favourite subject - rabbit poo......

OK, I'm trying to cure Brody of her sticky bottom and have gradually changed her diet from Excel pellets to Science Selective. Am trying to get hold of Allen & Page but failed so far. Am also reducing her intake of veggies and trying to get her to eat more hay but her bott is worse today. She is hopping round the garden with strings of hay trailing behind her which are attached to her sticky behind. Nice. classy bun. Any ideas????

:evil:

Jill

Switching to SS is a good start, how much and at what times are you feeding her?

Is she eating much hay?

Tam

If she's getting all her food at once, you could try giving her half in the morning and half in the evening instead. Monopoly used to have quite a dirty bottom. I cut down her pellets a lot, and split them into a morning and evening feed. I also keep her on a probiotic as her tummy seems to be quite easily upset.

She doesn't eat much hay, if any at all. The time of feeding is spasmodic, depending on my shifts but it's either first thing in the morning or 5-6ish in the afternoon. I've reduced the quantity to half a dish but she wolfs that down and I feel guilty.

thanks

Jill

I'd be tempted to cut down on the dry feed again. If she has access to grass and hay she isn't going to starve, so don't feel guilty at her wolfing down her food. But it would be better to get her eating more hay.

Hi Bertie is right, the way to try and solve this is perhaps to cut out dried food completely for a while, until the rabbit is happily munching the hay.
Once hay is back on the menu then gradually reintroduce a small handful of dried food, but more as a treat and not as a main staple.
Adult bunnies can quite happily live off hay and a few veggies, and no dried food at all.
Our Sanctuary bunnies, many of whom arrived with exactly the type of problem you described were initially put onto a hay only diet until they had to eat it (as they will opt for the dried food as a staple if allowed to do so)....once they were happily eating hay, then they were given a dessertspoon of dried food once a day, but no more.
With 26 rabbits here, and many having been cured of the sticky bot syndrome, we have found the hay is the key to all round good bunny health.
Bunnies diets need to be kept simple and although a handful of herbs and a few veggies make a nice treat, it is the hay which should be their main food, far too much importance is placed upon the dried food.
Our bunnies are full of vitality and healthy despite the majority of them being aged 5 years plus, we have tried every diet in the book, but the one that works is hay! hay! and more hay!.
If given the option bunnies will eat predominantly dried food, and this is why they end up with gut problems and sticky droppings.
It is the constant munching of hay that keeps the gut healthy and things moving, and reduces the risk of teeth problems.
Bunnies will eventually eat the hay if left with no other alternative, and once they get the taste for it, they tend to relish it...our bunnies now prefer hay to the dried food, which is quite a turn about!! :lol: .

Thanks - a dessertspoonful sounds very mean but I will persevere and get the little rascal to eat her hay. She is already quite a thin bunny so she doesn't have much in the way of fat reserves to draw on..... unlike moi...

:lol:

Jill

How bigs the dish? There is quite a difference between half a dog bowl and half a hamster bowl The recommendation on the back of the pack is 50g. Try filling the bowl as usual and then weighing it.

My bun is quite happy and healthy on half of that and lots of hay.

Whats her weigh like? A plump bun can also have trouble reaching to eat the poop which can attribute to sticky bum problems.

Tam

:lol: :roll: I know the feeling.

Believe me, a dessert spoonful is not mean. If you can imagine the amount of food in relation to size, it would be like you or me sitting with a bathfull of food to nibble on all day, filled with things like biscuits, chocs, crisps and all sorts of goodies! Hmmmmmmmm

None of my rabbits get more than this (apart from Mojo and Grace, they're big buns, but they'd rather have hay anyway). So long as rabbits eat hay, grass and a variety of veggies, they are perfectly healthy and happy, and it's much more like their natural diet.

I'd go along with Adele's suggestion. Trust us on this :lol:

Thin as in too thin? Does she have a pot belly? I was just wondering if she could have worms or something?

