mysterious illnesses which always involve his tummy. He eats everything in sight, food, fixtures and fittings. He's not eaten carpet though. I believe this has come about as the shop I buy their food from ran out just before Christmas. I had some left but instead of all SS Rupert has been eating a mix of his SS and Milly's Excel fr young buns-it's tiny and she's a dental bun. He usually eats a bit of both anyway but he did seem upset as he does love his food.

If I'm overly fussing, please tell me. I'm just a bit thrown by this. Milly's the poorly one, when Rupert's not right I always feel a bit wobbly as I just haven't had the experience I have with Milly in terms of knowing when some thing's wrong.

Did the Vet check Rupert's teeth ? If he has a sore mouth he is likely to go off hay/hard food. This, in turn, will lead to gut problems.

Yep, teeth fine-thank God. Milly's teeth are awful and mine not much better-went to vets mumbling as had broken tooth dealt with at dentists earlier! Dentist accidentally injected anaesthesia into my tongue. Hurt loads then no feeling at all. Hard to talk with numb tongue.

Is his poo okay? Is this him 'recovering'? Thank you.

bunniesgalore said:

Yep, teeth fine-thank God. Milly's teeth are awful and mine not much better-went to vets mumbling as had broken tooth dealt with at dentists earlier! Dentist accidentally injected anaesthesia into my tongue. Hurt loads then no feeling at all. Hard to talk with numb tongue.

Is his poo okay? Is this him 'recovering'? Thank you.

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Sometimes it can take a while for the gut to get back to normal after stasis. But 4 days is quite a long time really. Did the mucus in his poo start AFTER he had willow ? I ask as one or two of my Rabbits are unable to tolerate willow, it seems to give them abdominal cramps :?

I think willow is meant to contain a 'natural' anti-inflammatory. But I wonder if this could also cause a similar side effect as conventional anti inflammatories- ie a gastric irritant for some Rabbits :? Mucus in poo is a sign of gastric irritation/inflammation.

I think I would be inclined to go back to the Vet (or a different Vet) if he is the same tomorrow. I'd take a sample of the poo too.

I never thought if the willow. He's been eating it for a while though-probably three weeks and seemed fine before. I'll remove all trace of it now anyway. He hadn't ever (with me anyway) had actual willow leaves before. Also I got him a willow hay ball and big Willow Circle wreath thing for Christmas and he's eating those all the time. Maybe it is the willow, that even if it hasn't caused his tummy problems is at least slowing his recovery?

I'll remove all willow. Quite right should have thought. It's highly likely to irritate a sensitive tummy. I am an idiot. Rupert's not in a really bad crisis way, it's the slow recovery that's bothered me. This could well be it. He was eating his willow ball earlier just before the vets.

You are a GENIUS!

Fingers crossed that once it's out his system his tummy will get back to normal. I do feel stupid. And guilty. I am a useless bunny mummy.

I'll keep vigilent meanwhile.

good luck... Hope you find out what it is....

Probably shouldn't have given him a dose of metacam whilst he was already dosed up with willow/aspirin. Aaargh. I am so useless.

bunniesgalore said:

Probably shouldn't have given him a dose of metacam whilst he was already dosed up with willow/aspirin. Aaargh. I am so useless.

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No you are not !!

I have done the exact same thing myself and it was only because of that that I thought it might be an issue for Rupert too.

I may be completely wrong and it is totally unrelated.

Hopefully Rupert will be 100% back to normal very soon.

This is very interesting... Willow may be causing problems for Digby... He's had some strange outputs the last couple of days after I gave them a bunch of willow twigs/leaves... I hope Rupert feels better soon! X

I was reading an article about rabbit moulting and grooming earlier, and some of the symptoms are very similar to what you were describing. Obviously I'm no expert and it's a complete shot in the dark!

Here's the article:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/moulting.htm

This morning Rupert seems a lot perkier and is back lying on his pillow. I'm assuming the metachopramide has helped. I removed all the willow and hope his tummy will settle properly soon. There's no way of knowing for sure but I suspect he was okay on just a few willow leaves but when he then got his willow ball and big willow wreathe thing, he suddenly was eating a lot of Willow which may well have upset his tummy. I think this likely because it makes sense but also as he never went into full stasis. I think the willow, as Jane pointed out, was an irritant. Then he kept eating the willow-leaves and ball and so his tummy remained irritated and this seemed so slow to recover. Hopefully now he's Willow free, it'll get out of his system and in a couple if days or so I hope he'll be back to normal.

The hair in the poo is I think because a-he's a one rabbit allergy extravaganza, but also I've found anxious buns do often seem to over enthusiastically over groom themselves, their partner or even objects. Because he's been pooing less and his gut slowed, the hair built up, whereas with normal pooing it would have been more 'diluted' and in lots of poo.

This is my current theory anyway. I do like to know why things happen, knowledge is power.

Fingers crossed Rupert will be all well again soon. I have learnt a lot through this. I've never read anything about being careful about willow intake. So many bunny toys/tunnels etc are willow. I don't know whether Rupert can have willow again in small quantities or if he's going to be extra sensitive now to it?

Thanks Jane. I have been so worried and so confused. It just didn't make sense what was happening. Thank you so much.

rabbit9091 said:

I was reading an article about rabbit moulting and grooming earlier, and some of the symptoms are very similar to what you were describing. Obviously I'm no expert and it's a complete shot in the dark!

Here's the article:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/moulting.htm

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Thank you. This is definitely part of Rupert's problem. I appreciate the link.:thumb:

Glad to hear that Rupert is doing better today