Is this megacolon?

[user 2191]

Hi there!
My daughter's 4yr old mini lop buck has something weird going on. He has these really large poos we are finding in his cage nearly everyday. He also has completely normal poos in his litter box everyday. What is concerning me is a rapid drop in weight, he is feeling really boney. He has a completely normal appetite. He gets measured pellets twice a day, unlimited timothy hay, fresh field greens and apple twigs from the backyard, and regular pasture time on the grass. What am I missing? https://goo.gl/photos/KxZEtMiE9Cvbf58F8

 

[3mina]

Megacolon is genetic/congenital so I doubt it's what you're seeing. Since he has ground time I'd suspect coccidia or worms

 

[user 2191]

Thank you for the suggestions, have you ever seen a poo that large before? That is the thing that really has me confused, and I'm just wondering if that is a common sign of illness then in rabbits?
He is very active and happy to eat whatever he is given, do you think it's pretty safe to worm him? And what would you use? TIA

 

[Zass]

I've seen long poos like that before.

It looks to me like his gi fauna might be just a bit "off."
It may just clear up on it's own, but if you are worried you could get him some small animal specific probiotics, like benebac.
http://www.petguys.com/-020279995220.ht ... HwodrdsCBQ

Reducing his access to treats or fresh greens for a while might help too.

It is possible that it's a beginning symptom of something worse.

Pin worms are often visible in the feces, and cocci has some pretty distinctive symptoms.

I'm not really sure how to check for most other parasites in a live rabbits, aside from taking a stool sample in to a vet for examination.

A rapid drop in weight is often caused by dehydration, so
check to make sure his water bottle is functional.

Also, as an afterthought, make sure all of his food and hay is stored somewhere dry and has no mold or moldy smell at all. I've seen rabbit pellets start to mold outside in just three days, even when suspended off the ground and away from any direct moisture contact. Sometimes, it's just that humid out.

If you determine that it is dehydration, my go-to for re-hydration is unflavored pedialyte, but there are other electrolyte solutions (including homemade ones) that can work just as well. Adding just a bit of fruit juice or apple cider to the water can also help encourage a rabbit to drink more.

I always have salt and mineral blocks available to my rabbits, but most pellets have those already added, so it isn't normally a concern for pellet fed buns...hmm...

 

[user 2191]

I've been watching his poo pretty close and I don't see any visible worms, but I realize that's a possibility since he has been on the ground and is eating grass, etc. He has completely normal poos in his litter box and then these logs end up out on his cage floor, so I'm just stumped. He has a crock that is kept full and we feed twice daily so we check water then too, I'm not sure about dehydration...unless he is choosing not to drink, I'll have to pay close attention to the amount left in the crock. I'm going to find some bene-bac and see if I can get any of that down Do bunnies generally like the taste? He's a good eater so maybe I can get creative with it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Zass]

Giving rabbits water or medicines is fairly easy with any dropper. Just position it behind the teeth and most rabbits swallow easily.

 

[alforddm]

Are those not just cecotropes?

 

[user 2191]

Zass, I think you might be on to something with the dehydration. This morning I noticed that he hadn't touched his water since filling it yesterday. Which lead me to thinking how we had gotten him a new stainless dish since my daughter had dropped and broke two ceramic crocks. Maybe he just doesn't like the taste? I'm going to try him on a different dish and with some Pedialyte like you suggested. I wasn't able to find any Bene-Bac locally yesterday, so I'm waiting on an online order for now. Fingers crossed.

 

[Easy Ears]

I'm beginning to dislike water bottles more and more.... :evil:
I went out this morning to check everyone in the rabbitry and my HL buck hadn't touched his pellets which is VERY odd for him. First thing I checked was the water bottle I had filled up the evening before; it had also been untouched (still full) I squeezed it to see if it was releasing water and heard the ball inside it fall to the tip, as water sputtered out. :angry:
Poor baby drank like mad after that. But I was surprised at how wimpy he was.... :lol: (He's the newest member of my rabbitry....I've had him for a couple months) All my other rabbits would pull and bite at the nozzle until they got water. :roll: If he had he would have got the ball to fall and been able to get water. lol. Oh well, just glad I caught it when I did.