Questions about animals
Does your rabbit have diarrhea? What to do
When a rabbit has diarrhea it can be due to a multitude of factors, most related to the gastrointestinal system. Knowing each of them and acting accordingly can be essential to alleviate the high incidence of this condition.
When determining whether a rabbit has diarrhea, a series of signs of the disease must be observed. The most frequent is the presence of pasty stools attached to the animal’s tail. These, often, are interspersed with normal and dry droppings, so the whole is shown as a kind of amorphous mass.
The frequency and amount of bowel movements will increase, so they will occur several times a day. This excess in the number of evacuations will contribute to the local irritation of the back, which may even lead to alopecia.
Main causes
The diet is one of the most decisive aspects regarding the functioning of the intestinal transit. A sharp change in the type of food, excess fiber or intake of inappropriate substances can lead to disease.
Paradoxically, fiber shortage can also cause its contraction. This usually occurs as a result of high carbohydrate diets, usually in the form of pellets, which do not have the necessary amount of hay.
All this results in a change in the pH of the gastrointestinal tract, which alters the microbiota responsible for fermenting and digesting food.
Abuse of high carbohydrate diets promote the existence of bacteria that produce gases and toxins, responsible for the reduction of fecal granules. This situation results in the so-called gastrointestinal stasis, that is, the blockage of food that is unable to move through the intestine. Also, symptoms of lethargy, loss of appetite and dehydration are also common.
In addition to eating disorders, when a rabbit has diarrhea, it may be due to stress situations or underlying metabolic problems related to the liver and kidneys.
What to do if a rabbit has diarrhea
Most cases can be satisfactorily addressed through a change in diet, especially if they are intermittent diarrhea and without other clinical problems. The new feed must avoid or significantly reduce the number of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, all those “goodies” made from grains should be dispensed with.
Thus, the basis of the feed must be hay, fresh or commercial, and the appropriate dose of pellets. Serving sizes, as well as the most balanced type of feed formulation, should be asked to the veterinarian.
Should be remove the remains of feces attached to the animal’s fur. Keeping the area clean is essential to avoid frequent irritations and skin infections. In addition, when the feces still have a soft consistency they can attract flies that, when laying eggs, end up creating a greater pathology.
In other circumstances, the change of diet will only be part of the treatment, since the cure will come when addressing the underlying disease. Metabolic alterations will require therapies or medications according to the overall diagnosis made. When it comes to stress, it is often motivated by noise or lack of exercise. In the domestic environment.
When a rabbit has diarrhea, it must act quickly and efficiently. Postponing the treatment will only increase the disorders caused in the animal’s microbiota, in addition to the chances of getting an infection.
Rabbits eat their own droppings, not normal ones, which are really an excretion product, but ones known as cecotrophs.