Rabbit Runny Stool – What Is Causing Rabbit Diarrhea?

 

A healthy rabbit’s stool is small, dry, and round—rabbit diarrhea is rare. The instances that give a rabbit runny stool are relatively few, and none are to be taken lightly.

Baby Rabbit Diarrhea

When caring for rabbits younger than eight weeks old, diarrhea is actually a sign of life-threatening condition. Many rabbits are sold at a much younger age than healthy, to appeal to buyers looking for “small and cute.” However, rabbits need to nurse from their mothers for those eight weeks, as their mothers’ milk protects them from harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, one of the most deadly to a baby rabbit is one that humans carry naturally.

If handling gives a baby rabbit runny stool it’s important to take it to a rabbit-experienced veterinarian immediately! Dehydration happens in baby rabbits so quickly that they can die in a matter of hours.

Adult Rabbit Diarrhea

While not as dire, what can give an adult rabbit runny stool is still nothing to ignore. For example, if you find soft “night stool” in the rabbit litter box it is not normal. You may also find clumps of fecal matter around the anus, making for a messy, smelly bunny. This is usually as a result of a rabbit diet missing complex fibers.

Unappetizing as it sounds to us, in order to retain nutrients vital to their bodies, rabbits eat their cecotropes directly from their rectum. An imbalance in their diet can cause these to form improperly, making it appear to give a rabbit runny stool.

There are other illnesses than can give your rabbit runny stool, such as parasitic infection or being obese and unable to reach for its cecotropes properly. In determining the cause of a rabbit’s runny stool, it is important to note other behaviors or potential gaps in its diet. Any such observations can help your veterinarian in finding the problem.