Tummy problems

[imajpm]

I have a little 8 1/2 week old NZW white doe with digestive troubles. Any advice on how to help her is appreciated. She developed a case a weepy eye around five weeks of age. The litter was very newly weaned, and eating well. This was a sale litter so a few days later I removed her to prevent it spreading to the rest of the litter. It was early and I knew it but I didn't want to end up having to treat the whole litter.

Of course she is the sweet one. The nicest nzw, personality wise I've raised so far. She does not have full blown diarrhea or enteritis as far as I can tell. Her poops are a bit large, soft, and just not quite right. Bit of a dirty bottom as well. She is pot bellied, but eats like a pig, binkies all over the place, drinks well, she is just a bit off. This started a day or two after I separated her so stress is likely the main contributor. A week later we entered that hellish heatwave, which should finally be over on Thurs. YAY!!

She was on pellets and hay, with some plantain leaves. She was not getting better so I have upped her hay and dropped pellets down to a very small amount, just a teaspoon in the morning, and another in the evening. She seems to be lingering at this stage. No diarrhea, just those soft largish, almost crumbly poops that squish too easily. They are not cecotropes.

Is there anything I can give her to help generate the proper gut bacteria?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Is there anything I can give her to help generate the proper gut bacteria?

Get a probiotic paste that mentions goats on the label. I use Bene-Bac by Manna Pro.

You might also want to give her some Gas-X drops. I personally use an organic homeopathic product marketed for human infants with colic.

 

[ladysown]

she's not a bunny that can be on your "for sale" group any more. Bunnies with digestive upset at this age tend to maintain that tendency and are best NOT put into pet homes with wonky diets and what not.

How to help her develop good gut flora?
Get some very fresh cecals into her. Don't destroy the coating, separate them with a large bore needle and get them into her. That's the surest way to help her gut develop properly.

You need to ask yourself why you want to fight to save her?
Is it because she is sweet?... that might well be because she's not feeling entirely well.

just think it all through and then get her better and make good decisions.

 

[imajpm]

She been in the not for sale group since the weepy eye. It's not really a fight to save her. She is pretty good, just not 100% I am attached to her but she is most likely destined for freezer camp and I know that. I can't keep her for breeding since health is a top priority for me and I don't sell off bunnies with issues. I am pretty sure she is sweet because she is getting handled a lot and she was lonely A personal pet is not out of the question though, so I'll decide later.

Thanks for the help, I'll try some of those suggestions. Will any healthy rabbits cecotropes do? This is her second day on mostly hay and her hutch was free of smooshed poops for the first time. Still off color though.

 

[ladysown]

as long as you know the rabbit is healthy, any's will do. Just make sure they are fresh ... with that slimey look to them yet. You don't want to break up the poop pellets.. you want to pull it with a large bore needle out of the cluster and give it to her to eat (just put it in her mouth). See if you can do that with the whole cluster.