The rabbit cannot reach to eat their cecotropes. Vets often consider testing rabbit poop as a part of their medical checkup, and this is also the same with humans. Devoting such time to cleanliness may mean you get quite a shock when you see a rabbit eating their own poop. I know rabbits eat cecotropes but I've noticed (since having her) that sometimes her regular poops are broken up or crushed. /r/rabbits is an open community where users can learn, share cute pictures, or ask questions about rabbits. . Although it is not well understood in dogs, it is believed to be a practice which helps digestion. I'd assumed it happened by accident, maybe she was walking on them or we were walking on them but tonight she started eating her cecotrophes next to me and I saw regular poop dust all over her face and wiskers as well as crushed up poops around her. It is estimated that B12is synthesized 100x the daily requirement. Although it may imply disease, this seemingly strange habit is much more beneficial that would first appear. The other reason is a medical problem but in your case I would say it is due to the pellets and should resolve itself once you begin adding more vegetables to his diet and reducing the amount of pellets. If the rabbit is not getting all of their nutrients, they not only eat the cecotropes, but the hard droppings as well. However, certain parasites can be passed on to dogs from rabbits. The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. Below we will take a closer look at each one of them. However, some of the common rabbit diseases affect their gastrointestinal system. We hope that you’ve learned a lot. Why Is My Dog Bleeding From Its Anus? These pellets are small torpedo shaped droppings which are dark and about the size of a squashed pea. It may seem gross, but rabbits normally eat some of their feces once a day, either early in the morning or late at night. Why Does My Dog Have a Lump on Their Neck? She is a bit cooky and seems to think she’s part hawk sometimes as she’ll climb up onto my shoulder or perch on my elbow or wrist to survey the area before pouncing off . Thinkstock. There are more things that you should learn about why do rabbits eat their poop. In this survival situation you would probably eat the rabbit not the cecotropes. The area around the tail is particularly susceptible. However now it's getting so bad that it sticks to her bottom area and is then making the hay stick to it. Yes, that means rabbits need to eat their cecotropes to get all the nutrients they need from their food. The only real issue is whether or not the rabbit is eating the right type of poop. But occasionally you might find some that your rabbit missed. Some animals such as flies and other insects will eat feces as a means of sustenance, but it is not as common a practice in vertebrates. Rabbits eat their own poop to digest nutrients they were unable to process the first time round. So, why do rabbits eat their poop? Although the food may have reached the end of the digestive tract, not all of the nutrients have been absorbed by the rabbit's body. Cecotrophy (eating cecotropes / healthy poop) is taught by the mother rabbit (dam) to her offsprings (kits/kittens) as soon as they open their eyes (about ten days). Their diet is mainly made of fibrous hay, supplemented by vegetables and fruit. Regular rabbit poop barely has any smell to it, and it’s made of mostly grass and other plants that the rabbit consumed. My Kitten Has Diarrhea But Acts Normal Otherwise, My Puppy Has Diarrhea - Causes And Treatment, Why is My Dog Throwing Up Yellow - Causes, Treatment & Home Remedies. Also, according to House Rabbit Society, “rabbit may not eat cecotropes due to dental or other oral pain as well as obesity or restricted movement (e.g., spondylosis) that prevents the bunny from physically reaching the anus to eat the cecotropes.” Not all soft feces are caecotrophs. If you want to read similar articles to My Rabbit is Eating Their Own Poop, we recommend you visit our Intestinal problems category. A rabbit produces two types of excrement: regular fecal pellets and cecotropes. One of the most common reasons for this is a nutritional deficiency. - Causes, My Dog Keeps Licking Her Private Area - All Possible Reasons. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED. Most rabbit owners don't see cecotropes, mostly because rabbits "eat them straight from the anus," Alvarado said. She seems to be fine I was just surprised and wondered if anyone else's rabbits do this? What to Do if My Dog has Something Stuck in his Throat? Rabbits are herbivorous animals. Rabbit poops are in the form of small balls that are uniform in appearance, dry, and hard to touch. Cookies help us deliver our Services. If you want to best avoid psychological and physical problems in rabbits, take a look at our rabbit care guide video: This article is purely informative. Aside from little-to-no droppings being found in your pet’s hutch, symptoms can include: Refuses to eat. But that’s all for this article. These special feces are called cecotropes, or “night feces.”. The problems could be anything from an infection to abnormal tooth growth which prohibit them from eating other food. The short-chain fatty acids in their cecals provide an additional source of energy, and the B vitamins provided can be in excess of the rabbit's needs. Rabbits get more nutrition from eating cecotropes than from the food they eat. Is this normal? In doing so, they are able to fully digest their food and reduce waste. I've recently got back from working away and have got my 2 bunnies back, who have been living at my parents. The fiber in hay for rabbits makes intestinal transit efficient, but in some ways, too inefficient. In fact, eating rabbit meat infested with certain parasites can be much more harmful to your dog than eating rabbit poop. It’s not regular feces, but a substance called cecotropes; It’s produced through the fermentation of food in part of the digestive tract called the cecum https://www.animalwised.com/my-rabbit-is-eating-their-own-poop-3575.html They are high in nitrogen, short-chain fatty acids, microbial protein, B vitamins, sodium, potassium, water, lysine, the sulfur amino acids, and threonine. Rabbit fecal pellets offer little in terms of nutrition. