Sludgey Poos - U/D Need Bums Cleaned, Advice Please!

Paddy and Benji are both great hay eaters, but I have noticed over the last week or so that Paddy has been doing some quite wet poos.

It's definitely the faecal poos, not caecotrophes, and they are quite dark and making brown marks on the carpet/fleece.

I think it may be due to the fact that they have had a couple of bowls of fresh grass from the garden over the last week - I didn't give them loads, but it may have been too rich for them, as I know it can be at this time of year. I should have just given them a few blades to start with, I guess.

We have cut down their evening veg to almost nothing and they only get a small amount of SS pellets each in the morning. So they are eating hay almost exclusively. Does it sometimes take a few days for the gut to settle down in this situation? They are both fine in themselves and are behaving normally.

I have ordered some ProC probiotic and am waiting for it to arrive. Any other advice? Although they are only getting a tiny bit of veg now, should I cut it out completely? (Feel sorry for Benji as don't want to deprive him!)

I would think the grass is the culprit, it seems really rich this year, probably the strange weather patterns. The Pro-C is a great idea and I would expect it to settle down again after a few days and the probiotic will help.

It would probably be best to try and fill them with fiber, so cut out the richer food for a few days and then bring it back in slowly alongside the probiotic.

Thanks Sooz.

I've now noticed Benji has some poo stuck to his tail as well, so we're going to have to try to remove it.

I've never had to do that for a bun before, so I'm not looking forward to it as they both hate being picked up.

I've heard of giving a bum bath, but how on earth do you do it with bunnies who struggle badly when lifted?

Help!!

Baby wipes!!!

Well, we sort of managed to clean Benji's tail using wet cotton wool pads. It took 2 of us though and we didn't manage to get all of it off.

They both struggle so much even when held firmly - it's a nightmare to try and do anything with them.

Their claws needed clipped too - we haven't done that since they came to us, so they were needing it, especially as they both have hocks which are a bit sore. We managed to do 3 out of 4 of Paddy's paws and none of Benji's although he did get his bottom washed so that was enough stress for one night. (I have looked at the claw clipping video and page which are excellent, but Bertie is so much better behaved than my two!)

I feel like such a rubbish bunny mum sometimes when I struggle to do these things.

FudgesMummy wrote:Baby wipes!!!

Thanks Kelly, I did try a baby wipe earlier and it worked quite well - better than the cotton wool pads as it was 'wetter'.

I found the unscented baby ones ace for dealing with Fudge as a baby bunny when he would get a mucky bum!

Have you tried snuggling them in a blanket to make them feel safe and give you more control?

Dont you dare feel a bad mummy!!!

Stop feeling useless Helen. You are getting used to them as much as they are getting used to you. You are far from a rubbish bunny mum and we all know it. *wags motherly finger*

Thanks guys. I wasn't saying I felt like a bad bunny mum just to hear someone say the opposite. I DO feel rubbish sometimes!!

We did wrap the buns in a towel, but they still fight, the little monsters!

When they went to the vet for their myxi jab, I think they traumatised the vet and the nurse, as they had to be put on the floor and dealt with there as they were struggling so much the vet feared they might dash off the table. Even on the floor, the vet and nurse had a hard job controlling them.

We don't know what happened to them in the first 2 or 3 months of their lives, but I'm guessing that they were handled badly and that has had an effect on them.

perhaps you need to let them scent the blankie as theres then wrap them in it.....I really don't know what to suggest other than be patient and let them get used to you, reward them lots after the stress etc x

Yes, that's good advice Kelly, thank you. I'll try and wrap them in a familiar blanket the next time. (Next time ... argh! )

They actually seem fine afterwards and not too stressed - they hop off to eat hay, so they're just playing up I think - they're strong willed little monkeys.

If they're not too stressed afterwards, maybe they trust you, they just are expressing their hatred of being picked up?

Bruce hates being picked up but once I have put him on the ground he usually hangs around my feet for a little while. I like to think that's him forgiving me, but it's probably his way of saying "see how good I was, I deserve treats".

Don't worry I am hopeless with cutting nails etc too. They hate being picked up so much that I can usually convince myself out of cuting their nails. Good luck experimenting with the techniques!

NSD wrote:If they're not too stressed afterwards, maybe they trust you, they just are expressing their hatred of being picked up?

Bruce hates being picked up but once I have put him on the ground he usually hangs around my feet for a little while. I like to think that's him forgiving me, but it's probably his way of saying "see how good I was, I deserve treats".

Don't worry I am hopeless with cutting nails etc too. They hate being picked up so much that I can usually convince myself out of cuting their nails. Good luck experimenting with the techniques!

Thanks - I think that's true, that they do trust us but just detest being lifted! They've been with us for about 9 weeks now and we've taken it very slowly - always approaching them on their level and taking things at their pace. I think they've learned that if they struggle too much, we've put them down, so it's sometimes difficult knowing what approach to take! We'll get there though - they have to learn to tolerate being picked up.

I think Bruce is one smart bunny, definitely sounds like he's waiting for his treats!

How is the poo situation now?

I have to say Helen - I have resorted to taking daisy to the vets for his claws - the bertie vid is amazing but even in a blankie daisy kicks and wriggles and I have to say that although he is fine....Im left a quivering wreck!!!!!!! Medicating him isnt so bad as me and matt have a routine going which involves both of us - sections of a pen and a slidey mat!

Yes, I sat with my jaw on the floor seeing how well-behaved Bertie was in that vid!! Managed to get all their nails cut yesterday but it is a struggle - certainly couldn't do it on my own!

We had a whole day without a sludgey poo yesterday - some of them still were a bit wet, but not smeared all over the carpet! However, there have been one or two more today.

Bit of a puzzle as they are not getting any veg at all at the moment, just a few pellets in the morning and loads of hay - they've been on that for several days now. They've been fine for weeks on veg + pellets + lots of hay, so I'm still thinking it was maybe giving them some grass that upset them. But they haven't had any grass for over a week now.

However, they are fine in themselves and my order from the Hay Experts is due tomorrow, so I'll start adding the probiotic to their water then and see how it goes.

Good luck for firmer poos. Sending Vibes too.

Hope they are okay and that you have recovered from the nail clipping!!!!!

Katieb wrote:Good luck for firmer poos. Sending Vibes too.

Hope they are okay and that you have recovered from the nail clipping!!!!!

Thanks Katie - just about recovered from the nail clipping!! xx

I'm sorry Helen, but don't loose hope, it took us over a year to be able to handle Bertie and lift him etc. Everything had to be done on the floor.
I don't know what to suggest about Paddy's poos, is he on the Pro-B yet? That should help if the grass has caused this, but after several days without, I would be wondering if he's managing to get at something else, of there's something in the hay, but then, they'd both maybe have it?

re: nails.. you could try putting him on a surface off the floor, like a big plastic storage tub with lid, or similar, put a towel on it, and put them on it, normal way up. If one of you secures him, you can take out each paw and clip that way. It's tricky to get to the dew nail, but it might work?

We had to do this for months before we could do what you see in the vid. I also only ever give him bromelain tablets after grooming and nail clipping, so he knows that he's in for a special treat afterwards.

Vibes for you and Paddy

Hopefully those poops will settle soon enough x