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Liquid in stool

22 11:36:26

Question
I have a 2 1/2 y.o. male mixed mini lop.  Off and on he will have a lot of liquid surrounding his stool.  The stool is still formed, but his entire back end will be wet, including his tail.  He seems to get it most when he is under stress.  He is still eating and drinking well.  He acts normal. Do you know what this is?  Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.

Answer
Dear Shelley,

Runny stool is a sign of cecal dysbiosis.  As you have noticed, one thing that can cause this is stress.  But there may be other underlying causes that make your bunny more susceptible to this potentially serious problem.  Please see:

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

for a full run-down on the causes of cecal dysbiosis, and links to more information on some of the most common causes (e.g., diet too rich in starch and too low in crude fiber).  In the case of a mini-lop, I always suspect molar problems such as spurs, since these are VERY common in the short-faced breeds:

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

If you don't already have a good rabbit vet, you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope that helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana