What do you need to feed your rabbit when the poops are small and stuck together and stinky?

Answer 1

The description of "poops that are small, stuck together, and stinky" sounds like cecotropes, not feces. Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings: feces, and cecotropes. Healthy feces are round, hard, and dry; cecotropes are small, mushy, sticky, often smelly, and either found in singles or grouped together in a kind of grape formation. Normally, people don't see the cecotropes at all (or maybe only once in awhile), because the rabbit eats them straight from the anus (this is a form if re-ingestion, like cows chewing cud).

If you're finding cecotropes, this either means your rabbit is making too many of them, or for some reason can't reach down to eat them.

If your rabbit can't reach her cecotropes, she needs to see a vet because she could in pain (suffering from an injury, or Arthritis). Pain needs to be managed in rabbits with medication because bunnies in pain often choose to stop eating, which is very dangerous (rabbits can't safely fast like humans and many other animals can; when they do fast, they quickly fall deathly ill). Another reason the rabbit might not be able to reach down to eat her cecotropes is she could be obese. Obese rabbits are at risk of various health problems, so they need to lose weight, but any changes in diet (even good changes) can make rabbits sick, so you need an expert like the vet to advise you on how to help your bunny lose weight. Whatever the problem is, the rabbit needs an exam by a vet because rabbits need to eat their cecotropes, and if your rabbit isn't eating hers, she could be getting sick.

If your rabbit is making too many cecotropes, but still eating some of them, that probably means her diet is too high in carbs and proteins: usually this means the pellets you're feeding the rabbit aren't very good, but it could also mean your rabbit isn't eating enough hay, and/or you're feeding your rabbit unhealthy treats. Make some gradual changes to your rabbit's diet but if the problem doesn't stop, or if you notice other signs of ill-health, bring the rabbit to a vet.

Pellets: Look at the nutritional information on your bag of pellets. For most adult pet rabbits, protein levels should be between 12 and 14%, and fat should be between 1 and 2%. If your pellets are too high in fats or proteins, look at the pet stores (including online) for better pellets, and then gradually make the switch (start by mixing in tiny amounts of the new kind into the old kind, and gradually increase the percentage over a couple of weeks until you're just using the new kind).

Hay: The best way to keep a rabbit's teeth and guts healthy is by encouraging lots and lots of hay eating. Make fresh hay available in unlimited amounts. Grass hays are best for most healthy adult rabbits (like timothy, brome, orchard grass, meadow grass, etc); alfalfa (a legume hay high in protein) is good for growing rabbit youth and nursing/pregnant rabbit moms. Hay should smell sweet and fresh, there shouldn't be any mould or rot, there shouldn't be much dust, and it should be greenish. Putting two or three small piles of any around the rabbit's habitat might encourage her to eat more than one huge pile. A pile in the litter box is a really good idea as rabbits like to "graze" while they defecate.

Treats: Dried commercial rabbit treats often have unhealthy ingredients. It's better for the rabbit if you stick to fresh fruits and vegetables for your bunny's treats (like apple, carrot, berries, squash). Your rabbit will like it just as much as a treat from the store, and it's better for your rabbit's health, and less expensive! Treats should be limited because too many will make a rabbit sick. The House Rabbit Society recommends no more than 2 tablespoons of treats per day for a normal, healthy 6 pound rabbit.

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