I need help with Molly's digestive issues :(

I'd say for almost a year now, Molly has been having trouble with a messy bum. She has always done perfectly normal droppings too, but she does these big cow-pat type things, that just stick to her. She doesn't seem to clean herself, although I've seen that she can reach down there to do so. She also does normal poops mixed with sloppy ones, at the same time, which is odd. I looked into mega-colon, but she doesn't do odd shaped droppings and hasn't lost weight, in fact she has gained weight. In the last 6 weeks I've had to take her for a bum shave three times, as she is impossible to handle. I can only just stroke her. Yesterday I took her for a nurse appointment to sort her bum out, it was only two weeks since the last time, but there was a lump as hard as a rock, which took ages to remove with the clippers it was so close to the skin that the nurse nicked her with the clippers, and she jumped a mile, poor Molly she then had a bit of a bum bath to clean her up better.
Molly is a very stressy bunny and was really traumatised afterwards. I am now worried that she might be going into stasis, due to the stress. I have in the last few days cut out loads of things from her usual daily diet that I thought might be causing the problem, such as broccoli, spring greens, and most treats. She only had a bit of parsley and coriander at teatime, not all of it. She is eating some hay and fried plantain, and likes fibreplex. She gets very lonely and sad by herself, so I am reluctant to cut out absolutely everything that she looks forward to she has metacam in a bit of banana, so I can't not give her that.
Just after any ideas, please? At my wits end with them all, and rapidly going bankrupt


ETA: forgot to say, in order to get her to the vets, I have to trick her into going into the carrier. Yesterday was very difficult, as it was so soon after the last time I'm just praying she doesn't get ill now, as I've no idea how I will get her there!! I think maybe she is sore underneath after yesterday.
I'm just spending some time with her right now, to try to cheer her up a bit.
Also forgot to say, she has 15 SS pellets for breakfast, so not a huge amount anyway...

Sorry I meant to come back to this and respond yesterday evening.

Why is Molly having Metacam? Remind me please how old she is. I think you might well find that by cutting out all of the vegetables and the treats, there may be some improvement in her digestion over time, Probably your main aim should be to increase the amount of hay that she is eating, by offering a selection of different types of hay. So ultimately if you can get her eating lots more hay, some dried or fresh forage, herbs and a few pellets I would think you should see an improvement. As she's by herself, to alleviate any boredom, I would also get some sticks for her to chew as well, which will also help her digestion.

It's horrid having stressy rabbits, especially when they need to go to the vets or have lots of hands-on treatment. Trying to improve her digestion by changing her diet could take a little time and so you will need to be patient. At least if she is putting on, rather than losing weight, you won't need to worry there.

I hope that you will soon see some positive results.

Sorry you are having problems with Molly. It seems to be the general opinion that mucky bums are caused by too much carbohydrate ie too many pellets and veg so this is what you need to look at first. Good luck!

Thanks guys. Omi, Molly has 4 different hays on the go right now, she also has apple sticks which she does like to chew. This morning my main concern is still that she is on the verge of stasis, she is not eating half as much as normal she ate about 6 pellets (only gets 15 anyway). She is eating some hay and fried plantain/dandelion though, so I hope she can get through it by eating those. She is drinking too. She is just pretty miserable the vet trip did stress her out enormously, she's a nightmare for things like that she has also eaten her bit of mashed banana with metacam (for very mild arthritis of the spine), so that's good at least. I just don't know if she's miserable because of the stress, or if she's sore underneath. Absolutely no way of checking

Oh dear If the skin underneath her is broken then it really is essential that someone checks her today. Infection can set in very quickly Especially if faeces are getting stuck to her all the time.

How much time does she spend alone ? Depression can cause GI tract disturbances. Can she see other Rabbits at all ?

Has the Vet re-examined her recently to re-assess her arthritis ? Checked her teeth ?

I have just come home for lunch, and Molly seems brighter she ate the rest of her pellets and some coriander, and all the dried forage I left her has gone I know that she needs checking underneath and I will have to try to grab her later, but I know already that she will put up a massive fight, and get all stressed again

Oh and yes, she saw the vet a couple of weeks ago, her teeth are fine, just the same tiny spurs she's had for years, they haven't grown at all. I really don't think her arthritis is causing a problem, as she's always jumping on and off boxes etc with no problems at all...

