Mucky Bum - chronic caecal dysbiosis - Twinkle U/D 22/2/11 - Dental.

[chelle]

PL advice is amazing as usual!
It would be great to see a diary of how you get on with the sticky bums! I have just switched to useing Oxbow bunny basics/T and have already seen some improvements but would like to eventually be able to offer more of a wild diet......bring on the summer for foraging again!

Fluffliebun - if you would like some apple leaves/twigs I can post some to you too!

 

[fluffiebunnie]

PL advice is amazing as usual!
It would be great to see a diary of how you get on with the sticky bums! I have just switched to useing Oxbow bunny basics/T and have already seen some improvements but would like to eventually be able to offer more of a wild diet......bring on the summer for foraging again!

Fluffliebun - if you would like some apple leaves/twigs I can post some to you too!

I am keeping this as a diary, for my reference, as much as anyone else's!

Thank you for the offer of leaves etc... I am stocking up on dried stuff as we speak! Everyone is so kind and helpful..

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Day 1

24 HOURS OF HAY ONLY

Special poops are now not a large puddle as far as I can see. I did notice a few "bunches of grapes" so the special poops look a bit better formed than previously.

We have gone from a puddle of poo to wet sloppy bunches of grapes.

I felt really bad sneaking pellets to Sparkle last night and this morning I took Twinkle inside and we had a snuggle together whilst Sparkle ate his veggies. She loves snuggling into my fluffy jacket. She was a bit miffed when I put her back and she could smell veggies on Sparkle!!

 

[prettylupin]

24 HOURS OF HAY ONLY

Special poops are now not a large puddle as far as I can see. I did notice a few "bunches of grapes" so the special poops look a bit better formed than previously.

We have gone from a puddle of poo to wet sloppy bunches of grapes.

I felt really bad sneaking pellets to Sparkle last night and this morning I took Twinkle inside and we had a snuggle together whilst Sparkle ate his veggies. She loves snuggling into my fluffy jacket. She was a bit miffed when I put her back and she could smell veggies on Sparkle!!

:thumb:
That was quick! Poppy took days to stop the puddles of splat on hay only.

 

[Babsie]

:thumb:
That was quick! Poppy took days to stop the puddles of splat on hay only.

Can see you're going to be fine with nappies!

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Obviously a long way to go, but it is encouraging to see slightly better formed mess.... just have to get them right and not see any at all as she will then be eating them again!!

 

[Babsie]

Obviously a long way to go, but it is encouraging to see slightly better formed mess.... just have to get them right and not see any at all as she will then be eating them again!!

Sorry. Didn't mean to make light of your problem - it's just that Prettylupin painted such a picture. I'm pleased that it seems things are improving for Twinkle. (Fingers crossed when I said that.)

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Sorry. Didn't mean to make light of your problem - it's just that Prettylupin painted such a picture. I'm pleased that it seems things are improving for Twinkle. (Fingers crossed when I said that.)

I didnt take it that way!

If I had known Pampers did nappies in bunny size I would of got some years ago :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[prettylupin]

I didnt take it that way!

If I had known Pampers did nappies in bunny size I would of got some years ago :lol::lol::lol::lol:

So would I - to keep Nino's in! He poops EVERYWHERE in our house and has been threatened with nappies on many occasions! :lol:

Thanks Babsie - i'm not sure baby poo smells much worse than a dysbiotic rabbit caecal to be honest... here's hoping! :lol:

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Day 2

One large splat of poops and two bunches of grapes.....

 

[prettylupin]

One large splat of poops and two bunches of grapes.....

Hmmm.... I think it's going to take a bit longer as expected. Don't be disheartened by the splat. Poppy was producing 6 or 7 splats every morning for weeks to begin with. Reestablishing caecal balance takes months.

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Hmmm.... I think it's going to take a bit longer as expected. Don't be disheartened by the splat. Poppy was producing 6 or 7 splats every morning for weeks to begin with. Reestablishing caecal balance takes months.

Was a bit disheartened, but did remember you said it might take a long time to sort itself out. She has had this problem for years so I know it wont go away in a matter of hours..

She still did some grape looking ones, which are slightly more formed than normal so still an improvement.

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Day 3

Only one very small sausage shape bunch today... no splats.

Pleased there is only one bunch today.

Twinkle is still looking healthy and happy on her hay diet only. She does drink and wee lots though which she has always done.

 

[prettylupin]

Only one very small sausage shape bunch today... no splats.

