Rabbit Diarrhea

The official term for the group of diseases that cause diarrhea is enteritis.

Enteritis is more common in rabbits with a diet that is high in sweet or sugary treats, or other high energy food, and too low in fiber.

Such a diet can result in an overload of carbohydrates in the guts. The carbs break down into glucose, providing abundant food for a bloom of disease bacteria, which then produce toxins. Enteritis results; which disease depends on which germ is causing the rabbit diarrhea.

What you see:

• Copious thin brownish, watery diarrhea, or sticky, foul-smelling pudding-like diarrhea covering the hind end, and most likely the feet, as the rabbit will have walked in the poo.
• Rabbit is desperately thirsty - he drapes himself weakly over the water crock, or within reach of the water valve.
• Rabbit is not eating - his guts are in a world of hurt
• If you pick up the rabbit, you hear water-sloshing sounds from a raw, swollen, liquid-diarrhea-filled cecum, which distends the abdomen.
• Rabbit’s fur becomes rough and lack-luster (if he lasts long enough for you to notice).

If you see this set of symptoms, your rabbit is critically ill - call your rabbit-savvy vet immediately.

In the meantime:

• Remove ALL food
• Replace with straw or grass hay
• Give Benebac
• Keep clean fresh water available
• Pray...

Rabbit diarrhea can result from several clinical diseases:

Enterotoxemia

I lost 3 rabbits out of a litter of 7 from enterotoxemia, right around week 5. The first bunny died without warning. The next day a second was dead, also without warning. The third day the third bunny was dead, and this time, there was mild evidence of bunny diarrhea. Since these deaths, I’ve had no more problems, but we still remain alert for the possibility of gut imbalances, and keep grass hay available to the whole litter.

Four to eight week old rabbits are frequent victims of rabbit diarrhea, but rabbits of any age can come down with enteritis.

The bacterium that causes enterotoxemia is Clostridia spiroforme. Clostridia species form an iota toxin, which is related to the tetanus and anthrax toxins. According to drugs.com, the iota toxin causes necrosis (cell death) in the gut and increased cell permeability.

Meaning: intestinal cells start dying, poison gets into the blood stream, and the result is profuse diarrhea and, very often, swift death.

Years ago, when breeders fed their rabbits only alfalfa hay and whole oats, diarrhea-related deaths were very rare. The probable reason for this is increased fiber and less energy in the feed.

Other factors that may predispose a rabbit or herd to enterotoxemia:

• A large herd crowded into close quarters
• Poor or improper sanitation

BE PREPARED:
An acute enterotoxemia can strike fast and furious, leaving you with nothing but a dead rabbit. But if you have the time, Benebac might help...we think it won't hurt, anyway. Keeping some Benebac on hand is probably wise.

Add Benebac to your arsenal of remedies for rabbit diarrhea.

Tyzzer's Disease

Tyzzer’s Disease results in fatal necrotizing hepatitis - the rabbit’s liver becomes inflamed and liver cells begin dying off.

The rabbit generally dies within a day of the onset of symptoms. If you were to cut the animal open, you’d find white spots like grains of salt all over the liver.

Contact your rabbit-savvy vet ASAP whenever rabbit diarrhea ensues.

Coccidiosis

Both can cause rabbit diarrhea.

Acute intestinal coccidiosis can cause a life-threatening diarrhea. In some areas, the intestinal form is common, and the rabbits remain fairly healthy, while spreading the germs in their droppings. Then, when their immune systems become overwhelmed or the rabbit gets over-stressed, the symptoms flare up and the rabbit comes down with diarrhea and loss of condition.

The liver form of the disease is much more concerning. Eimeria steidae, the causative protozoa, damages the bile duct and causes large white spots (pus pockets) in the liver, acute enteritis (rabbit diarrhea), loss of condition, and death.

Contact your rabbit-savvy vet ASAP.

Medications typically prescribed are "coccidiostats," meaning the medicine doesn't necessarily kill the protozoans, but it does prevent them reproducing. Albon is one of these medications usually prescribed by the vet.

A recently developed drug, ponazuril, actually kills the coccidiosis germs within 1-5 days, making this drug a treatment of choice for coccidiosis. Another very effective option: Toltrazuril (Baycox, by Bayer).

Lastly, it is of utmost importance to completely disinfect every area that has come into contact with rabbit poo, even the hard marbles. Scrub and disinfect the cage floor, using a strong bleach solution and a pressure sprayer. Remove and disinfect the feeder and water valve. Scrub and disinfect any resting boards. Begin feeding your rabbits hay from a hay-rack rather than from the cage floor.

If your bunny is a house-pet, you’ll need to give attention to any bedding, carpet, and cages - anywhere the rabbit has been or where he has dropped any marbles. This is essential for preventing re-infection. (Don’t use bleach on wall-to-wall carpets unless you want them speckled white.)

Mucoid Enteritis

The cause of mucoid enteritis is usually an impaction. There are a variety of reasons why an impaction could occur. Ensuring plenty of fiber in the diet seems to reduce the chances of mucoid enteritis.

If not treated, the rabbit will be thirsty but unable to eat. You may see it straining to defecate. Over 3-5 days or so, the rabbit will waste away, and finally die.

Contact your rabbit-savvy vet ASAP.

"Mild" Bunny Diarrhea

Then at approximately 3 weeks old, baby bunnies gain access to rabbit pellets. From the age of 3 weeks to 6 or 8 weeks of age, the bunny’s intestinal tract enters the process of becoming fully balanced with all the bacteria it will need to digest its food and to produce rabbit-vitamins (cecotropes).

This time of life is also a tricky one, which is why the risk of death from enterotoxemia is elevated in young bunnies.

If the growth rate of the beneficial bacteria is uneven, the bunny's poo can get thin. You’ll see their little hiney a bit fouled with sticky, loose cecotropes. At the same time, the bunnies may still be looking and acting normal.

I call this "mild" bunny diarrhea, but don’t let that fool you. Bunny’s health can go south in a heart-beat if you’re not alertly watching.

Keep a close eye on your young litter. Handle them. Turn them over and check their rumps. This little guy is already on the mend. He's cleaning up nicely, though his foot pads are still filthy.

Most importantly, keep lots of grass hay available at all times for your bunnies, from age 2 weeks when you remove the nest box, all the way to age 8-10 weeks. At the same time, ensure they have all the fresh clean water they could want, and keep the cage floor clean.

The instant you see the tiniest speck of untidiness on their hineys, put double the grass hay in the cage and remove the pellets for 24 hours, always ensuring plenty of fresh clean water. If you have any Benebac on hand, use it, as Benebac supplies healthy gut bacteria that can correct imbalances in the bunny's guts. So far at Aurora Rex Ranch, these measures have always corrected the problem.

If you care for your rabbits in this way, the chances of rabbit diarrhea, or even mild bunny diarrhea, will be greatly reduced, and your bunnies will grow up healthy and happy.

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