If your rabbit has a dirty bottom, with bits of sticky poo on
it, you need to take it to the vet. If the usual daytime droppings are still
dry, this is not diarrhoea. These sticky poos are the special droppings called
caecotrophs which are EATEN by healthy rabbits. Yes, nature has designed the
rabbit to eat its special droppings. They turn round and take each dropping
as it comes out of their back passage. The caecotrophs usually appear four hours
after a meal, and are mostly done around about noon or lunchtime.
A rabbit with a dirty bottom is not eating its caecotrophs, as it should. There
are several possible reasons.
1. She is too fat to reach her bottom. An expert rabbit vet says “the most common reason for fat rabbits is that they have a permanently full bowl of food in front of their noses.” Your rabbit needs to diet and eat mainly hay and grass. A vet can prescribe diet rabbit food and give you advice. You must also give her a run and fun things to do so she can become more active.
2. He has arthritis or is in pain so he cannot reach his bottom because of pain. Back pain and spinal problems are often linked to osteoporosis caused by the wrong diet, small cages, aging or sometimes genetic inheritance. He needs veterinary treatment, the correct diet, and a lifestyle with more space and activity.
3. Your rabbit has teeth problems and therefore cannot eat her hay properly. When she tries to eat the caecotrophs, her tongue hurts and it’s hard for her to lick them into her mouth. Your vet should check her teeth.
4. Your rabbit is eating too rich a diet and therefore is too full up to eat his poo. He needs much more fibre in hay and grass. Start reducing the amount of rabbit mix or pellets that you give him day by day until you are only giving only a small amount each morning. Keep reducing until there are no sticky poos visible. The rest of the day it should eat good sweet hay or grass. (See the early FAQ about what to feed your rabbit).