rabbit poop is really soft

Question
i have been giving my rabbit alot of pellets lately and decrease the amount of hay because my rabbit got a little fat. well, everything was fine until i gave it a piece of apple for a treat. then i found out that his poop was really soft and mushy. he also drink alot of water too but his poop was not soft until i gave it a piece of apple today. His my rabbit sick or he is not getting enough hay in his diet?

Answer
Dear Annie,

The mushy poop (a sign of cecal dysbiosis) can be caused by dietary change, especially with too much starch.  If your rabbit is pudgy, then you must reduce the *pelleted* food, not the hay, which should always be provided in unlimited quantity.  Pellets are very fattening (and can promote cecal dysbiosis); hay is healthy, full of fiber, and is like rabbit "diet food."

She should have all the timothy hay she wants all the time.  Please read:

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

and then:

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

You can find a good rabbit vet to help you here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope that helps.

Dana