Clear Mucus/Jelly in droppings

Hi all,

This has only happened very recently, so hoping someone can help me on what this might be!
I can't find anything quite like it so far and it's driving me a little crazy (please see pictures in links below!)

https://postimg.org/image/917i0vbld/
https://postimg.org/image/fi8iwzijx/

Our house rabbit is 10 weeks old now (we've had him from 8 weeks); and since having him we have consistently fed him pellets & dried grass + he's had an endless supply of fresh hay (we add this every day) - He's been really perky, super confident and been absolutely fine.

Today, he began to seem a little more quiet, but not enough for us to feel there was a cause for concern. Later that evening, I noticed that his droppings looked particularly "shiny" - upon inspecting closer, it seemed that they were strung together by a very clear yellowish mucus/jelly substance. Absolutely no hair or hay joining them.

He's currently eating still, drinking plenty too. We did decide to feed him a VERY small amount of kale to introduce it, but that's the only dietary change I can say he's had since we've had him.

It would be great if anyone could give me their opinion as to what this is

ryanpm said:

Hi all,

This has only happened very recently, so hoping someone can help me on what this might be!
I can't find anything quite like it so far and it's driving me a little crazy (please see pictures in links below!)

https://postimg.org/image/917i0vbld/
https://postimg.org/image/fi8iwzijx/

Our house rabbit is 10 weeks old now (we've had him from 8 weeks); and since having him we have consistently fed him pellets & dried grass + he's had an endless supply of fresh hay (we add this every day) - He's been really perky, super confident and been absolutely fine.

Today, he began to seem a little more quiet, but not enough for us to feel there was a cause for concern. Later that evening, I noticed that his droppings looked particularly "shiny" - upon inspecting closer, it seemed that they were strung together by a very clear yellowish mucus/jelly substance. Absolutely no hair or hay joining them.

He's currently eating still, drinking plenty too. We did decide to feed him a VERY small amount of kale to introduce it, but that's the only dietary change I can say he's had since we've had him.

It would be great if anyone could give me their opinion as to what this is

Click to expand...

Hi there and welcome to the Forum :wave:

Mucous in poop usually indicates inflammation. Your rabbit is very young - did he continue the same diet he had before you took him on?

Have a look at these links and see if anything makes sense?

http://rabbit.org/the-mystery-of-rabbit-poop/

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/drop/Drp_en.htm


I would be concerned with this happening in such a young rabbit.
It's a possibility that it's bacterial enteritis:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm

Mucoid Enteropathy:

http://www.goddardvetgroup.co.uk/pet-factsheets/Factsheets/Otherpets/24_295071.shtml

......the disease often affects very young rabbits who have just undergone a home change


I would strongly advise you seek the advice of a good vet for your rabbit, as soon as possible.

Have you a good vet or would you like recommendations?

Hi Max,

Thanks for replying to this late this evening! Really appreciated.

I've actually read all of the links you'd sent across in your reply.
I don't feel they've quite hit the nail on the head, although they do mention mucus and have some similarities.

It's so bizarre that he would have become inflamed all of a sudden; apart from the small amount of Kale today, we've been feeding him on the same food the breeder was giving him up until 8 weeks. Pellets + dried grass - plus hay 24/7. I'm certainly going to hold back on Kale and see if things go back to normal and encourage him to eat more hay, although it doesn't take much encouragement! He loves it.

I'm really keeping an eye on him tonight. In fact - he just passed more droppings; one of these was much smoother and had mucus/jelly which was slightly more orange in colour, which makes me feel more concerned. I may have no choice but to take him to the vets tomorrow for peace of mind..

Just out of interest, do you know how much something like this would cost to be checked out? I'm really unfamiliar with costs; but knowing an average would really help. We have a vets 10 minutes down the road, where I'm sure they'll be able to help.

Thanks.

ryanpm said:

Hi Max,

Thanks for replying to this late this evening! Really appreciated.

I've actually read all of the links you'd sent across in your reply.
I don't feel they've quite hit the nail on the head, although they do mention mucus and have some similarities.

It's so bizarre that he would have become inflamed all of a sudden; apart from the small amount of Kale today, we've been feeding him on the same food the breeder was giving him up until 8 weeks. Pellets + dried grass - plus hay 24/7. I'm certainly going to hold back on Kale and see if things go back to normal and encourage him to eat more hay, although it doesn't take much encouragement! He loves it.