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain. Please note we are a *pet rabbit* community that discourages breeding and encourages rescue. This can happen when your dog eats rabbit poop, as well as if your dog eats rabbit meat. Constipation in rabbits can be dangerous. The soft cecotropes that are swallowed whole as soon as they are eliminated from the body are packed with key nutrients and help to keep the rabbit’s digestive tract functioning properly. Why Is My Rabbit Eating Poop (Not Cecotropes)? It is for this reason lagomorphs, a category of mammal including rabbits, hares and pikas, eat their own poop. It is not normal for them to be eaten by the rabbit. You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. The feces your rabbit excretes during the day is usually the hard inedible droppings. However, it can make your dog feel rotten in some cases, and you’ll want to do whatever you can to stop it, because, well, gross. Don’t freak out though — this behavior is pretty common, and it rarely leads to serious illness. Rabbits will leave two types of poop: These two types of excrement are the most common and the ones that indicate that the animal is healthy. That makes me feel better! Image Source Similar to humans, rabbits may be checked for any medical condition or rule out any illness by evaluating their poop. Usually rabbits will eat their cecotropes right out of their anus, so you won’t see very many lying around. They are also considered hygienic as they devote a lot of time throughout the day to cleaning themselves. It is because your rabbit is eating a diet that is high in pellets which contain too many nutrients. Rabbits don’t really eat feces. Here you will find information on coprophagy in rabbits. Rabbit eating videos, or rabbit eating ASMR videos are the indoor rabbit's favorite videos ... Rabbit eating poop! However, their diet is so rich in fiber and cellulose that it can be difficult to digest. You may notice your rabbit cleans themselves more often when they have eaten their poop, but this is usually because the soft feces can more easily stick to their fur. – James Jenkins Sep 28 '18 at 14:18 https://www.rabbitcaretips.com/why-do-rabbits-eat-their-own-poop This can happen because the rabbit is too obese to reach around their folds of fat, but it can also happen with rabbits who are elderly and disabled with limited mobility. If their living conditions are insufficient, this can cause psychological problems. Some mammals will eat feces on rare occasions, such as dogs. Should I be concerned if my rabbit eats its poop? Rabbits are sensitive, sweet and tender animals.  Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Since the rabbit is a sensitive animal, we can cause them serious anxiety if we do not provide the right level of care. Since only cecotropes contain nutritional value for the rabbit, if they are eating their hard droppings, it implies there is an issue. It’s a result of feces hardening inside a rabbit’s digestive tract. Cecotropes are not feces, but bunny-made doses of nutrients, so don’t be surprised to find your rabbit eating them. my rabbit is not eating his cecotropes. Pipkin rabbit, a free range rabbit eats poop! Although we may think of eating their own poop as being unpleasant it is purely practical. Eating a small amount of rabbit poop is generally not harmful to dogs. Sometimes there are a lot of cecotropes scattered around because the rabbit is unable to reach their butt to eat their cecotropes. Not all types of rabbit poop are digestible, something we explain further below. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. If there are small, soft, sticky poops stuck to your rabbit's fur, then your rabbit isn't eating its cecotropes. A rabbit normally has a clean rear end because, even though cecotropes are soft and sticky, it is consuming these poops as they are exiting the body. These are the hard round ones that are seen in the dropping trays. Where cecotropes contain valuable protein, feces contain only indigestible fiber and no water. If a rabbit cannot eat the cecotropes, then she may be missing vital nutrients those special droppings provide. – This guide will tackle everything related to rabbit poop. I’ll keep an eye on her :), New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. However, a rabbit cannot eat all of their poop. I've found about 4 so far and I'm not sure why he's stopped eating them like he should. In these cases, the rabbit may physically be unable to absorb the nutrients they require. