Do you keep finding uneaten blackberry-looking cecotrope pellets around your rabbit’s habitat? Are these nutrient-filled poops mysteriously reappearing in your bunny’s litter box? An overabundance of cecotropes is a sign something is off with your rabbit’s digestive system. While some cecotrope production is normal, excess means your fluffy friend needs help. In this article, learn the top 5 reasons why your rabbit is overproducing these exotic rodent feces. From diet missteps to underlying health issues, discover what causes cecotrope overload and how to remedy the situation. Get ready to become an expert on proper rabbit digestion and finally solve your cottontail’s case of the too many poops!
1. Too many treats
Rabbits love treats, but too many treats can lead to an overproduction of cecotropes. Treats like fresh fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and water content. This extra nutrition and water causes more digestion in the hindgut, leading to more cecotropes being produced. It's easy to overdo it on treats because they make our bunnies so happy! But more than about 1 tablespoon per 2 lbs of body weight per day is too much.
Monitor your rabbit's treat intake and limit to mostly leafy greens and small pieces of other veggies and fruits. Eliminate starchy veggies like carrots that are extra high in sugars. Also, reduce any high calorie treats like nuts, seeds, grains or processed treats. By limiting treats to proper amounts and types, your rabbit's digestive system won't be overloaded.
2. A sudden change in diet
Rabbits are creatures of habit and their digestive systems work best on a steady diet. When you suddenly change the type, amount or schedule of your rabbit's diet, it can really throw things off! Their gut bacteria and motility are optimized for their normal diet. So any sudden changes mean the bacteria and gut movements are no longer synced up properly.
This mismatch leads to excess cecotrope production as the body tries to adjust. Make all diet changes slowly to give your rabbit's digestion time to catch up. If you need to transition to a new food, mix it in slowly over 1-2 weeks. This gives the gut microbiome time to adapt to the new nutrients coming through. Go even slower with major changes like introducing new veggies or going from a pellet to hay-based diet. Patience prevents tummy upsets during transitions!
3. Your rabbit can't reach
Rabbits produce cecotropes as a normal part of their digestive process. They straight from the anus and the rabbit eats them directly to obtain nutrients. But if your rabbit is overweight or has mobility issues, she may not be able to reach her cecotropes to consume them.
Check for cecotropes getting stuck in fur around the genitals. Also look for them scattered around the cage instead of eaten. If this is the case, help your rabbit by keeping her bottom trimmed and clean. Gently wipe away uneaten cecotropes with a warm, damp cloth. Improve mobility by encouraging exercise and physical therapy exercises. Consult your vet if mobility or obesity is impacting your rabbit's ability to eat cecotropes.
4. Your rabbit isn't feeling well
If your rabbit stops eating cecotropes, it's a sign of an underlying health issue. Like rumination in cattle, rabbits naturally re-ingest cecotropes to obtain essential nutrients. They should be eager to eat them as soon as they appear. So when a rabbit stops eating cecotropes, it means they are not feeling well.
Bring your rabbit to the vet for an examination if they are leaving cecotropes uneaten. Loss of appetite, lethargy, sitting hunched up, weight loss, loose stool, reduced fecal production, or other signs of illness may also be present. The cecotrope issue is a symptom of the underlying problem. The vet can determine if parasite infection, dental disease, GI stasis or another condition is causing illness and subsequent cecotrope overproduction.
5. Not enough hay
The bulk of a rabbit's diet should be high-quality grass hay. Hay is critical for several reasons. First, it provides the roughage rabbits need for healthy intestinal motility and a working Cecotropes. Hay avoids refined sugars and carbs. Lastly, rabbits need the long-stem fiber to grind down their ever growing teeth.
When rabbits don't get enough hay, the result is often more cecotropes. Lack of hay leads to reduced motility and bacterial imbalance in the hindgut. Ensure your rabbit has unlimited access to grass hay at all times. The more they eat, the better. Timothy or orchard grass are excellent choices. Feed hay-based pellets and limit treats. Proper hay intake prevents overproduction of cecotropes.
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