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Older bun having "accidents" while sleeping?

S

Spikethebunny

Young Bun
Spike is almost ten years old, and he's always had great litter habits. The last week, however, I've noticed a couple dark stains and stickier poops left behind after he sleeps. The poops in his litter box are the normal, round poops and not at all runny. He's still acting normal. Comes running for his meal, eats lots of hay.

I'm almost thinking the stains and sticky poops are cecotropes, but I still see him eat most of those.

His butt looks clean.

And when he's not sleeping, this doesn't seem to happen. I've only seen these stains after he spends the day sleeping in his log cabin.

Is this an age thing? Do older buns have more accidents when they are asleep? Are we giving him too many greens or pellets? We haven't really changed his diet much, but we can stop giving him lettuce snacks during the day if we have to.
 
My girl Roo (eight) started doing this last year. I take her for check ups with the vet but they don't think it's anything to worry about at the moment, as long as they are keeping clean and are otherwise active and posturing correctly to go to the toilet.
 
Spikethebunny said:
Spike is almost ten years old, and he's always had great litter habits. The last week, however, I've noticed a couple dark stains and stickier poops left behind after he sleeps. The poops in his litter box are the normal, round poops and not at all runny. He's still acting normal. Comes running for his meal, eats lots of hay.

I'm almost thinking the stains and sticky poops are cecotropes, but I still see him eat most of those.

His butt looks clean.

And when he's not sleeping, this doesn't seem to happen. I've only seen these stains after he spends the day sleeping in his log cabin.

Is this an age thing? Do older buns have more accidents when they are asleep? Are we giving him too many greens or pellets? We haven't really changed his diet much, but we can stop giving him lettuce snacks during the day if we have to.
Click to expand...

It would be a good idea to ask your Vet to give Spike a check up. The 'poo issue' is probably nothing to worry too much about, but it is always a good idea to err on the side of caution and seek Veterinary advice regardless of the age of the Bunny :)
 
Spikethebunny said:
Spike is almost ten years old, and he's always had great litter habits. The last week, however, I've noticed a couple dark stains and stickier poops left behind after he sleeps. The poops in his litter box are the normal, round poops and not at all runny. He's still acting normal. Comes running for his meal, eats lots of hay.

I'm almost thinking the stains and sticky poops are cecotropes, but I still see him eat most of those.

His butt looks clean.

And when he's not sleeping, this doesn't seem to happen. I've only seen these stains after he spends the day sleeping in his log cabin.

Is this an age thing? Do older buns have more accidents when they are asleep? Are we giving him too many greens or pellets? We haven't really changed his diet much, but we can stop giving him lettuce snacks during the day if we have to.
Click to expand...

It sounds to me as though it's food related. I've seen this sort of things before :thumb:

If you cut down on the snacks (unless he needs them to keep his weight up) then notice how he is.

I wouldn't worry too much, but if you are concerned, take a bit of the offending evidence with you and go to the vet :)
 
Jack's-Jane said:
It would be a good idea to ask your Vet to give Spike a check up. The 'poo issue' is probably nothing to worry too much about, but it is always a good idea to err on the side of caution and seek Veterinary advice regardless of the age of the Bunny :)
Click to expand...

I agree with Jane that a vet visit is in order. I had bunnies for 13 and 14 years and I never assumed anything was just 'old age' and could not be corrected. It also gave me a lot of comfort even when the vet said something was nothing to worry about.
 
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