mushy poo stinky rabbit......

Question
QUESTION: Please help me.  I have a bunny who I have tried and tried to make healthy.  The mushy poo comes and goes and it is pretty much the same story as the last posting.  I have two rabbits (both Holland Lops--3.5yrs)  One completely healthy never had a problem.  They live in the same catch get unlimited Timothy hay some leafy greens and fresh water.  I have given acidophilus and it works a bit but not enough.  My poor bunny has suffered for over a year or more with this problem and I can't take it anymore.  It seems wrong to let him suffer anymore when I can't figure out how to make him better and it can't be contagious as the other rabbit is fine.  Please help me figure out what to do.  I am starting to think the humane thing to do would be to have him put down.  He is a little underweight and all his fur on his hind legs and bum is falling out and his skin looks kinda raw.  I have kept this rabbits cage clean and done everything to help him but I just don't know if I can.  Please help me.  The vets never seem to have the answer;  Is there a specific medication I can ask for??  I can't afford big expensive tests so that isn't an option.  I live in Ontario about 30 mins east of Toronto.  Should I take him to a rabbit rescue?? Please just tell me what to do I am desperate to help this little creature.

ANSWER: Hi Lori,

When I have a bun with a poopy butt, we go to Bunny Diet 101.  That is unlimited grass hay (just like you are doing) but we cut way back on the pellets.  If it is smelly, I usually suspect parasites such as worms or coccidia.  We had a rabbit that we could smell all over the house....she had hookworms.  That is the first time we had seen hooks in a rabbit.  Your vet can perform a "fecal float" but they are not perfect and it is cheaper just to treat for worms.  I routinely treat incoming rescues with Fenbendazole for worms and either Albon or one of the sulfanomides for coccidia.

The use of acidophilus is much misunderstood.  While it does contain bacteria strains, it's not the type of bacteria found in a rabbit's gut.  It works by increasing the acid content.  The pH in a rabbit should be 1-2.  Look at the first four letters of the word...acid.  I use something a bit more effective...a product called Bene-Bac.  It is available at most vets and large pet stores.  Comes in a gel (syringe) or a powder.  Just one gram of this stuff contains millions of colony forming bacteria.  And it contains a very helpful strain of bacteria....L Casei.  Caution:Some may suggest the use of yogurt to get this strain....bad idea.  Rabbits are lactose intolerant and can't handle the dairy products and sugar contained in yogurts.

You can also give him a small amount of cooked rice or oatmeal....we give them the stuff in the cardboard tube with the Quaker on it.  Don't overdo it...moderation.  Holland Lops are also quite prone to dental issues with their molars...and they require sedation and/or x-rays to get a good look at.

My suggestion is to have him dewormed and treated for coccidia (your vet can look at a sample under a microscope).  Stick to basic bunny diet of unlimited grass hay and very limited pellets.  No greens/veggies/fruits/treats until you get a ready gut.  Then introduce them again one at a time in small amounts and monitor the gut reaction.  It might take some time....maybe weeks..to see improvement.  A good gut depends on a very delicate population of beneficial bacteria to digest the food properly....it is quick to suffer from a problem but slow to recover.

Randy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Just wanted to add a few things. I think you are right about what you think is wrong with my bunny Stitch (his brothers name is Lilo)  I will take him to the vet and take this message with me.  I don't give him pellets very often.  More as a treat.  I keep a bag on hand but seldom use it.  I do give them oatmeal as he was one time at deaths door-- skin and bone and this helped him get the weight back on.  Also I should add that two summers ago we had just moved to this area from Alberta and we were keeping the rabbits outside in a cage, (in the shade  the kids in the neighbourhood like to visit them)  One day I picked Stitch up to play with him and he had fly strike and his but was covered in Maggots.  I rushed him to the vet and they cleaned him up, gave him a flea shot and I nursed him back to health (I think I caught this in the first 24 hours as I know he would have died quickly from this)  The mushy poo had happened I am assuming the day before which attracted the flies and lead to the fly strike.  The mushy poo has been on and off ever since.  Also then next major sickness was the late spring of 2007  when he drastically and quickly lost weight......my neighbour helped me nurse him back to health with rabbit rescue food and oatmeal. It did the trick but a few months later the mushy poo returned and it has been a non stop problem ever since.  I thought I should add this information incase there was anything that was important for you to know.  Also I have three children two cats and a chocolate lab.  The bunnies live in their cage but could Stitch make the other animals sick or the us??  What is hook worm what does it look like???  If this is the problem and I treat it as you have told me will he have a chance of a full recovery?  He is so cute and his brother would be so lonely if something happened to him.  

Randy, I appreciate your reply more then you will ever know.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I will keep you posted.

Answer
Hi Lori,

Actually, the rabbit may have gotten something from your other animals.  Cats and dogs carry more parasites than rabbits.  And contrary to popular belief, cats have the dirtiest mouth in the world....it's a breeding pit for bacteria.  Cat bites are the leading cause of wildlife deaths.  Even the nick of a tooth can be fatal.  And many of these parasites are zoonotic....and can pass from human to animal or animal to human.  If I remember correctly, hookworms can be picked up easily...like walking barefoot where an animal has pooped (if the animal is infected) even if the area has been cleaned.  But not to worry....you have a higher chance of picking up a nasty bug from a public restroom than you do your animals.

I would get him wormed.  Mostly you would find roundworms and sometimes pinworms in a rabbit.  Coccidia, a protozoa, is also commonly found.  Proper worming is once a week for at least 3 weeks...and I do four total treatments.  Coccidia is treated somewhat like a bacterial infection.

Do keep me posted.

Randy