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squidgy poos, weight loss and over/undereating

huppie

Mama Doe
Dear all

I have two buns. Both are drinking and weeing as normal with no behavioural change I can see. Both eat hay regularly, both eat their cecals and I very rarely find cecals in their litter. Their bums are clean and coats shiny. Both buns are fed Hope Farm Rabbit Select, each x25g twice a day plus they have unlimited hay and every day they have fresh veggie/s. Both rabbits weigh about 1.5kg.

BUT!!!!!!!
One lot of poo is normal, the other set has started to become bigger and smooshier. I think Rambaldi (male) is doing the smooshy poos. :(
Huppie (female) has had some weight loss - although she was slightly overweight so that is not too much of a problem I think. :(

I think Huppie's weight loss and Rambaldi's squidgy poos may be because Rambaldi eats very fast and steals Huppie's mix as soon as he is done. I try sitting with them to monitor what they eat but can't do this during all feeds. Plus Huppie has always been a slow eater - we rescued her from a friend a few months before bonding her with Rambaldi. She would eat her food throughout the day, but always finish it. She has started to eat more quickly in response to his theivery but I think it isn't enough.

What do I do about the poo and weight loss problems? How do I control what they eat? :?

Help!

Emma
 
I have to separate one of my buns from the big group at feed time. They only have a small handful of pellets each so I don't have to wait long. Maybe you can get weight loss bun's teeth checked? My Alfie had a spur on one tooth that was cutting his mouth. So although he dived on his food, he wasn't eating enough. They can live without pellets so drastically reducing them should clear up any weight gain probs - as long as they are eating hay:D
 
hi

Yeah ours are on diets for medical reasons not cause they are fat and they only get about 6 nuggets each a day plus big handful of greens morn/night. Hay as much as want although angel cant eat hay.
lots of cecotrophes poo is normally lack of or too much of hay/greens so doing what ever you think will sort that out. Angel used to have to have botty wiped every couple of days but since cutting down I haven't had to wipe it for 2 weeks. So cut the food and just go with rabbit food greens/hay see what happens.
As for weight if its drastic def check over needed or if they look like they are having problems eating. Otherwise keep eye on them and see what happens if turns to diapoo then again vet needed.
Check what you give to eat if that may effect poo I.e parsley makes some buns poopy, as does lettuce, turnip. So it may be something disagrees with them. Did you change diets recently or was the newer one also already eating that food?
 
Thanks for replying.

Rambaldi was eating pellets at the rescue centre but I changed him to Huppie's food - that was three weeks ago.

I wasn't measuring the mix before and may have overfed occasionally, I have a proper measuring device and will use that now and slowly reduce the amount.

I'll monitor the weight issue - both buns were checked at the vet last week so their general health and teeth are fine. It is just the past 3-4 days I have noticed a change.

I have fed them sprout tops the last couple of days (fresh from the garden!) maybe that has gone through him - I know some buns have issues with greens. I'll leave them out of the veg run tonight.

Emma
 
Thanks for replying.

Rambaldi was eating pellets at the rescue centre but I changed him to Huppie's food - that was three weeks ago.

I wasn't measuring the mix before and may have overfed occasionally, I have a proper measuring device and will use that now and slowly reduce the amount.

I'll monitor the weight issue - both buns were checked at the vet last week so their general health and teeth are fine. It is just the past 3-4 days I have noticed a change.

I have fed them sprout tops the last couple of days (fresh from the garden!) maybe that has gone through him - I know some buns have issues with greens. I'll leave them out of the veg run tonight.

Emma

The first time I fed cabbage to a group of 13, I was greeted with a poo-sprayed room the next day :)
 
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