New bucks poo-What is this?

redneckswife · #1 09/28/13, 10:54 AM

Okay let me start off by saying I got this rabbit (Silver Marten buck-9 weeks old) 10 days ago.

I had noticed this in the cage on all 3 new Martens. The 4-H leader/Agri teacher at the Fair never told me what kind of feed the rabbits were on.

I started giving them my feed and noticed all 3 rabbits doing this and assumed it was due to feed transition.

One week in the does(who are about4 months old) stopped.However, the little buck hasn't stopped and now I don't believe it's the feed transition.

He only does this at night, I know normal "night" pellets are usually clusters and the rabbit will eat them. This however is not clustered, it is not runny either.
The rabbit shows no signs of illness(drinking, eating normal-no bloat,fever,sneezing,etc.).

It has the consistency of tar and is black. During the day I have saw him poop and it is the normal balls.

I'm sorry these pictures aren't the greatest(I was outside alone and since I've only had these rabbits 10 days, their in the big segregation hutches that have no lid props.)

In the picture you'll notice that their is the tar stool and his other normal poop pellets(yes next to the roofing tack). And yes, this is the very old hutch that was supposed to be torn down but I put the new stock their because I'd already prepped the grow-out cages for the kits in a few weeks.

What is this??????

SherryB · #2 09/28/13, 03:57 PM

I usually am glad to get an answer from YOU, Redneckswife! So, if you don't know what it is then I don't know what to say! To be honest, I have seen this tarry poo every now and then and as long as the rabbits didn't actually have diarrea and was still also having pelleted poop, I didn't worry. Maybe its caused by stress, or maybe there was some inconsistency in the mixing of the pellets, maybe he licked around on some areas of the cage and picked up a cootie.

Maybe someone will have a definitive answer for you.

redneckswife · #3 09/28/13, 04:10 PM

As long as it's a "Cootie" my young kids can't catch from the rabbit,lol :-)

redneckswife · #4 09/29/13, 09:32 AM

Okay, I've scoured the internet and this is the only explanation or description that accurately seems to describe whats going on with this new rabbit.

I'd never heard of this, so I'll post it in case anyone gets a new bun that might be exhibiting these symptoms.

http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

The treatment for turn around is "good ole-fashioned hay"

. only for a week straight. Yeah!!! I'm gonna try it and I'll let you guys know if it works.

Cecal Motility Disorders

redneckswife · #5 10/02/13, 11:16 AM

Specifically the poop is a result of cecal dysbiosis which causes the tar-like poop or as they refer to it "pudding like cecotropes"(cecotropes:"rabbit night droppings usually consumed by the rabbit").

Thankfully I noticed the tar-poops(lol) and began the hay & water only diet before this stuff progressed and didn't notice any tar-poops this morning(only round balls in the cage)

.

Only day 3 into the advised treatment (7 days hay & water only) and I'm surprised to see such an improvement already.I love it when an issue can be cured with something so basic

redneckswife · #6 10/06/13, 11:47 AM

The recommended treatment worked

Bunny's back to normal droppings and back on feed & hay with no issues

rabbitgeek · #7 10/07/13, 10:04 PM

Bravo!

Have a joyful day!