help, my 3 week old rabbits have poop stuck

[Juankio]

Hello, my 3-week-old rabbits have poop stuck to their rears, they have started to eat pallets, alfalfa hay and green grass, they are still with their mother who gives them milk once a day. I don't know why they started pooping like that yesterday they were normal. It does not look like liquid diarrhea, it is harder and shapeless

 

[Cotton Rabbitry]

Personally, I think it is mom not doing her job on teaching them how to clean properly. But that is just my opinion, as I had the same problem with my Lion head, who did not clean properly until I placed a retired doe in with him that took to grooming him even though he is an adult of a few years. Now he keeps himself clean even when not shaved for the weather as I let him grow out in the winter.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Hello, my 3-week-old rabbits have poop stuck to their rears, they have started to eat pallets, alfalfa hay and green grass, they are still with their mother who gives them milk once a day. I don't know why they started pooping like that yesterday they were normal. It does not look like liquid diarrhea, it is harder and shapeless

It sounds like the beginnings of weaning enteritis, which can show up as the kits transition to eating solid foods (most often between 3-10 weeks) and their guts are not fully equipped with the proper balance of microorganisms to manage digestion. When bunnies have a belly ache and loose stools, they are sometimes reluctant to clean themselves up, which probably makes some sense, as they'd be ingesting more problems.

When this happens in our barn, the first thing we do is clean the bunnies with warm water. Only get the soiled part wet - you don't have to soak the whole rabbit, and you don't need soap. Usually just sitting their hind end in a shallow bowl of warm (not hot, of course) water for a few minutes will loosen the clump of poo, so you can clean it off gently. Don't be aggressive and pull, as the tissue in that area is very thin and tender - just let the water work and move the clump gently between two fingers until it dissolves. I wear a thin nitrile glove to do this.

Sometimes that's all it takes, and once the bunny is clean, the problem is solved. You definitely don't want to let the poo build up too much or the bunny, being plugged up and unable to eliminate its waste, will quit eating, and then you've got a much bigger problem. Keep your eye on them, as sometimes one kit will have more of a recurrent problem than others.

When we see this in our bunnies, we give them lots of hay and replace it frequently with fresh clean stuff, to prevent them from eating soiled hay. I like to put older kits on hay only for a while, but since yours are only three weeks and still with the mother, I wouldn't pull the pellets out because the doe will need them.

I also like to give the bunnies Benebac or another probiotic, which sometimes seems to make a difference.

Honestly, though, we don't have this problem too much anymore because I tend to stop breeding does that have entire litters that get enteritis, especially more than once. It does seem to be a problem that runs in certain lines.

One thing to think about is whether you've changed anything recently - different feed, different hay, recent introduction of greens or different types of greens, anything at all. The period around weaning is pretty sensitive and a minor change in diet can have big repercussions. That's not to say you did anything wrong, it's just something to think about to figure out why the bunnies developed this problem. You may very well have changed nothing (or at least not have known it changed).

 

[Juankio]

It sounds like the beginnings of weaning enteritis, which can show up as the kits transition to eating solid foods (most often between 3-10 weeks) and their guts are not fully equipped with the proper balance of microorganisms to manage digestion. When bunnies have a belly ache and loose stools, they are sometimes reluctant to clean themselves up, which probably makes some sense, as they'd be ingesting more problems.

When this happens in our barn, the first thing we do is clean the bunnies with warm water. Only get the soiled part wet - you don't have to soak the whole rabbit, and you don't need soap. Usually just sitting their hind end in a shallow bowl of warm (not hot, of course) water for a few minutes will loosen the clump of poo, so you can clean it off gently. Don't be aggressive and pull, as the tissue in that area is very thin and tender - just let the water work and move the clump gently between two fingers until it dissolves. I wear a thin nitrile glove to do this.

