# Rabbit with very soft stool; help please



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

My angora doe is having very soft poo; not watery, but pastey and all over her rear. She is a bit listless, still drinking and alert but wanting to be still. How can I help her? Should I feed her, withhold food, what?


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## white eagle (Feb 8, 2007)

Sorry to hear your bunny is not feeling well. 
Have you changed any rabbit food all the sudden? 
Does she act like she maybe bloated?
I would not take the food away from the rabbit at all. If a rabbit hasn't ate in 24hours then it is time to go to the vet to see what is wrong.

Diarrhea or Soft Stools

The most common cause of soft stools is an inappropriate diet that is too low in fiber or too high in carbohydrates. It is important to differentiate these soft stools from the cecotropes or night stools that the rabbit is supposed to eat directly from the rectum every day. These soft, sticky, malodorous stools are normal but should be eaten by the bunny and not found left on the cage floor or stuck to the rectum. Obese rabbits may be too big to reach back and groom or eat the cecotropes. These sticky stools adhere to the fur near the rectum and can grow into large "fecal balls" if left unattended.

Really runny and wet stools or mucous-filled stools is abnormal and should be considered a bunny emergency. Bacterial disturbances in the gut may be the cause, (see above under "diet-related disorders") or in the juvenile rabbits, coccidia parasites are often present. These rabbits need immediate veterinary care.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

I don't think she's bloated; she isn't grinding her teeth and is still hopping around a bit.
Haven't changed feed... but she is a house rabbit and I suppose it's possible she got into something.

I gave her some hay and she's eating it enthusiastically... perhaps just been giving her too many squashes/greens lately? :shrug:


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## white eagle (Feb 8, 2007)

What are some of the signs that my bunny might be sick? Anything that seems unusual for your rabbit may be a sign of illness or injury. A rabbit who is generally very active that suddenly slows down raises a red flag. A rabbit going off his food and sitting in the corner is usually exhibiting signs of digestive trouble. Check your bunny's abdomen for signs of swelling (gas). Your rabbit's litter box will also be a good indicator of wellness. So check your rabbits litter box to see if his poo seems normal If your rabbit's poo are getting smaller and smaller, or significantly reduced in number, that can be a sign of digestive trouble. 

Something else to remember: If your rabbit has not eaten in 24 hours or is sitting in a corner unwilling to move, get him/her to the vet.

Sometimes if you give your rabbit to much of a certain type of fruit or veg it will upset their tummy. 

Hope she feels better soon. When one of my rabbits gets acting strange it worries me too.


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## SILEIGH (Jul 11, 2007)

i'll bet its the squash and greens 
i know mine react to to much green stuff
also oats seem to get them runny
so i had to backk off that 

hay will straighten her out 
also if its a serious problem try canned pumpkin
thats supposed to help


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

When the kits had a bit of pasty butt, I gave them oats along with some dried raspberry leaves (per the suggestion of MaggieJ), and their popple poopy problems went away. 

Hope you find the right remedy for your angora. 

Pony!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Dried or fresh, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry or plantain leaves will regulate the bunny's bowels without causing constipation. If you have none of these, remove all food except grass hay and a small amount of kitchen oatmeal/rolled oats. Once the poops firm up, gradually return to her normal diet... but go easy on fresh foods. Different rabbits can tolerate different levels of fresh foods in their diet. And all changes should be made very slowly so as to give their gastrointestinal tract time to adjust.


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

You can give her baby gas drops too, if she's kinda gassy (and she probably is, I know it always seems be true when I have ehmmm, the runs!)

Did you feed her something different? Or a new bag of feed? Those are also signs of feed poisening too, BTW Take away her pellets and just offer hay, if you put her back on the pellets and it happens again, its probably the feed.

Ditto what Maggie said to help firm her up.

Is it possible she has wool block? I dunno if they can get soft poops if they have it though, I thought they just stopped pooping, maybe someone with Angora experiance can describe wool block for us?


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Blackberry leaves!
I thought it was just raspberry... I did plant some last year in order to have plnty for the rabbits, but they (the bushes) didn't make it. I DO have black berry, though!

Thanks guys! She is doing a bit better, but I'm going to go grab some leaves to help out a little.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

jen74145 said:


> Blackberry leaves!
> I thought it was just raspberry... I did plant some last year in order to have plnty for the rabbits, but they (the bushes) didn't make it. I DO have black berry, though!
> 
> Thanks guys! She is doing a bit better, but I'm going to go grab some leaves to help out a little.


You're fortunate to have fresh leaves to grab this time of year! Here we are with a foot of snow on the ground...

Turtlehead also reminded us that apple cider vinegar in the drinking water helps (see "yucky-butts" thread). One to two tablespoons per gallon of water.


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