Poopy butt can strike at any time or never in the bunny's entire life. But here is what you should have on hand in case of emergency. It is very important to act quickly if your bunny develops a sticky, pasty poo because it can clog them up, cause infection, dehydrate them and can quickly lead to death.
Poopy butt can develop from stress, change in brand of rabbit pellet food, too many treats, improper veggies, parasites, or poor water quality. Here is my protocol for any time a bunny in my care develops poopy butt. Some steps are preventative but I highly recommend following all of the steps because poopy butt can be very serious.
Disclaimer: I am not a vet and if you feel you should take your bunny to the vet instead, then you should. This is just what I have found works for me in my rabbitry.
Grooming
Very carefully take sharp scissors and snip all the matted wool off. Get as much off as you can and continue to check daily for any more poop getting stuck. Clean as often as you can.
2. Sanitization
Make sure there is no feces on any feed or water dishes most importantly. Sanitize and wash any toys, cages or surfaces that the bunny has come into contact with with very hot water and a pet safe disinfectant. Make sure you wash the bunny's water dish daily until the bunny is back to normal. Remove all items that can not be sanitized and throw them away such as wood toys or chews.
3. Hay Fast
You will remove pellets from the bunny's enclosure and only offer unlimited timothy hay or alfalfa hay, whichever you normally offer on a daily basis anyway. Now is not the time to offer new food. Hay fast for 3 days and then slowly reintroduce pellets on day 4.
4. Medicated Water
You will need liquid Corrid, a syringe that measures up to 5ml and a bunny safe electrolyte mix. The ones I use are pictured below. You can find both at Tractor Supply. Mix 5ml of liquid Corrid and 1tbs. of the electrolyte powder into a gallon of spring water, I get mine from Walmart. This should be the only source of water offered to your bunny for 5 days.
Commenti