It seems a little odd that a bunny eating plenty of pellets would be on the thin side.

Tam

Tamsin said:

How bigs the dish? There is quite a difference between half a dog bowl and half a hamster bowl The recommendation on the back of the pack is 50g. Try filling the bowl as usual and then weighing it.

Tam

Click to expand...

This is fine for a rabbit who is eating hay normally but with bunnies who are eating dried food only(and no hay) drastic action is needed.
We have tried following guidelines on packets of dried food for years now, but it has never resulted in bunnies with optimum health...sorry to disagree Tamsin
Alfie is obviously the exception to the rule. and we have got the rabbit diet down to a fine art (and yes! they sulk at first with the meagre portions, but yes! they do eventually forgive you :lol: ) having observed reactions health wise in many hundreds of bunnies.


We aim for super fit bunnies and not just healthy ones...bunnies condition can always be improved and the key is diet.

As Tamsin suggested, I would be suspicious of the bunny having worms too, as they tend to bloat up , eat a lot, but at the same time loose condition and go all thin (bit remain bloated around the tum)
Perhaps the Vet could give her a check up, and check her weight and general health at the same time.

I've never actually weighed her but she's a mini lop and very slender, very little meat on her bones. the dish she eats from is about 4 inches across by 1 1/2 inches deep. I'll weigh 50g and put her on that.

Jill

Sorry if that wasn't clear, Alfie eats about half of that. I use 50g as a max per day. If your feeding more than that then I'd take it down atleast that far to start with. If your feeding less already then don't put it up to it.

I haven't tried the hay only diet with a bun, I've never been in a situation where it was necessary though.

Tam

I have just had problems getting my bunie into eating hay after having his front teeth out. I have manged to get this sorted out:

What I have done is try different types of hay (timothy and readigrass(?) - the readiegrass seems to be very like the burgess grass to me maybe its cos I have made the effort to keep the bag sealed that it smells nicer)

I have a large litter tray with lined with paper, normal hay and sawdust to abosorb the wee and at the other end the fresh nice hay.

The hay in the hay holder is untocuhed and hes always in his litter tray munching away. His food pots are by the hay tray and so he does go up there but prefers the litter tray hay. I think its really worth finsing a hay they like.

I think its not only down to getting nice hay but making sure its in the right place. I have had no luck with hay in toys or cardboard rolls but maybe you will?

Adele - I have to agree with you. When my bunnie went for his jabs the vet said he could do with adding 2-300g on him and do this via pellets. Vets are vet set in their ways even after I said I was going for a hay and veggie diet!

Bless my little Brody - she doesn't have a pot belly but you can feel her bones. I've had her for about a year and a half and she's always been skinny - I was worried in the winter as I expected her to put a bit of weight on them, she didn't but she survived that OK. She recently went for her VHD jab and the vet looked at her teeth - quote - excellent - unquote. He didn't seem concerned about her weight. Her coats' glossy, eyes bright, gets regular exercise..

Jill

Maybe shes a supermodel bunnie?

You can feel my bunnies bones but he gets as much food as he wants and seems ok.

I got some allen and Page from http://www.bunnymail.co.uk/

:lol:

Well my Mum has nicknamed her "rear of the year"!!

I may finally have successfully managed to put her and Totti's pics in the introductions section... she's the black and white one and he's the pure white..... have a peep and I think you'll agree, she looks in fine condition so I think I'll go along with your supermodel theory.

Jill

Oh has she got a cute sister thats looking for love? If so send her this way my boy needs a GF!

Nice outdoor hutch, where did you get it from?

I got mine interested in hay by putting it in a toilet roll tube. Then when he's not in his cage he still eats the cage as he attacks the tube! Worth a try.
Chris

will give that a go.. anything to get the pesky little blighter ineterested in what I think, sorry, know is best for her.... a common refrain from Mums all over

Cheers Jill