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Why is my rabbit's poop mushy, not eating, and not pooping?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | unneutered

My 8 month old rabbit Stanley pooped yesterday and it was a bit mushy and in another place astring poop. Today he pooped the morning and it was a bit mushy. After that he didn't poop at all.He drank very little water in the morning and had a 4 inch carrot. He runs after me sometimes but is sleeping otherwise. He is not at all eating hay and very little pellets. He had a little lettuce in the evening and a small banana. He didn't poop yet. This is the pic of his pool y'day and of him today.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on March 30th, 2018

Discontinue lettuce and bananas. Either may contribute to soft or loose stool. Limit pellets and feed as much timothy hay or similar grasses as Stanley wants to eat.
Rabbits will produce two types of droppings, with one being softer which they will reingest to extract nutrients.
If the soft stool persists or worsens or if Stanley stops eating, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on October 17th, 2017
Rabbits need a high fiber diet to maintain gut health. They do produce softer stool, cecotropes or "night stool", which they eat as a normal part of the diet. Diarrhea can be caused by a lack of fiber, intestinal parasites, poor nutrition or too much fruit or vegetables.
Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites, offer as much timothy hay or similar grasses as your rabbit wants to eat., If it is older than 7 months, do not feed alfalfa. Limit fruit and vegetables to one or two portions daily, less if the soft stool persists.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on November 24th, 2016
Is he getting any rabbit pellets at all? If not that might be why as too many of some vegetables can cause diarrhea. In any case, if he is suffering from diarrhea I strongly suggest to take him to the vet as soon as possible to get it treated.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

My rabbit's poop is wet, smelly, and clumped. Is his diet the cause?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The feces in the photo appears to be Stanley’s night feces. This is a normal type of feces for rabbits to make and is normally consumed directly from the anus, which is why most owners do not see it. Most rabbits eat this feces based on their vitamin needs and it can vary day to day. I recommend feeding Stanley a diet of rabbit pellets, hay, and occasional fresh fruits and veggies. Other human foods should be avoided. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my rabbit's poop soft and he's not eating or active?

It sounds to me like Monty may be experiencing the beginnings of some gastric stasis. This means that his stomach and / or the rest of the GI tract is not moving things along as it normally should. Without treatment, this condition can definitely become very problematic. Rabbits, much like horses, have very sensitive GI tracts that are very susceptible to even the smallest disturbances. It's hard to say precisely why the stasis is occurring, but I think Monty should have a physical exam performed to see if anything obvious can be determined. Options for the vet are going to be between simply treating the symptoms to see if things resolve on their own, or performing some diagnostic testing including imaging and blood work. Medications that would be useful in these instances include anti inflammatories / pain medication (as stasis tends to be very uncomfortable) and potentially drugs that help the GI tract continue to contract. Hope this helps.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my rabbit pooping stringy, connected, or beaded poop?

He may have some minor GI upset. Discontinue feeding any fruits or vegetables temporarily. Feed only timothy hay or similar grasses. Offer as much as he wants. The high fiber may set his GI tract straight again. If not, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. Rabbits will also produce softer stool at night which is normal. You may see them eating this "night stool" as part of their diet.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my bunny pooping mucous-coated pellets after a stressful bath?

The stress of the bath or whatever condition precipitated the vet last week may be responsible. Discontinue feeding pellets and vegetables and feed solely Timothy hay or similar grasses. Feed as much hay as Oliver wants to eat. Do not feed any alfalfa. Once his droppings return to normal, feed no more than 1/8 cup of pellets daily and gradually introduce small amounts of vegetables or dark, leafy greens. You can continue to offer as much timothy hay as he wants. Rabbits need a high fiber diet. If the symptoms persist or if he stops eating, have him rechecked by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My rabbit won't eat or drink and has soft stool. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lack of drinking can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Walter evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!  

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My bunny won't eat hay or pellets after I changed his diet. Why?

Your bunny was probably just used to eating the lettuce and is adjusting to his new diet. You did the right thing by offering him only the pellets and hay. This is what is most beneficial to him. Since his stools are normal I would not worry at this point. If he stops passing stools, stops eating, or if you suspect he is losing weight, then you should take him to the veterinarian to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why are my bunnies eating their solid droppings? What should I do?

Review the diet to ensure proper nutrition. Offer timothy hay, oat hay or similar grasses in unlimited amounts, as much as they want to eat. About 1/8 cup of commercial pellets can be offered to each rabbit daily. 1-2 cups of fresh greens and vegetables can also be added to the diet. Clean the droppings out frequently, daily if necessary, to prevent them from eating "normal" stool. Provide a variety of toys, playtime and exercise to keep them engaged and distracted from their droppings.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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