Baby bunny with loose cecal droppings

Question
Dear Dana,

I may just be being paranoid but I wanted to run this past you and see what you think.  

We recently brought a new eight week Blanc De Hotot bunny into our home.  He is an unbelievable sweetheart and already such a joy!!!

We have had him for about four days now.  At first I thought his stools were not normal but after close monitoring I am seeing that his fecal matter is normal but it is his cecal pellets that are a little more mushy than they should be.  I was not happy with what he was previously being fed (junk rabbit food) so I am blending his old food with Oxbow foods, alfalfa, and timothy hay.  He produces  A LOT  of cecal pellets from 9am untill 12pm that are a little on the mushy side.  He is full of spunk and eats and drinks plenty.  

Is this a stress, diet change, or age related issue... is it even an issue at all?

Thanks!!!!
Ali  

Answer
Dear Alecia,

You're wise to be vigilant about his cecotropes.  Please read this:

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

and if his poops continue to be mushy, please get him to a good rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for fecal exam and supportive care.  You don't say how old he is, but if he develops runny stools (not just mushy), then dehydration can be a life-threatening complication.  Best to jump on this as soon as possible.

I've found with my baby hares that a small dose of barium can do wonders to soothe the intestinal lining and firm up the cecotropes until the original problem can be addressed and solved.

Hope this helps.

Dana