Sometimes that's all it takes, and once the bunny is clean, the problem is solved. You definitely don't want to let the poo build up too much or the bunny, being plugged up and unable to eliminate its waste, will quit eating, and then you've got a much bigger problem. Keep your eye on them, as sometimes one kit will have more of a recurrent problem than others.

When we see this in our bunnies, we give them lots of hay and replace it frequently with fresh clean stuff, to prevent them from eating soiled hay. I like to put older kits on hay only for a while, but since yours are only three weeks and still with the mother, I wouldn't pull the pellets out because the doe will need them.

I also like to give the bunnies Benebac or another probiotic, which sometimes seems to make a difference.

Honestly, though, we don't have this problem too much anymore because I tend to stop breeding does that have entire litters that get enteritis, especially more than once. It does seem to be a problem that runs in certain lines.

One thing to think about is whether you've changed anything recently - different feed, different hay, recent introduction of greens or different types of greens, anything at all. The period around weaning is pretty sensitive and a minor change in diet can have big repercussions. That's not to say you did anything wrong, it's just something to think about to figure out why the bunnies developed this problem. You may very well have changed nothing (or at least not have known it changed).

Hello, thank you very much for the answer, I have already cleaned them all (there are 4 all with the same problem) the poop has no shape but it is hard and sticks, I will post a photo later so it can be seen better. They are in good spirits for now, I have not changed their diet, alfalfa hay, fresh green grass and pallets. His mother eats the vegetables separately.
Lately they have been eating a lot of pallets and a lot of fresh grass.
Do you think they can be removed just by cleaning them? There is no Bene-Bac in my country

 

[Alaska Satin]

Hello, thank you very much for the answer, I have already cleaned them all (there are 4 all with the same problem) the poop has no shape but it is hard and sticks, I will post a photo later so it can be seen better. They are in good spirits for now, I have not changed their diet, alfalfa hay, fresh green grass and pallets. His mother eats the vegetables separately.
Lately they have been eating a lot of pallets and a lot of fresh grass.
Do you think they can be removed just by cleaning them? There is no Bene-Bac in my country

They may get better on their own if you help them stay clean - it depends on what specific problem they're having.

If you can't get Benebac, you can offer them plain yogurt, which has similar beneficial bacteria - most bunnies don't want it, but some will eat it.

If it was me, I'd stop giving green grass for a while and possibly limit the pellets as well, and max out the hay (keep it scrupulously clean). Theoretically, the bunnies should be able to eat whatever the mother eats, but sometimes they seem to eat an unbalanced diet - like children, I suppose! - and end up with their guts feeling out of sorts.

If you can find some willow branches for them to chew on, that would also be good. Willow bark has a natural analgesic in it that rabbits can use to help soothe their upset bellies.

 

[Juankio]

They may get better on their own if you help them stay clean - it depends on what specific problem they're having.

If you can't get Benebac, you can offer them plain yogurt, which has similar beneficial bacteria - most bunnies don't want it, but some will eat it.

If it was me, I'd stop giving green grass for a while and possibly limit the pellets as well, and max out the hay (keep it scrupulously clean). Theoretically, the bunnies should be able to eat whatever the mother eats, but sometimes they seem to eat an unbalanced diet - like children, I suppose! - and end up with their guts feeling out of sorts.

If you can find some willow branches for them to chew on, that would also be good. Willow bark has a natural analgesic in it that rabbits can use to help soothe their upset bellies.

Thank you very much, this yogurt natural can serve, Ingredients: whole milk, milk proteins, modified starch, gelatin, lactase, lactic cultures, probiotic cultures (l.casei, bifidobacterium) zinc, vitamins b12, a, d and folic acid. ?

 

[Alaska Satin]

Thank you very much, this yogurt natural can serve, Ingredients: whole milk, milk proteins, modified starch, gelatin, lactase, lactic cultures, probiotic cultures (l.casei, bifidobacterium) zinc, vitamins b12, a, d and folic acid. ?

The fewer ingredients the better (e.g. just whole milk and probiotic cultures). I don't know how the gelatin, zinc and added vitamins would affect kits, but it might be worth a try if that's all you have.