Pleased there is only one bunch today.

Twinkle is still looking healthy and happy on her hay diet only. She does drink and wee lots though which she has always done.

Woo! Keep going Twinkle :wave:

They will eat and drink more being hay only - need more hay for equal nutritional value and may drink more too as a very dry diet. Doing well tho x

 

[shebunkin]

Help please!!! re sticky bum-- Readigrass OK?

Just read this thread-- Can anyone tell me if Readigrass could cause sticky bum? our two elderly buns no longer eat hay so I was delighted when we tried Readigrass by Friendly ('Natural Pure Dried Grass') and found they both love it. I have increased the amount fed to several handfuls. But Rose, who has always had intermittent sticky bum problems. is having a bad recurrence of this. Today she had to have her bum washed TWICE-- this is unheard of. Previous episodes of sticky bum just needed a bit less veg and pellets to settle.
Neither is very fat-- in fact they can't afford to lose much weight.
Teeth are not perfect-- but they are not fit enough for dentals. Rose's mate and our other rabbit are both scoffing the Readigrass enthusiastically with no problems. Maybe it's just the veg and pellet affecting Rose worse than usual...?

Any advice appreciated. Shebunkin

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Just read this thread-- Can anyone tell me if Readigrass could cause sticky bum? our two elderly buns no longer eat hay so I was delighted when we tried Readigrass by Friendly ('Natural Pure Dried Grass') and found they both love it. I have increased the amount fed to several handfuls. But Rose, who has always had intermittent sticky bum problems. is having a bad recurrence of this. Today she had to have her bum washed TWICE-- this is unheard of. Previous episodes of sticky bum just needed a bit less veg and pellets to settle.
Neither is very fat-- in fact they can't afford to lose much weight.
Teeth are not perfect-- but they are not fit enough for dentals. Rose's mate and our other rabbit are both scoffing the Readigrass enthusiastically with no problems. Maybe it's just the veg and pellet affecting Rose worse than usual...?

Any advice appreciated. Shebunkin

You would be best to start a new thread about this in the 'Diet' part of The Forum

Yes, Readigrass can cause excess caecotrophs as it is high in protein.

However, if the effected Rabbit(s) have not been examined by a Vet VERY recently I would arrange an appointment. Elderly Rabbits can have mobility issues (arthritis) meaning they cannot get to their cecals or keep themselves clean.

 

[prettylupin]

You would be best to start a new thread about this in the 'Diet' part of The Forum

Yes, Readigrass can cause excess caecotrophs as it is high in protein.

However, if the effected Rabbit(s) have not been examined by a Vet VERY recently I would arrange an appointment. Elderly Rabbits can have mobility issues (arthritis) meaning they cannot get to their cecals or keep themselves clean.

This. Vet check up to rule out health issues first. :wave:

 

[shebunkin]

Readigrass

Thank you for advice. I have now read about Readigrass, and will reduce it.
(Rose has recently been checked by vet-- she is on metacam as she probably does have arthritis, however she can usually clean her bum herself, but goes through bad patches. She was given a course of Baytril recently due to apparent urinary tract infection and getting pink and bare where she sat on pee. The skin is now bbetter.
She has never used a litter tray but pees everywhere.I thought it was purely behavioural til I found this forum.
I read all the stuff about calcium and sludge, and am trying to avoid the high calcium stuff-- we bought timothy hay hoping she would eat it but the rabbits eat very little of this. Thats why we were so thrilled with the Readigrass. Both rabbits eat our fresh growing grass, also our organic grass I have cut and throroughly dried over days, but both need to eat more due to possibility of spurs growing. I am going to try to get some Orchardgrass.
We now use vet bed for their snuggle box, but this has to be washed every day as she pees on it.
We cannot go for high tech high intervention vet care-- A our rabbits get too stressed by vet visits and B our vets are not rabbit experts-- they don't have anywhere near the knowledge of people on this forum. We can't travel far due to the great stress the rabbits have from car and vet visits. I'm trying to do everything I can through learning from other on this forum.
Thank you everyone for all the helpful information here. Shebunkin

 

[fluffiebunnie]

Day 4

Only one small bunch of grapes found this morning. Her bottom is very clean

 

[prettylupin]

Good progress Fluffiebunnie

Shebunkin - have you tried some hays from the hayexperts? Such as Burns Green Oat Hay or the Oxbow Timothy? I use this hay www.willowwarren.co.uk and they do a free sample. :wave: