Why would this happen? (Poo related)

Alfie had been living outside since he was a young baby, right up until a couple of weeks ago. When he came inside to live, it was because I'd found him in a right mess, caked in wet and smelly poo. He stank and I didn't want to risk flystrike.

Since him living inside, I've had absolutely no problems. No smelly poos, no un-eaten cecals, nothing. Put him outside for an hour or so and when I picked him up, he was messy again. Brought him back in, cleaned him up and he was fine again. It's happened a few times now - literally within 15 mins of being outside he's doing these smelly and moist poos, like un-eaten cecals. I don't understand how this could happen, because there is nothing of the sort when he's inside, I don't see any cecals at all and he's perfectly clean! Yet he was leaving them/sitting in them every day outside.

Surely this can't just be coincidence?:?

Is it a territory thing maybe? Or I there something frightening him outside.

tonibun said:

Is it a territory thing maybe? Or I there something frightening him outside.

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He's the only bun I have now, and it was both in his (old) outdoor aviary and the run on the grass, so there's no chance of smelling other buns. I can't think of anything frightening him, he didn't used to be this bad when he was a youngster and he lived outside then :?

It's a mystery!

It's just disappointing because that means he can't go outside anymore, least of all in this heat, and he loves it out there

Could it be something he is eating when he is outside?

weedug said:

Could it be something he is eating when he is outside?

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Nope. If it was just on the grass, when he had issues, I'd put it down to that, but he's also been in his concrete aviary with no access to anything other than hay and water, so I can't think what it could be :?

(I don't want it to seem like I'm saying no to everything, but I've been racking my brains for ages!)

He doesn't want to be outside and is manipulating you too bring him inside for good

Clever Boy :lol:

Could be happiness/stress levels, and how he is happier/less stress inside, and not so happy/more stressed outside.

I just feel bad because he used to love basking in the sun, was always binkying round his enclosure like a little rocket etc. He never looks 'unhappy' when he's outside!

Very strange. :? I would have said that it was the grass making him poorly but obviously if he is doing it when not on the grass then it can't be that. I wonder if maybe it is stress? Perhaps he associates being outside with feeling poorly?

Vegan_Bunny said:

Very strange. :? I would have said that it was the grass making him poorly but obviously if he is doing it when not on the grass then it can't be that. I wonder if maybe it is stress? Perhaps he associates being outside with feeling poorly?

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He is literally fine in himself even when he gets in a mess - if I didn't get dirty picking him up/see the poos on the ground I'd not know anything was up! I wouldn't describe him as poorly at all, just having some bowel problems :lol:

It's strange if it is stress as well, because I cannot think of a single thing to make him stressed! We have cats but they don't pay attention and Alf's been round them since he was 11wks old. He's lived outside, as I said in my OP, since he came home from breeder. He'd also be DBFing and binkying regularly! Alf never used to be like this, it's only been recently. I've tried dropping his metacam in case that was it - made no difference and we've put it up anyway because he got sore hocks. I've tried reducing his pellets right down to five or six, again made no difference other than extra golden poos! I've tried to 'eliminate' it, but it's not worked.

So confusing :?