Fecal pellets are made up of tiny indigestible particles, looking like sawdust inside. My first piece of advice is always to go to an animal shelter... Caring For a Rabbit Before and After Neuter or Spay Surgery. Rabbits produce two kinds of digestive substances: small brown waste pellets and cecotropes, which are soft, shiny droppings that the rabbit eats to obtain essential nutrients. The amount of poop is relative. Usually rabbits will not eat these poops (but they might occasionally). A rabbit that is eating exclusively grass, will produce about half the volume of manure. The appearance of this type of poop will vary a little bit depending on your rabbit. If your rabbit is unable to eat their cecotropes for any of these reasons, then you’ll need to make a visit to your vet so you can diagnose the problem and help your rabbit recover. A rabbit produces two types of excrement: regular fecal pellets and cecotropes. Rich in nutrients, cecotropes are usually eaten by rabbits directly, according to Northwood Animal Hospital. Should You Prevent Your Rabbit From Eating Its Poop? The reduced amount of food leads to tiny, angular, and stiff poop. Treats, such as carrots and bananas, should only be given in small quantities. It’s not a problem if your rabbit stops eating pellets. A rabbit that stops eating is always ill, now we just need to find out what is causing this. You’ll also want to give your rabbit a few cups of fresh leafy greens per day. If you roll it between your fingers, though, the poop should easily grind into a fine powder. Pungent or notably odorous pellets are a sign that there is an underlying health issue. suddenly, she began gagging and seems to want to hack something up. Different Types of Rabbit Poop. This behavior of rabbits, known as cecotrophy, is completely normal and even healthy. Rabbit fecal pellets, the cocoa puff poops, are basically just condensed balls of fiber that have had the nutrients stripped away. The most commons conditions causing lack of appetite in rabbits are intestinal bloat and teeth The most important part of a rabbit’s diet is grass-based hay (such as timothy hay). Follow the Bunny Lady and her bunny partner Elusive and they seek to educate rabbit caretakers and make sure everyone is able to have a happy and healthy bunny in their home. If rabbits don’t eat a certain type of poop that they produce, called cecotropes, then they run the risk of becoming nutrient deficient. In addition to the pellets you add to her feeder, you can give her fresh fruits and veggies. Dogs will eat anything they can sink their teeth into, but rabbit poop seems to be their favorite delicacy. If you ever stepped on one or squashed it to see what’s inside, you’ll know it basically looks like sawdust. my rabbit is not eating his cecotropes We have taken our lop eared castrated male rabbit, mischief, to the vet for a check up, as he doesn't eat his cecotropes. Both animals leave pellets of the same size in mounds, although rabbit droppings usually only pile up when they are eating or hiding from a threat. The exact size and color will vary a little bit, depending on the rabbit. The mere thought of this type of behavior is rather unsettling to most people, but some animals, such as rabbits, actually eat their own feces for a very good reason. BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! She helps out on a farm and the neighbouring farm had some rabbits and Guineapigs all shaked up together in filthy conditions. ... than the typical hard bunny fecal pellets you might see in the litterbox or around your rabbit’s cage. This could be as simple as your rabbit is too obese or arthritic to reach its cecotropes, or as serious as a digestive or other medical concern. Some rabbits that have not received appropriate nutrients from its cecotropes may benefit from transfaunation. Learn about the components of a balenced diet. Where cecotropes contain valuable protein, feces contain only indigestible fiber and no water. Unlike the majority of other mammals, lagomorphs (consisting of domestic bunnies) produce two types of droppings, fecal pellets (the round, dry ones you typically see in the litterbox) and cecotropes. Divide this into a couple of feedings a day. Poop Watching Most of the time when you notice a lot of cecotropes in your rabbit’s litter box or around the room, it’s because your rabbit is producing too many cecotropes so they don’t want to eat them all. New poster, I couldn’t find any answer for this on google so hoping someone can point me in the right direction! People used to think that cecotropes were