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Do rabbits have diarrhea

Updated: 10/8/2023
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12y ago

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Rabbits often have a pungent grape-like cluster of soft stool called a cecotrope, this is not diarrhea and is in fact reingested (aka eaten) by the rabbit to retain essential nutrients. These cecotropes should be left in the cage for at least a short period of time so they can be reingested. However, cesotropes can become overly soft and runny and can be the result of not eating enough crude fiber or a diet too high in indigestible carbohydrates.

If, however, it is diarrhea and persists for more than a day you should take your pet to a veterinarian immediately as this could be any number of potentially fatal conditions.

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11y ago
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15y ago

you are probley feeding it toooooo many leafy veg, switch to a pellet type feed, and only use veg,s as a treat once a wk, then only in small portions No! This is absolutely the wrong answer! A rabbit digestion works in the opposite way that ours does. If a rabbit has intermitent soft stool, it needs its pellets removed! It needs to be fed leafy greens and unlimited timothy hay.

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12y ago

Yes, rabbits can die from diarrhea as it causes dehydration. Runny diarrhea in baby rabbits is a life-threatening emergency requiring an immediate trip to the vet's.

Mushy stool in adult rabbits can often be solved by improving the diet (very likely, the rabbit is not eating enough hay; this can be solved by making hay available 24/7, and/or by reducing consumption of other foods). If the mushy stool is not resolved within a day or two, the rabbit should go to the vet so that her symptoms can be treated and the true cause identified. If left untreated, mushy stool in adult rabbits often leads to GI stasis and, eventually, death.

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12y ago

If a baby rabbit has diarrhea, this is a life-threatening emergency! Seek immediate medical attention.

Adult rabbits don't usually have diarrhea; what looks like diarrhea is often actually cecal dysbiosis -- diarrhea may be caused by other illnesses, though, so a vet should be consulted as soon as possible. Rabbits may suffer from cecal dysbiosis because they're not eating the right foods. Rabbits should eat mostly hay; they should have limited daily amounts of high-quality pellets and fresh greens; and treats should be limited to a bite or two of fresh fruit or veg (like apple or carrot) every few days or so. If your adult rabbit's diarrhea continues for two or more days, and/or if you notice any other signs of ill-health in your bunny (like gas, signs of pain, depression, lethargy, no peeing or pooping), bring him to your regular "rabbit-savvy" vet as soon as possible so that the symptoms are treated and the true cause identified.

See the related links/questions below for more details.

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13y ago

That means it ate something that upset its stomach. You might have fed it lettuce, tomatoes, or cucumbers. These can give your rabbit an upset stomach. Don't listen to those TV shows that show rabbits eating lettuce! Or, you might have fed your rabbit food straight from the fridge. If the foods' too cold, the rabbit will definitely have soft feces. Also, don't feed your rabbit roadside plants, shrubs, flowers (except dandelions), chocolate, horse chestnuts, oily or greasy foods, or citrus fruits. They contain too much acid.

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12y ago

Baby bunnies often have diarrhea when taken away from their mothers too early. These rabbits are susceptible to bacterias and often don't survive. Parasites can also cause diarrhea in baby bunnies. Diarrhea in a baby rabbit is a life-threatening emergency! Seek veterinary attention immediately.

Diarrhea in adult rabbits can be caused by:

Obesity, or mobility problems - the rabbit doesn't really have diarrhea, it's just the cecotropes are getting stuck in the fur because the rabbit can't reach down to eat them.

Dietary problems - the rabbit isn't getting enough fibre (hay), and the diet is too high in starches, carbs, proteins, etc. The rabbit might be getting too many treats, and the pellets may not be good enough quality.

Other medical problem - if an illness or injury has gone undetected for awhile, it starts affected the other body systems, including digestion and feces.

Whatever the cause, the solution is to be found by consulting with a rabbit savvy vet. See the related questions below for more information and helpful links.

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11y ago

Baby rabbits can get diarrhea, usually because they were taken away from their mothers too soon. Diarrhea in baby rabbits is a life-and-death emergency: bring the bunny to a vet who has experience in bunnies immediately, or else he will probably die.

Too much lettuce can also give your rabbit diarrhea (an age of rabbit), especially white and light-coloured lettuces (like iceberg). Dark-coloured lettuces (like romaine, red leaf, frisee, endive, escarole, chicory) are fine in moderation, but too much can still make the bunny sick.

In adult rabbits, what people usually mistake for diarrhea is actually cecal dysbiosis: unformed cecal pellets. Cecal pellets are a kind of dropping you don't normally see because the rabbit eats them directly from the anus. (This is a kind of re-ingestion similar to cows chewing the cud.) When a rabbit isn't getting enough fiber in the diet, this can lead to cecal dysbiosis. Rabbits need a very high fiber diet!

  • Pellets: The fiber content (under Nutritional Information on the label) should be at least 18%.
  • Hay: Rabbits should always have access to hay (24/7). They should eat at least their body size in hay daily. If your rabbit doesn't eat much hay, you should research how to encourage more hay eating. Generally speaking, adult rabbits should eat grass hay (like timothy), and baby rabbits under 7 months should eat alfalfa. Alfalfa isn't healthy for most adult rabbits but it's perfect for growing rabbits.

If your adult rabbit's diarrhea continues for more than a day you should go to the vet immediately! See the related questions below for more info and helpful links.

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13y ago

take it to the vet......

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13y ago

Yes, they become dehydrated.

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Can rabbits eat lettous?

yes, but not very much or they will get diarrhea.


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Will rabbits eat crocus?

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What causes rabbits to have diahorrea?

Rabbits get diarrhea from eating things they shouldn't or eating too much of a good thing. Rabbits should be fed a balanced ration of rabbit pellets. There should be no extra grains fed because therein lies the chance for over consumption of grain and diarrhea. Treats of carrots, sunflower seeds, and orange wedges can be given sparingly. Cheerios are also a good treat.


Do apples give rabbits diarrhea?

Apples can give rabbits diarrhea, especially juvenile rabbits (younger than 8 or 9 months) and adult rabbits who have eaten a whole lot of apple. If your juvenile rabbit has diarrhea, this is an emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention. Hesitation will only cost your rabbit precious minutes! An adult rabbit with diarrhea or mushy stool should also see a vet as soon as possible (that very day; or the next day, if it's currently after office hours), and the rabbit should be cared for at home (first aid) until that time. If your rabbit is healthy, and eating a balanced diet, a bite or two of apple every few days or so shouldn't be a problem. Rabbits like apple and it makes a great treat! Remove all seeds before giving any apple to your rabbit. Apple seeds are toxic.


Is it normal for a bunny to excrete a flem-looking substance when pregnant?

Assuming you have not changed her diet (in which case it is probably diarrhea) then it sounds like she is in labour, try not to disturb her, rabbits usually give birth easily and without problems. If it is diarrhea (called scouring in rabbits) then feeding 6-7 blackberry leaves is a very good remedy.


Can rabbits eat lettuce once in a while?

Rabbits can eat dark-coloured lettuces (like romaine, green leaf, red leaf, mesclun mix). These sorts of lettuces can be incorporated into the rabbit's daily "salad": too much lettuce, though, can lead to illness (like diarrhea). However, rabbits can't eat white-coloured lettuces (like iceberg, romaine hearts) -- these have little nutritional value for rabbits, and they can lead to illness (like diarrhea). See the related question below for more info about the rabbit diet.


What els do rabbits eat?

Rabbits can eat carrots, bananas (every once in a while) apples tomatoes and a lot of other fruits and vegies. I wouldn't give them lettuce though because it gives them diarrhea. Hope that helped! :)