I'm really keeping an eye on him tonight. In fact - he just passed more droppings; one of these was much smoother and had mucus/jelly which was slightly more orange in colour, which makes me feel more concerned. I may have no choice but to take him to the vets tomorrow for peace of mind..

Just out of interest, do you know how much something like this would cost to be checked out? I'm really unfamiliar with costs; but knowing an average would really help. We have a vets 10 minutes down the road, where I'm sure they'll be able to help.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

You're welcome

Yeah a difficult one! Have you spoken with the breeder about it?

Vet's costs vary over the country. It may be the cost of a consult and perhaps some meds. The vet may know what to do straight away - take along a photo (and maybe even some poo in a clear plastic bag)

It could be caused by the stress of moving to a new home rather than something he's eaten. But yes, definitely hold back on the kale for the moment.

Make sure the vet you go to knows about rabbits

I echo what MM says about making sure your vetbis rabbit savvy! A regular vet may have absolutely no idea what is going on. Mucous can indicate inflammation somewhere as mucous is produced normally all the time but at a normal amount so we never see it, it protects the gastro intestinal tract, so extra production so you see it is a sign that it is trying to protect itself from something. It can also be a sign of slow transit time, so the gut may not be moving food along at its optimal rate, hence more mucous coming out (when my rabbit had ileus I found a perfectly formed mucous pellet)
I think it is probably the best option to take your bun to a vet who knows rabbits (someone came recommend if you post your area) and take a sample of the poops and mucous if you can.
There are many things which can cause issues in a young rabbit, so best to check! It's also not worth 'watching and waiting' for a couple days with them, because if something is wrong, bunnies can go downhill quickly- I'm not wanting to scare you, it's just something with rabbits, they hide things so well and when we actually notice something is up, they may have had it for some time!
WRT cost, it does vary massively, but as an idea, my initial appointment and medication for my Vera's ileus was £50. She went on to need more, but just giving you a ball park, expect more than 50, be pleased if less!

I see. I'm based in Brighton; but will be going back home to Guildford/Surrey shortly. Will phone the vets this morning and see what they say! :/

You can do everything right, and bunnies can still get GI problems. The prior posts about going to a vet now rather than waiting have merit The cause and seriousness of your situation can vary from minor to life threatening. Treating early can also result in a quicker and less costly cure. Young bunnies are very vulnerable to many GI issues because they are still developing good GI bacteria. The stress of weaning from their moms and a change in environment add to any GI issues.

I know you will be a good bunny parent. Welcome to the forum.

I don't know your area so can't recommend anyone but I have seen online Alder vets and Seercroft do exotics. If you post 'rabbit savvy vet needed in Guildford area! In Rabbit Chat section, people will be able to give personal recommendations.

ryanpm said:

I see. I'm based in Brighton; but will be going back home to Guildford/Surrey shortly. Will phone the vets this morning and see what they say! :/

Click to expand...

Have a look here ryan:

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/vetfinder/copy_of_county-or-city/england

What about Gill at Windlesham Village Vets?

Address: Rosebank Cottage, School Road, Windlesham GU20 6PB

She is excellent

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your support on this.

We took him to the vets first thing this morning. He was looked at by an exotics specialist (she seemed great and very sympathetic towards us). She explained that he had a slightly bloated/swollen belly and perhaps did have a reaction to the kale, but could also be infected.
They are sending off stool samples to confirm whether or not this is the case. His temperature was on the colder side of normal, but fine & he was given a couple of injections for fluids I think.

She has given multiple types of medication to us to be fed through a syringe every 4 hours; as well as increase hay intake and give less pellets for the time being. She asked for us to call her this afternoon to update her, just incase anything dramatically changes.

There's no doubt this process is expensive (roughly £180 so far - £50 check up, £75 infection test, £60 medication)
It's also intensive and stressful, but we'll do everything we possibly can to ensure he will get better very soon.

I appreciate the responsiveness on this post and hope this might help anyone else.
Our acute attention to his behaviour and keeping a sharp eye on his health meant we knew he had to go to the vets.
I'm glad I came on here to back that up and justify it, so thank you. Better safe than sorry.

ryanpm said:

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your support on this.