Molly is eating better now; she is eating all her breakfast pellets and her coriander/parsley for tea. I managed to grab her earlier, but only had a few seconds to look underneath before I had to put her down due to kicking/squeaking there was a small amount of poo stuck to her, that's all I had chance to see. I have been doing some research and think she has caecal dysbiosis. Her caecum isn't functioning properly, the timing is all wrong, as the caecals are not formed properly, and come out at the same time as faecal pellets, which is why they are getting stuck to her. I have now dramatically reduced her variety of foods. She is now having:
12 SS pellets in the morning
Tiny slice of banana with metacam
Unlimited Timothy/meadow hay
Dried plantain and dandelion
Timothy readigrass
Oat hay
Fibreplex
Coriander at lunchtime
Coriander/parsley at teatime
Apple sticks

I felt like the worst person in the world tonight when I came upstairs to bed for the first time all day she came running to her gatelooking for her bedtime treat, that she's had every night for the last 4 years, and I didn't have one for her she couldn't understand it I hate this so much.

If anyone's interested, that is if anyone has experience of similar dysbiosis I'd be grateful for advice.

Surely if you have been giving something from the very beginning and they've been fine with it, it can't be that causing the digestive problems now??

I've no experience but wishing Molly settles on her new diet. Could you pick her fave out of the foods your continuing to feed as her bedtime treat - or give a few of her pellets then? I think they love the routine & interaction over the specific treat - mine do anyway

joey&boo said:

I've no experience but wishing Molly settles on her new diet. Could you pick her fave out of the foods your continuing to feed as her bedtime treat - or give a few of her pellets then? I think they love the routine & interaction over the specific treat - mine do anyway

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Thanks j&b Molly is loads happier this morning, she was running round my feet for pellets for the first time since last week she is so much brighter today... she loved the readigrass I gave her last night, I'd forgotten I had it, so that could be used as a treat, I guess...

ripminnie said:

Thanks j&b Molly is loads happier this morning, she was running round my feet for pellets for the first time since last week she is so much brighter today... she loved the readigrass I gave her last night, I'd forgotten I had it, so that could be used as a treat, I guess...

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wonderful news

Her new diet sounds very good. As we get older our organs don't work as well and perhaps it's the same with the bunnies. Older folk can't eat as much as they used to so cutting down her intake may take pressure off her digestive system and it might be able to work better. Hopefully!

Molly is still happy she looks almost normal again now, behaviour wise, and she is interested in things again she is not happy about the lack of treats though! I gave her half of a very thin crunchie

There is less messy poop already, but still some mixed stuff... normal droppings mixed with stickier stuff. It really is odd...

ripminnie said:

Molly is still happy she looks almost normal again now, behaviour wise, and she is interested in things again she is not happy about the lack of treats though! I gave her half of a very thin crunchie

There is less messy poop already, but still some mixed stuff... normal droppings mixed with stickier stuff. It really is odd...

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This often occurs when a Rabbit's cecum is not functioning correctly for some reason. Given Mollie's mucky bum issues and this recent episode of GI tract problems I suspect it could be related to her cecum.

Re the treats. It's a case of being 'cruel' to be kind. I would really try not to give her any Crunchies etc, not even a tiny bit. One of my Rabbits only has to eat one pellet of any brand and it sets off his GI tract problems. Yes, I feel mean as my other Rabbits get a bit of Fibafirst stick occasionally and he does not. But it's for his own good and instead he has a few sprigs of coriander, his favourite

I'm so pleased that Molly is happier and that her digestive issues seem to be resolving. I agree with Jane and would definitely cut out all treats. I really don't think they miss them, particularly if they have replacement treats, which are kinder to their tummies.

Sending lots of hugs to you. It's stressful trying to keep rabbits happy and healthy

Thanks JJ, Tonibun and Omi Molly is still doing well no sloppy poo today at all! Her droppings are looking really good, and she is much more active. All of my bunnies were getting too many commercial treats, so I have cut them all right back. Diets all round!! Half of a crunchie doesn't seem to be having any adverse effects though, so I'm sticking with that for now. She has had a crunchie every night for the last four years, it's only the last 6 months or so when she's been getting messy. I do think it was too many treats and veggies though. Hopefully she will be ok now