6 wk old routinely having poop stuck

Snickers is a holland lop, he is 6 wks old tomorrow, and he been weaned since 4 wks and removed from his mother for his own safety.

Twice now, that he has been caged seperately, I have had to soak his bum to get poop off. He poops normally, Ive never seen him have the runs, his genitals are clear, the poop is stuck around it, in the fur. I do not trust my hand to be steady enough to trim these hairs just yet.

Is this possibly something mom was supposed to teach him, or something she is supposed to still be helping with?

Any other advice?

A 6 week old kit can groom himself. Feces stuck to his bottom suggests a digestive problem.

What is he eating?

pellets old fashioned oats, and hay, same as the rest of my rabbits. I have to go buy him a new water bottle, it keeps leaking, I think it might have something to do with his bottom getting damp from that, and then stuff sticking? The poop is round, it is just stuck into the fur and he still leaves poop around when he is out playing. I cleaned as much as I could at the moment.

As long as the poops are normal looking he should be alright.

I've seen a few kits with stuck solid round poops. I can usually remove them with my fingers easily instead of having to soak them out though.

It's the sticky mushy poops you have to worry about

-- Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:13 pm --

It kinda sounds like he is in a solid floored pen?

It's fine if he is, but if you have straw to scatter around, I find it works really well to let the pee and poop fall through and keep the bunny up off the level of it's mess.

I am seeing quite a bit of this with my 4-week old Holland Lops and I trimmed their bottoms to keep them clean. Even though I've accepted that some sticky poo is normal, I think that feeding the old-fashioned oatmeal probably adds to the problem. I know they love the oatmeal but I suggest you offer more hay and eliminate the oats for now.

carolnoel50":3koopglm said:

I am seeing quite a bit of this with my 4-week old Holland Lops and I trimmed their bottoms to keep them clean. Even though I've accepted that some sticky poo is normal, I think that feeding the old-fashioned oatmeal probably adds to the problem. I know they love the oatmeal but I suggest you offer more hay and eliminate the oats for now.

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I imagine that it's possible to have a rabbit that can't handle oatmeal well, maybe due to the higher fat content, but the combination of oats and hay is frequently recommended to firm up sticky or runny poops.

Maybe increase hay? if it's a gut thing I've experimented with bentonite clay for digestive upset in horses and rabbits (and humans) and had good luck.

I do have one doe who just doesn't clean herself well, it looks like one of her kits might be the same way, her poo isn't abnormal she just sits in it and doesn't groom herself well.

Quick triage questions:

Any babies hanging out in a corner by themselves?

Teeth grinding?

Is there less than usual amount of feed consumption/ interest in feed?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, increase hay and keep a watchful eye for any of the above symptoms. Giving Kefir (a fermented milk product found in health food stores and nowadays most grocers) as an oral bolus with a 3cc syringe (flip baby upside down to do this) can help.

If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, you may be dealing with coccidiosis or e. cuniculi. I have found sulmethazine (found in a gallon jug at feed stores for treating poultry) to be the most effective strategy for treating coccidiosis, at 30cc (or mL) per gallon to start with and then 15 cc per gallon x 10 days. You may have to mix a 50/50 solution of the antibiotic and water, and oral bolus about 1 to 2 cc per day if you have a very sick baby not wanting to eat or drink.

SafeGuard liquid goat wormer treats active e. cuniculi and is best given as an oral bolus at 0.1 cc per pound, but can be added to the water at about 3 cc per quart.

Hay, oats, and probiotics are helpful for recovery, if you aren't able to find or administer Kefir, consider adding a probiotic such as Culturelle to the water by emptying the capsule contents into the water bottle.

Licorice tea also helps baby bunny tummies