We took him to the vets first thing this morning. He was looked at by an exotics specialist (she seemed great and very sympathetic towards us). She explained that he had a slightly bloated/swollen belly and perhaps did have a reaction to the kale, but could also be infected.
They are sending off stool samples to confirm whether or not this is the case. His temperature was on the colder side of normal, but fine & he was given a couple of injections for fluids I think.

She has given multiple types of medication to us to be fed through a syringe every 4 hours;
She asked for us to call her this afternoon to update her, just incase anything dramatically changes.

There's no doubt this process is expensive (roughly £180 so far - £50 check up, £75 infection test, £60 medication)
It's also intensive and stressful, but we'll do everything we possibly can to ensure he will get better very soon.

I appreciate the responsiveness on this post and hope this might help anyone else.
Our acute attention to his behaviour and keeping a sharp eye on his health meant we knew he had to go to the vets. Better safe than sorry.

Click to expand...

I am so glad you went to the vets sooner rather than later, and it seems he is getting very good attention.

I mentioned in an earlier post as to whether you've contacted the breeder about this? When the vet has come up with what they think it might be following the results of the stool samples, I think you should ring - it's possible other rabbits may be infected too and the breeder doesn't realise.

In the meantime, lots of get better vibes for the little boy.

What's his name? Is it Ryan, or is that you?

Hi Max,

I did actually contact the breeder last night. I sent the images and wanted to know if she had seen this before, or knew what it might be. She said she had not seen this before - which seems perhaps odd. She did have ALOT of hutches and rabbits in her garden, so I doubt they get enough attention to notice this type of thing? I noticed because I decided to sit with him next to the hutch and had the sense that he was being too quiet. So I checked his droppings.

It could have been possible he came to us with an infection/parasites - but I think this would have affected him sooner? Not sure. If that does become the case, I'll tell her right away!

I'm Ryan :') Fred is the Mini Lop!

ryanpm said:

Hi Max,

I did actually contact the breeder last night. I sent the images and wanted to know if she had seen this before, or knew what it might be. She said she had not seen this before - which seems perhaps odd. She did have ALOT of hutches and rabbits in her garden, so I doubt they get enough attention to notice this type of thing? I noticed because I decided to sit with him next to the hutch and had the sense that he was being too quiet. So I checked his droppings.

It could have been possible he came to us with an infection/parasites - but I think this would have affected him sooner? Not sure. If that does become the case, I'll tell her right away!

I'm Ryan :') Fred is the Mini Lop!

Click to expand...

You only had him two weeks and it's possible it was happening a bit sooner than you noticed. Moving homes is stressful for a rabbit. So many that come from pet shops suffer when taken out of one environment to another when they are very young. Older rabbits (e.g. rescue rabbits) manage much better.

Welcome Ryan and Fred :wave:

Feel free to post a pic of Fred:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?136183-Tutorial-How-to-Post-Photos


From your avatar he looks absolutely adorable

Does this work?
https://postimg.org/image/hfe80qkmt/

He's incredibly cute!

ryanpm said:

Does this work?
https://postimg.org/image/hfe80qkmt/

He's incredibly cute!

Click to expand...

he is a beauty. I hope his treatment plan works out well. I concur rabbits are expensive, intensive, stressful ...but so worth it

ryanpm said:

Does this work?
https://postimg.org/image/hfe80qkmt/

He's incredibly cute!

Click to expand...

OMG is he for real?

Yep. He's our lovely little bunny!
Me and my partner feel like we couldn't have got one better than him.

Update also; He's currently running around with my partner and looks quite happy!
Hopefully the meds are kicking in and he will get better very soon. Fingers crossed.

He's adorable Sending vibes for him to improve quickly. Well done for getting some swift treatment for him.

ryanpm said:

Yep. He's our lovely little bunny!
Me and my partner feel like we couldn't have got one better than him.

Update also; He's currently running around with my partner and looks quite happy!
Hopefully the meds are kicking in and he will get better very soon. Fingers crossed.

Click to expand...

Wow he is lovely
Rabbits can cost a small fortune! Have you considered getting him insured at all? I think it's well worth doing
Xx