Expert: Mirella Brown - 11/4/2009

Question
QUESTION: ive had my bunny for 6 yrs & now have a 2 month old baby but i don`t have the time i used to for my rabbit, i do let him out for 6-7 hrs/day but only spend 20-30 mins of play time with him unlike the 8 hrs prior to my son's arrival i used to spend with him ... he was an extremely affectionate & cuddly little guy but today i went to pick him up to try & clean his bottom, like i used to & he would always let me, which is now covered with hardened feces & he scratched me & jumped out of my arms, he's NEVER done this before, he used to sit on my lap for hours & always gave lots of kisses, now he won`t even let me touch him, i went to pet him & he ran away like he was crazy & even kind of ran into the wall (he is blind in one eye) & then struggled to get back in his cage, what`s wrong with him? i heard animals cango kind of crazy just before they die .. could he be dying?


ANSWER: I don't think your rabbit is acting crazy. Your rabbit should be able to pass proper poop. If your rabbits bottom is covered in hardened poop it may not be you that your rabbit is reacting to but the pain of potentially having a hard time going to the bathroom because of the hardened stuff blocking the way for new poops to come out, causing intstinal pain and possibly slow motility. Even the pain of removing the hardened poop from the Skin or fur from the sensitive area could have made your rabbit react this way. You need to get long sleeves on, some thin stretchy material gloves (like the thin winter mits) and pick that rabbit up and clean him. Reassure him that you love him and need to do this. Try to soak the hardened poop in warm water before trying to pull it off. This will avoid the pain.

It is not normal for rabbits to have mushy poop. This happens usually due to bad diet or too many treats. Treats you get at a pet store are garbage and you should discontinue all storebought crap immediately. A treat for a rabbit is a slice of apple or banana or a carrot. Only one treat should be given a day as too much sugary fruit can also cause mushy poop. Rabbits should be given UNLIMITED timothy hay! Hay is low in calories and high in fibre, helping to bond that mushy stuff together and promote a healthy bowel. Pellets should be limited to 1/2 cup a day max for rabbits up to 5 pounds. Includes mini breeds. I am goin to send you some links about diet and rabbit poop.

Link to information about proper rabbit diet:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html


A link about rabbits mushy poop and what causes it:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html


If you feel your rabbit is being fed correctly and there is still an issue with poop I urge you to go to the vet! If your little guy is having mushy poop then his stomach is also upset. I understand you are busy with your new child but you need to act as if you have two children and pay a bit more attention to your rabbit. There may be a serious issue here that you maybe overlooked.

Find a good rabbit vet in your area at this link:
  http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

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QUESTION: but my little guy won't let me touch him let alone pick him up ... if i took him to a groomer do you think they would have better luck? i really feel horrible that this has happened and is causing him problems when trying to pass new poops, i don't want him to suffer ... i will try to spend more time with him and hopefully he will bounce back to his normal self. he is a lop, and just the cutest one there is, how long is their life expectancy? i've heard so many different answers ... my guy turned 6 in september, how much longer will he be around?

Answer
Rabbits can live up to 10 years.

Spending time with your rabbit - you just sitting on the floor and letting your rabbit come out of his cage on his own to smell and play with you would be best. Do read my email above. Bunny bonds are easily remade.