Poopoos and Hairdressing

Hello everyone. Strange title I know but I was reading a couple of posts - one about problems with matted hair and one (well, many) about runny poopoos and would like some advice myself because neither quite matches my problem.

Lola is my first ever bunny and she is 12 wk old so I'm really new to this - I have had pinnie gigs before but never bunnys. I have two queries really:

1) Poopoos

My bunny was doing poopoos that were sort of like those cereal things you get in muller corners. Very normal, spherical, solid, pick them up and put them in the ashtray kinda poos. For the past couple of days she's been doing sort of longer, plaited more people like poos. I at first though must be food. On Saturday evening she was given some banana. Sunday morning fairly squishy poos. Sunday evening tomato, Monday morning normal poos. Monday evening tomato, Tuesday morning funny people like poos (black, by the way). No veg Tues evening, funny poos Wed morning. AND on tues I started mixing Excel pellets into her Russel Junior because the vet said they were better for her.

Comments/suggestions welcome!

2)Hairdressing.

Lola does not like going upside down. even with her head lower than the rest of her she still won't just lie there. How do I clean her underneaths? - she has i bit of matted fur/bedding near her tail that she won't let me get.

Also,
at the moment I am using a comb to groom her. Is a brush better? I'm worried that a metal brush would hurt but a bristle brush might not get through the hair.

Hope I haven't bored you all to death!!! :roll:

Hiya,

Bunnies produce two types are poop. The hard round ones which are left in neat little piles (hopefully in the littertray) which if you break them open will have lots of bits of hay/fibre. The also produce squidgy dark ones that look abit like a bunch of grapes squidged together (called ceacal pellets). These second type they are meant to eat as they contain lots of nutrients that they absorb the second time through. Ideally you should never see these second type as they're eaten as they produce then (ever seen her duck her head then chew contently?).

Sometimes they produce to many or don't eat them. It can be related to being over weight (unlikely in a bun that young) or the diet isn't quite agreeing with her. What type/quantity of dry food is she on and does she eat much hay? Feeding lots of hay and small quantities of high fibre dry food usually sorts the problem out. Avoid fruit as it's sugary and more likely to upset the gut.

Fur wise... a comb is best as it goes right through the fur instead of just brushing the surface. A cat flea comb works quite well

Tamsin

she was eating Russel Junior but the vet said that excel (junior) is better so she's gradually transferred to that. I give her a handful / 2 tablespoons of that every morning and she eats about 3 quarters of it over the course of the day. in the evening she has veg which would be a stick of celery, or a tomato, or a small carrot or something similar. she has hay available all day but I haven't seen her eat much of it. She will occasionally sit in her cage and munch it and I think she eats the hay in her bedroom as I often her rustlling and chewing.

The vet said she was a bit underweight so I know she's not fat. When I got her I could feel all her bones. Now I can just feel her shoulder blades and hip bones a bit.

I have just posted on the other thread... you have posted this mesage twice! :lol:

Here is what I posted...

toffee said:

Hello everyone. Strange title I know but I was reading a couple of posts - one about problems with matted hair and one (well, many) about runny poopoos and would like some advice myself because neither quite matches my problem.

Lola is my first ever bunny and she is 12 wk old so I'm really new to this - I have had pinnie gigs before but never bunnys. I have two queries really:

1) Poopoos

My bunny was doing poopoos that were sort of like those cereal things you get in muller corners. Very normal, spherical, solid, pick them up and put them in the ashtray kinda poos. For the past couple of days she's been doing sort of longer, plaited more people like poos. I at first though must be food. On Saturday evening she was given some banana. Sunday morning fairly squishy poos. Sunday evening tomato, Monday morning normal poos. Monday evening tomato, Tuesday morning funny people like poos (black, by the way). No veg Tues evening, funny poos Wed morning. AND on tues I started mixing Excel pellets into her Russel Junior because the vet said they were better for her.

Click to expand...

Be very careful changing a bunny's diet!!! It should be done very gradual, over a couple of weeks or so!!! Introduce one veg at a time! Banana is very sugary and shouldn't be given very often... tomatoe is very watery... do one thing at a time!!!! If you look in the care section, there is a list of safe things you bun can eat.. try starting with things like spring greens.. brocolli.. tiny bits of carrot (careful though cause carrot is high in sugar too)

If you are changing the pellets, mix some in (only a little) with the food bun is on now and increase it gradually!!! Once that is ok.. start trying other things... small peices! Then you will be able to see what is upsetting your bun.

Have you had bun long? Stress can also cause upset tums, so best to let them settle into their new environment before chaging things!

What kind of bun do you have? I have a lionhead and a lop... I find combs better for my lionhead and slicker brush better for my lop who has short hair!

Hope this helps a little!