only produced in the evenings, rather than all day long like normal rabbit poops. Passing poop that looks like nuggets, small pieces, rabbit pellets, or balls from time to time is usually normal. It is composed of small, soft, shiny pellets, each coated with a layer of rubbery mucus, and pressed into an elongate mass. Hard texture. For disabled rabbits who have limited mobility, you may need to make a regular habit of collecting their cecotropes and offering them to your rabbit as a snack. First, check your rabbit's hind end. A common cause of obesity and soft stool is over-feeding pellets. If there are small, soft, sticky poops stuck to your rabbit's fur, then your rabbit isn't eating its cecotropes. If there aren't any of these soft poops, then your rabbit is consuming them as it should be. The vet says that he looks healthy, he is not overweight, his diet is excellent, plenty of hay, a measured amount of daily pellets, fresh veg and water always available. Fecal matter is produced throughout the day as a rabbit is hopping around or visiting the litter box, but these constantly produced fecal pellets are not what a rabbit consumes. These kinds of materials have a high amount of fiber that most animals can’t extract any nutrients from. In fact, it's a normal and healthy rabbit behavior. Healthy fecal pellets should have no strong or lasting smell. Small rabbit poop. The high sugar can also create an imbalance in the amount of bacteria in the rabbit’s gut, making them more likely to develop cecotropes that are mushy and not fully formed. Coprophagia is a normal, healthy behavior in rabbits, but in other animals, such as dogs, it is usually discouraged due to the lack of health benefits and level of disgust by the owners. This is usually the result of an unhealthy or unbalanced diet that is rich in sugary foods and low in fiber. Besides limiting the amount of pellets you give your rabbit… A rabbit may eat its droppings if it does not have access to enough fiber from other sources. This can be painful. You want to give your rabbit an unlimited supply of this hay so that they can munch on it frequently throughout the day. There are two types of rabbit poop you will need to stop your dog eating. Maximum 30% Pellets. If you notice a lot of cecotropes that your rabbit is not eating, multiple bundles of these poops in a day, then that could be an indication of an unbalanced diet or some health issues that need to be diagnosed. Do not mistake normal pellets with cecotropes though, which do have a stronger odor but are a healthy bowel movement. Rabbits poop pellets because the excess waste they do not need must be removed, which takes the form of a pellet. Where cecotropes contain valuable protein, feces contain only indigestible fiber and no water. Feed your rabbit fewer pellets, around 1/8 to 1/4 cup of pellets per every 4 pounds of rabbit is enough. Both animals leave pellets of the same size in mounds, although rabbit droppings usually only pile up when they are eating or hiding from a threat. Rabbits are herbivores and are considered grazers. Hay is the most important part of a rabbit's daily intake. Rabbits are foraging herbivores, eating mostly grass and weeds. Don’t have a vet? Rabbit fecal pellets, the cocoa puff poops, are basically just condensed balls of fiber that have had the nutrients stripped away. A healthy rabbit produces two types of fecal pellets: a hard pellet made of indigestible fiber, and a soft pellet (‘cecotrope’). Rabbits are unique in that they produce two types of fecal material: a hard, dry fecal pellet and a soft or “night” feces known as cecotropes. The cecotropes are produced in the cecum, a part of the intestinal tract of a rabbit, by fermentation of the food a rabbit eats. This will help you understand when your rabbit’s poop are normal and healthy and what those unusual poops you see every once in a while are. These together can lead to illnesses in rabbits, such as GI Stasis. Yes rabbits eat poop but it is a special kind of poop called a Cecotrope. If you see it cleaning its hind end and spending more time licking below its tail, then it is eating its cecotropes. Eating a small amount of rabbit poop is generally not harmful to dogs. Identifying Rabbit Scat. You shouldn't be too concerned if your rabbit eats his poop. That means your rabbit is eating a lot and making a lot of good round hard poops. We encourage you to observe your rabbit’s behavior, activity level and droppings daily. This is nothing to worry about, and doesn’t mean that your rabbit has stopped eating their nutrient dense cecotropes. Third, watch