Poor Bertie - bodily functions

[susie bun]

Two weeks on from Bertie's dental and there has unfortunately been no real improvement in his digestion. I had hoped that his soft output might be due to not chewing properly. He's been getting slightly fewer pellets for a while now. He does favour richer hays, which won't help, but surely better than not eating hay at all.

I'm not sure what age Bertie is, but he is no younger than 7.

 

[Pets mum]

Oh bless him, sorry that you still have concerns about his digestion, have the vets any suggestions ?

 

[susie bun]

Oh bless him, sorry that you still have concerns about his digestion, have the vets any suggestions ?

I haven't spoken to the vet since his dental. I will do soon though. I'm not sure that there is really much more I can do than desperately encouraging hay eating.

 

[Shimmer]

If he isn't eating enough to maintain his weight, I would look at adding in some syringe feeds as a top up.
Will he eat foraged willow or bramble? Both are still readily available, although the willow leaves will start to fall soon.

 

[susie bun]

If he isn't eating enough to maintain his weight, I would look at adding in some syringe feeds as a top up.
Will he eat foraged willow or bramble? Both are still readily available, although the willow leaves will start to fall soon.

He eats bramble leaves. His weight is stable and he is not underweight.

 

[Babsie]

Poor little chap!

 

[InspectorMorse]

What are the ‘richer hays’ ?

What brand of pellets does he have and exactly how much per day ?

Have you tried an elimination diet?
48 hours of just hay and water, then introduce one of his usual foods at a time and after each new addition monitor output for a few days to see if the latest new addition makes his symptoms worse.

iME it’s usually pellet feed and/or fruit or carrots that cause soft poo. Is he eating all his cecotrophs?

As he is on longterm Metacam is he having regular blood tests to monitor renal and liver function ?

Have you ever tried giving him probiotics?

 

[susie bun]

Richer hays - Cotswold hay, which is rye hay, so slightly higher protein; Fearn's premium dried grass, which is a blend of Timothy and rye but is quite a green hay. He has other hays, but doesn't eat them much. The Fearn's hay is what he really favours.
Pellets - slightly more than half an egg cup morning and teatime; brand is Science Selective House Rabbit.
Fruit and carrot are very rarely given.
He gets a few profibre pellets daily and likes these very much!
Not tried an elimination diet, nor has he had blood tests.
Not eating all his caecotrophs, but I am fairly sure this is because he struggles to reach them.

He is always worse the day after a mite treatment and is due his third round of xeno on Thursday of this week.

 

[susie bun]

Just to add, his pellet portion has been reduced. He's not as fussed for them as he used to be. Wants pro-fibre!

 

[bunny momma]

I hope you can identify why this is happening.
If his output very very dark and tar like? Did vet check sample for blood or parasites. Was he checked for coccidia?
Sending vibes to Bertieville.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Not eating all his cecotrophs can lead to gut dysbiosis. I would suggest weighing him then putting him onto a hay and water only diet for 48 hours. I’d give him Fibreplex too. Then re-introduce ONE small portion of pellets a day, a mix of SS and Profibre . Nothing else Weigh him every few days to make sure he isn’t losing too much weight. After a week see if his fecal poo has improved before re-introducing anything else .

I would request a full blood profile before his next dental

 

[susie bun]

Not eating all his cecotrophs can lead to gut dysbiosis. I would suggest weighing him then putting him onto a hay and water only diet for 48 hours. I’d give him Fibreplex too. Then re-introduce ONE small portion of pellets a day, a mix of SS and Profibre . Nothing else Weigh him every few days to make sure he isn’t losing too much weight. After a week see if his fecal poo has improved before re-introducing anything else .

I would request a full blood profile before his next dental

Thanks Jane. He’s already had his morning pellets but it was a reduced portion.

Unfortunately I am unable to weigh Bertie at home. I have puppy scales bought specially for him and can try but he will not sit on them.

I’ll order more fibreplex. He managed a year between his first and second dental so it should be a while before he needs another one although a lot of his dental wear comes from apple leaves and other forage so if they have to be cut out his teeth will probably grow quicker.

 

[tonibun]

Sending lots of vibes for Bertie x

 

[InspectorMorse]

Thanks Jane. He’s already had his morning pellets but it was a reduced portion.

Unfortunately I am unable to weigh Bertie at home. I have puppy scales bought specially for him and can try but he will not sit on them.

I’ll order more fibreplex. He managed a year between his first and second dental so it should be a while before he needs another one although a lot of his dental wear comes from apple leaves and other forage so if they have to be cut out his teeth will probably grow quicker.

It’s really only hay or grass that requires the type of jaw action for chewing that’s needed for Dental attrition. So cutting out forage for a while shouldn’t make a difference and might even mean he eats more hay

 

[tonibun]

Have you tried a different pellet? Personally I wouldn't use SS after reading Jane's thread regarding the manufacture of SS. Mine are very happy with Wagg. I did use Burgess but I thought they were too small.

 

[susie bun]

Have you tried a different pellet? Personally I wouldn't use SS after reading Jane's thread regarding the manufacture of SS. Mine are very happy with Wagg. I did use Burgess but I thought they were too small.

I tried switching him to Burgess house rabbit in the summer but he was poorly. Might have been coincidental of course.

I hope you can identify why this is happening.
If his output very very dark and tar like? Did vet check sample for blood or parasites. Was he checked for coccidia?
Sending vibes to Bertieville.

Thanks, he is on treatment for fur mites.

It’s really a concern. Petplan have rejected the insurance claim and he really isn’t much better for having had the dental. He is eating some hay but not enough.

 

[susie bun]

Roused by angry thumps from a hungry Bertie. Got up and hand fed some hay. Succumbed to adding a little forage, which pacified him somewhat and encouraged more hay eating.

I am trying my best to encourage hay eating but can’t have him sulking himself into stasis.

 

[bunny momma]

It is good he was hungry. Since he wants forage, I would just limit it to one or two types along with the hay and a few pellets.