My rabbit has soft poop that mats her fur. What diet changes help?

Hi there, Sorry your bunny is having trouble. There are two main concerns that cause this. One is that an incorrect diet with too many carbs, treats, pellets and not enough hay, fiber, good veggies make for excess cecal pellets or loose stool. I suggest follow the www.rabbit.org guidelines. This is the House Rabbit Society, which is a good source of info. Parasites would be another possilbity and a fecal check is a good idea. Last, if your bunny has some arthritis with his age, he may be able to clean his self as well or get down to eat his cecal pellets (the soft night droppings) as well. I suggest a good exam by a vet to rule out arthritis and health problems and making sure diet is optimal.

Rabbits have a very sensitive GI system. Some causes for loose/wet stools: * internal parasites (worms) * colitis * dietary indiscretion (ate a food she that was new to her) * stress Those are just a few reasons. My suggestion is to start her on a probiotic and if there is no change or the condition worsens then she will need to see a vet. You must use a probiotic made for rabbits like this one: ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/PETS-Dolfos-Probiotic-Beta-Glucan-Digestion/dp/B07CW64WMF/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=probiotic+rabbit&qid=1554727747&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 ) Be sure her diet is 100% correct (mostly hay and minimal pellets) and don't introduce any new foods for the next few weeks. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for using PetCoach. She is adorable. The first thing to do is to make sure that Gorda's diet is approriate. Most pet rabbit do not need pelleted food or need very, very little. Hay and vegetables should make up the majority of her diet. Here is a good guide https://rabbit.org/faq-diet/ Cecotrophs are feces that do have a different consistency that regular stool https://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/ She may be acting antisocial if she is not feeling well, or depending on her age it may be hormonal related. For pet rabbits I stronly recommend spaying for behavioural benefits as well as for her health. https://rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering/ However is she is having very loose stool or acting abnormally, I would recommend a visit to a veterinarian that treats rabbits asap. If rabbits develop GI disorders it becomes fatal very quickly. I hope this helps, feel free to post again if you have further questions. She is a cutie!

In most of the similar cases I had in the past, the problem was related to excessive weight and presence of big dewlap. Weight loss can easily achieved initially by cutting pellets from diet. A good balance would be 80-85% hay, 5%pellets, 10-15% greens. Dietary change must be done slowly and progressively over a couple of weeks. May this be Roux case?

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!

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Bambi. Moist stool can be the result of intestinal problems (dietary, parasites, bacterial), metabolic (liver, kidney), stress, inappropriate nutrition, reproductive disease (uterine infection, neoplasia), spondylosis, and other problems. Reduce diet to hay only, no vegetables for now, no pellets. A veterinary visit is recommended to assist with a diagnostic and treatment plan. Good luck.