your rabbit late at night or early in the morning. A rabbit normally has a clean rear end because, even though cecotropes are soft and sticky, it is consuming these poops as they are exiting the body. A normal cecotrope resembles a dark brown mulberry, or tightly bunched grapes. Cecotrophs contain around 28-30% crude protein and up to 30% of the total nitrogen intake of rabbits. The Scoop on Poop. Rabbit fecal pellets offer little in terms of nutrition. However, it’s not unhealthy for rabbits to behave this way. Unlike other animals, rabbit poop is not so unpleasant. The numbers shared above, are based upon a standard diet of pellets and hay. Second, the amount of poop produced varies greatly based upon what they are eating? Rabbit waste is similar to white-tailed deer scat despite the pests’ size difference. The indigestible content is responsible for keeping the rabbit’s digestion moving and it’s important for preventing GI Stasis. Cecotropes are softer, stickier, and are usually not even seen by a rabbit owner because a rabbit often consumes them almost as they are exiting the body. In which case, you can resolve it by reducing the amount of pellets and increasing the amount of hay or feeding higher fibre/lower protein pellets (View Food Comparison Chart). Rabbit not eating cecotropes Whereas it is normal for rabbits to eat the cecotropes, there is an instance when they do not eat them. Pellets should also be a part of your rabbits diet, but they should only be given in small amounts. When the rabbit is resting it produces a different, soft pellet that it normally eats as soon as it passes. You’re aiming for poop with … Compost Rabbit Poop Rabbit droppings are wonderful additions to your compost. The lack of fiber in your rabbit’s diet forces their gut to slow down since the indigestible fiber is essential for keeping their digestion moving. If you aren't sure if your rabbit eats its poop, there are a few key indicators you can look for. - Answered by a verified Dog Specialist ... My small dog was at the dog park eating rabbit droppings. However, it’s not unhealthy for rabbits to behave this way. • A medium-sized or large adult bunny requires just 0.25 cups of pellets per day. (Penny is used for scale). Read our. A normal cecotrope resembles a dark brown mulberry, or tightly bunched grapes. Consider reducing your pet’s food pellets and increasing her hay. The only time I would worry about this behavior is if your rabbit chooses to eat their fecal pellets instead of their hay, leafy greens and pellets. It's what they do. Companion Animals Extension, 2020, Rabbits Eat Their Own Poop. They are often seen licking their paws, smoothing the fur on their ears, and even cleaning their bottoms. In most cases, a lot of poop is a good thing. ... Is it dangerous for my dog to eat wild rabbit poop. They’ll have a strong odor if the thin outer membrane is broken. Wild rabbits who were the ancestors of our pets, evolved to have this unique type of digestive system so that they could survive on a rough diet of foliage and bark. Each day your rabbits should be having: 90% hay (a pile the size of the rabbit, per rabbit, per day) Read why hay is vital for rabbits; a small handful / eggcup full of pellets (the … Problems with poop They've all been eating haylage for the last two weeks, and Annabel has been nursing from her mama still (Bridgit, the mama, gets a bucket of soaked beet pulp, some alfalfa pellets and grain each evening, as does our other mama, Sheila, although Bridgit's is richer in … After all, rabbits defecate both dry fecal pellets and cecotropes. Not only is it no big deal when rabbits eat their own poop, it’s actually very important to their health. However, certain parasites can be passed on to dogs from rabbits. Coprophagia occurs when feces is consumed. The soft feces are produced in the cecum (a pouch located between the small and large intestines) and are consumed by the rabbit directly from its anus as they are excreted. For more information on a healthy rabbit diet, visit my article on Rabbit Diet 101. Usually if you offer it to your rabbit as a treat, they will gladly eat it. Pebble poop, or pellet-like stool, may occur when very hard stool breaks apart into smaller pieces. If your rabbit steps on a cluster, they will squish together into a smear. Because of the way their digestion works, rabbits produce two different types of fecal pellets. Your rabbits quality of poop can be thrown out of whack by simply giving too many treats, not having the right quality or quantity of hay and even over-feeding them pellets.