Poop problem!

Question
2 of our rabbits have a problem with poop sticking to their butts. We have bathed them before and were able to remove the poop, but it always comes back. A friend of ours have rabbits and told us they had the same problem, and it was a parasite ( the vet they went to called it Poopy Butt ) and were told to use Albon. Though doing some research on the web I found there were many other cases like mine, but each cause was different.

Not only does poop stick to their butts but it sticks the their cage matts, and the cages themselves.

Whats going on with our rabbits?

Answer
Dear Erynn,

This is a very common problem, and it is not always caused by coccidia (which is what the vet believed was the cause when s/he prescribed Albon).  The intermittent mushy stool in adult rabbits is caused by a conditon called cecal dysbiosis, which you can read about here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

The most common causes are incorrect diet, which you can check here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

and pain/stress caused by dental problems, such as molar spurs:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

You may need the help of a good rabbit vet to help you get to the bottom (har) of this, and you can find one here who is experienced with rabbits:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps get you back on the road to healthy GI tract bunnies.

Dana