Mimzy a bit poorly (excess cecals and mucky bum)

Hi all. Just a few questions that I think I already know the answers to, but just looking for some validation.

Last night I went to clean Mimzy's habitat and I saw a few large piles of smashed cecals on the flooring. Well, every once in awhile he does do this. Usually after too many greens. I've been feeding him kale and he did get some orchard grass yesterday which he doesn't often get, but his timothy is such poor quality I wanted to give him some nice strands to chew on.

As I removed him from his play yard, there was the worst smell, so I looked under his tail and it was just thick with poo. Really gross. I don't ever see him this bad for the most part he is pretty clean even though he can't reach round well with his arthritis. So off to the sink we go and I proceed to rinse him out and then found I had to clip lots of fur away because his skin is reddening. No open sores, but obviously uncomfy. He was glad of it and looked brighter for having it done, although he did pee on me twice for lifting him from his enclosure and returning him to same. :roll: Thanks laddie!

As I got his blankets shaken out there were at least three more pats of this stuff...about 5-6 in all and nearly two inches in size each. This has me thinking that's a lot of excess cecal material and it's gotten all squished together with fecals and hay strands...poor lad, all in one day, how in the world did this happen?

I don't see any further mess overnight and I'm cutting back his greens, plus will have daughter help me tonight clipping a bit more fur if he'll tolerate it. He's been shedding for an age and is full of tufts on the rump because he hates being groomed there, he'll turn and box me or just run off. His hips are probably aching in this weird weather we've had, deep cold one day and then above zero the next...the changes in barometric pressure do us all in.

Could this just be a one off or a sign of something more sinister beneath? I am thinking he might be about ready for a dental, but I can't drive in myself yet and OH is still heavily enduring physical therapy so him taking me is negligible. He eats his hay, but like I said it's terrible quality and I wonder if that could contribute to his cecal problem. It's got a lot of brown leaf in it and just seems completely unappetizing to me and although I'm not a rabbit I have to wonder what he thinks of it?

Soo...if anyone has any ideas how this could all have happened in one day, I'd appreciate it. Hoping there's no repeat tonight, but he's getting older and cleaning himself is becoming an issue. I don't want to think he is getting to a point where we might have to consider letting him go, not just for this but because he is getting more crooked and his left rear leg sticks out at an odd angle (he must need it for balance or it's more comfy to hold it that way) and that worries me that he is feeling pain more than I will allow.

He's also had some weepy/crusty eyes, but I do know that any hay that gets near them tends to make this worse. He can't be near oat hay at all for this reason. I clean them and he has artificial tears to help keep them from drying out too much, especially the down side.

My poor little old man...he will be 9 this spring...approximately.

I'm so sorry to hear that he is struggling like this However, if he still seems happy (and not in too much pain) and is still able to move around adequately then I would say it's definitely not his time yet Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you see it) I'm not experienced in this problem so can't offer much advice but I do know that excess cecals often indicate too much protein in the diet, causing the bunny to feel that they don't need the nutrients that they provide. As he has arthritis though it could simply be that he cannot reach round to his bum to each them. If you see him do one/you see a fresh one then you could always put it in front of him to see if he eats it, and if he does then it probably is just arthritis.

Just make sure you check his bum regularly for poop and matts and where possible that you don't cut it out and instead use a brush to brush it out or a piece or kitchen roll/toilet paper to gently pull it off. (About a couple of weeks after I first got my bunnies my mum and me tried cutting some matted hair from around one of their bums and accidentally nipped the skin slightly due to the fragileness of it). Keep us updated on how you get on though!

Aaw Mimzy If it were me I would just cut down a bit on the greens and let him munch on the poorer quality timothy hay and then see if things improve. I think if it's poorer quality (and I presume you mean it's not as rich in nutrients), it probably actually would be kinder on his stomach.

Btw I noticed you used the expression reach round to his bum. This has always intrigued me when people on here say this with rabbits eating caecals, as mine seem to sit more upright and go down between their legs! Sorry, not related to your problem, but I am somewhat intrigued.

I hope you find that the problem eases when you modify his diet a bit. Sending lots of vibes for Mimzy - it's not nice getting old!