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. They provide the rabbit with the necessary nutrients and vitamins to live. The image on the right is from the Conejos Discapacitados website. MINI BELIEVE IT OR NOT – Roughly once a day, rabbits will eat their own poop in order to reabsorb nutrients. By digesting their food twice rabbits can … Not only does it seem contrary to good hygiene, but rabbits eating their own feces also implies they have a health problem, whether physical or psychological. We may even be providing them with inappropriate food. We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist. If a rabbit does not eliminate, she is at risk of developing an intestinal blockage. In this case it is not uncommon to see small numbers of cecotropes on the floor of the cage. Rabbits are prolific poopers. The one most often seen is the fecal dropping. First, check your rabbit's hind end. OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS. A low body temp can indicate a rabbit in a low of pain and in danger of going into shock. You should not be worried if you see your rabbit eating their poop. Unlike other animals, rabbit poop is not so unpleasant. The rabbit will usually only eat cecotropes in their hutch or cage since these areas are quiet. Instead they eat cecotropes. I'm quite worried cause she should be eating them and not having things getting attached to her. Although technically a type of coprophagy, it is also known as cecophagy or cecotrophy. Cecotropes look like a bunch of small pieces of poop bunched together, like grapes. Rabbits Coprophagy credit:banningvet.com. cecotropes on the ground indicate a problem, and you would not want to eat them if you found them. If you’re concerned about your rabbit’s poop or hanging their diet, you should always contact your local veterinarian first. Normal Fecal Pellets. So my rabbits not eating the cecotropes and she hasn't really done so for awhile. The generally go from anus to mouth directly. If they do, it is a clear sign they need to be taken to the veterinarian. You shouldn't be too concerned if your rabbit eats his poop. I've had Luci for 3 weeks now, shes a Netherland Dwarf rabbit, 11 weeks old. They include: Below we show some images with the two main types of rabbit poop. The rabbits do not eat these. Here’s the important message, to summarize things: It’s pretty normal for your pet to eat its poop, the cecotropes, not the normal droppings. Rabbits produce two types of droppings and they are very different. If this is the case, we need to take the rabbit to the veterinarian for diagnosis. If you wonder why my rabbits eat their own poop, AnimalWised explains this behavior by revealing its purpose. It is unusual for a rabbit to eat dry waste droppings. The vet says that he looks healthy, he is not overweight, his diet is excellent, plenty of hay, a measured amount of daily pellets, fresh veg and water always available. Dogs may eat rabbit poop for a few different reasons, which we’ll discuss below. Once they gobble down the cecotropes, lagomorphs can … I know rabbits eat cecotropes but I've noticed (since having her) that sometimes her regular poops are broken up or crushed. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. The other type of dropping is known as a cecotrope. We have taken our lop eared castrated male rabbit, mischief, to the vet for a check up, as he doesn't eat his cecotropes. They have the ability to egest between 200 to 300 individual pellets per day. In fact, it's a normal and healthy rabbit behavior. However, it some animals it can be a sign of disease or dietary insufficiency. On the other hand, when the stool is deformed or not completely formed, it indicates that the rabbit is suffering from stress, a health problem or a poor diet. In addition to the two aforementioned types of rabbit feces, we can also highlight other types of excrement in rabbits that can occur in certain situations. I know that these are cecotropes rather than dihorrea, due to their appearance and the fact as he has been leaving his usual pelleted poo in normal amounts as well. It is a healthy and necessary part of their digestive process. The feces are eaten after deposition or directly from the anus. One of them I have always had to watch out with his cecotropes - he has a tendency not to eat them all and gets messy. Eating poop is a perfectly normal rabbit habit and is actually a very important part of their digestive process. Click to attach a photo related to your comment. This is why we should only give them the appropriate fruit and vegetables for rabbits. Improper diets, digestive system problems (diseases and conditions) can cause diarrhea in bunnies. . The term for eating feces is known as coprophagia or coprophagy. Different Types of Rabbit Poop. Although coprophagy is normal in rabbits, they are only supposed to consume cecotropes. . Sometimes it is referred to as the night droppings. Also, picking the rabbit up and trancing them is a common cause of stress many rabbit owners are unaware of. For example, if we leave the rabbit's hutch somewhere loud or near another pet which intimidates them. Your veterinarian may prescribe a vitamin supplement during the initial treatment for ISC, particularly if this has been a long-standing problem. I'd assumed it happened by accident, maybe she was walking on them or we were walking on them but tonight she started eating her cecotrophes next to me and I saw regular poop dust all over her face and wiskers as well as crushed up poops around her. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. Physiological problems can result in the rabbit eating their own poop out of stress. Rabbit poop is important! Cecotrophs contain around 28-30% crude protein and up to 30% of the total nitrogen intake of rabbits. I've had my lionhead rabbit for a week now and have noticed over the last couple of days that he has been leaving mushy poo around his cage. Poop is at a core the perfect way of telling if your rabbit is not only healthy but if they have any internal issues. These are small, dark brown clusters of fiber, protein and vitamins created in the rabbit’s gut. The only other source is from a live or recently dead healthy rabbit. The second type of waste that rabbits produce is called cecotropes, which aren’t really poop at all. It is no surprise they have become such beloved pets by people over the world. This could be due to us not providing the right kind of food for them. Cecotropes also aid in the replenishment … While eating feces of animals of the same species is known as coprophagy, animals eating species of its own is known as autocoprophagy. 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