Alternatively, you might try putting some whole milk and a Tablespoon of yogurt into a jar and wrapping it in a heating pad on low for 8-12 hours or so, to make your own yogurt; that works as long as the bacterial cultures in the yogurt you use are still alive.

Are the kits getting bloated bellies or acting lethargic, or are they still looking and behaving normally?

 

[Juankio]

The fewer ingredients the better (e.g. just whole milk and probiotic cultures). I don't know how the gelatin, zinc and added vitamins would affect kits, but it might be worth a try if that's all you have.

Alternatively, you might try putting some whole milk and a Tablespoon of yogurt into a jar and wrapping it in a heating pad on low for 8-12 hours or so, to make your own yogurt; that works as long as the bacterial cultures in the yogurt you use are still alive.

Are the kits getting bloated bellies or acting lethargic, or are they still looking and behaving normally?

Today they no longer had stuck poop, and they have done it normally. I haven't given it yogurt yet, I'll continue to see how it evolves, all I did was remove the green grass and leave it with alfalfa hay and controlled pallets. They are chubby, they don't seem to have gas, they are still active and they eat a lot.
Does the tummy have to be hard or soft to know if they have swollen? Thanks

 

[Alaska Satin]

Today they no longer had stuck poop, and they have done it normally. I haven't given it yogurt yet, I'll continue to see how it evolves, all I did was remove the green grass and leave it with alfalfa hay and controlled pallets. They are chubby, they don't seem to have gas, they are still active and they eat a lot.
Does the tummy have to be hard or soft to know if they have swollen? Thanks

Wonderful! It sounds like they just had a little trouble adjusting to the new foods, maybe overeating the yummy green grass. You may not need to bother with yogurt; I'd keep them on hay and pellets for another week or so, then very, very slowly start adding greens, giving their guts time to build up the appropriate microorganisms. Again, any changes you make should be very gradual. I'd also try to keep other stressors to a minimum. These babies sound like candidates for a late weaning - give them a good 8 weeks with the mother if possible.

A bloated bunny looks like it has a huge soft belly - sometimes people think they're fat - and often their shoulders and hindquarters look thin at the same time. Sometimes if you pick them up and rock them back and forth next to your ear, you can even hear a sloshing sound. That indicates mucoid enteritis, when the ongoing irritation in their intestines causes an overproduction of mucous; in these cases you'll frequently see both diarrhea and a jelly-like substance in their poop.

Enteritis is kind of a general term for gut problems. It can result from upset stomach due to too many greens or a simple drastic change in diet, or from coccidiosis (a bacterial infection that colonizes either their gut or their liver or both), or any number of other causes. It's important to watch for early signs because when rabbits have a bellyache, they will often stop eating, and when they do that, problems multiply quickly and can be hard to reverse.

So glad to hear that they seem to be coming round with a simple fix!

 

[Cindy in SD]

The fewer ingredients the better (e.g. just whole milk and probiotic cultures). I don't know how the gelatin, zinc and added vitamins would affect kits, but it might be worth a try if that's all you have.

Alternatively, you might try putting some whole milk and a Tablespoon of yogurt into a jar and wrapping it in a heating pad on low for 8-12 hours or so, to make your own yogurt; that works as long as the bacterial cultures in the yogurt you use are still alive.

Are the kits getting bloated bellies or acting lethargic, or are they still looking and behaving normally?

I think a person might get by with putting a Tbsp or so of whey in their water if commercial probiotics aren't available. It's mostly lactobacillus with a few variations around the periphery, no matter what you're fermenting. The commercial products (at least those made for humans) often don't have much for live bacteria in them. I'm thinking the bunnies wouldn't mind a bit of whey in their water as much as they might object to actual yogurt.

BTW, for anyone who might not know, whey is the watery stuff that separates out from yogurt. It's best to use plain yogurt, and the tub should specify "active cultures".