Advice please for pellets- Arabellas poops not as good

Hi everyone

When we rescued Arabella she was on just a hay and veg diet and she looks a brilliant weight etc and was producing nice big golden poops. Now she has been on only 4 SS selective pellets in the morning and same in the evening and she gets fresh herbs, veg and dried herbs, not all at once though, she has them rotated. Her poops have halved in size and darker, a couple are soft. Not sticky bum soft and she is clean , but just wondering as she only got pellets there as a treat, could it be that her tummy is getting used to them and do you think I should cut them down further or just give a few thorughout the day as a treat and see if they get back to the golden whoppers she was producing when we got her. I would hate to ruin a healthy tum and healthy poops.

I also was wondering could this be that she is drinking a lot due to being indoors now , as she was an outdoor bunny and that she is adapting to her new envionment? so assuming this is why she is drinking a lot. We do not give excess amounts of veg or herbs either and she gets fiba first as a treat and a fenugreek crunchie some days too.

What do you all think? I want to make sure she is getting what she needs but also do not wan spoil the healthy tum she had. The poops are not awful, just a little worried that they are not as big and golden.

The same happened here with D. Layla after she arrived. It has now (10 days ) settled. Maybe it is some how the change of diet, or the stress and excitement of move and all the change. 
Mine get a small amount of pellets in the morning, and there veg and greens in the evening. Inbetween it's the snacks and treats. 
Does she eat her hay?
If here poos get softer she might just need a little more water to compensate. 
I would. Observe closely and maybe other hoppers have more ideas?

I do the same as you, only her pellets are split between morning and night. She has them twice a day but just 4 SS as they are big on each feed.

She is a very good hay eater, it probably is the excitment and massive change for her. I am not too worried but just wanted to check. She also is drinking a lot of water so it could be why too.

I do not want to stop her pellets, just checking I am giving her enough, do you thinki 4 in morn and 4 in eve is fine or would she need a couple more once she gets used to having them like this?

Thanks Claudia.

Is she mainly eating Timothy hay? The Oxbow hay is very green so maybe this could be making her poops appear darker. She may be a lot of water if she doesn't get as much veg with you. Bunnies do get a lot of water from veg so if she is mostly eating dry foodstuffs she will be compensating.

I can't help on the SS question I am afraid as I have never fed these as a main pellet with my bunnies. They get six each of the mature ones - but I think these are much smaller than the normal SS pellets.

Thanks hun and yes , she is on the posh green hay and meadow those new meadow hay cakes from hay experts. She is having veg but probably not as much as she was getting there and she has dried herbs too, today she has had a bit of both.

I think it could be a combination of the stress of the move and going indoors, as you said. Has she got a radiator in her room? Is it on?

That might explain her upset tum/drinking a lot. I know Willow is prone to tummy upset when she's a bit warm.

Sending lots of vibes it blows over soon xxx

Also a move indoors is likely to prompt a moult which will affect poo density.

Hope Arabella is doing better, thinking of you both
Judy

I think give a couple of days and see if they improve. I agree that this is likely to be a change in food and environment.

That said, none of mine have ever got on with SS, they all do better on Excel, but I do think its more likely to be the change. So long as she is still eating plenty of hay things will prob go back to normal.

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:Also a move indoors is likely to prompt a moult which will affect poo density.

I agree with this and everyone else, it is a big change for her coming indoors and a different diet. Plus the moult. I can see she is about to start on a big moult by looking at her fur.

Her poops are getting better again, bless her. She loves her food, she never stops eating, all good stuff though like hay hay hay and then her noms she geta from us, herbs, veg, fengugreek crunchies, fiba first. She is a right foody. Good job she has not broken into her nom cupboards .

As we speak she is binking around the front living room and darting about, she followed me in.