Why Does My Bunny Have Diarrhea?

Does your rabbit's diet consists of at least eighty percent grass hay?

Is your bunny taking antibiotics?

Does your bunny displays any other symptom that may be connected to health problems (losing appetite, losing weight, feeling apathetic, having stomach pains, etc)?

Is your rabbit under constant stress from other animals or people that treat it poorly?

An unbalanced diet is one of the leading causes of diarrhea in rabbits. The majority of a bunny’s diet should consist of grass hay – around 80%. If your rabbit is not getting enough fiber, this could very well be the cause of loose bowel movements. A small amount of fruit and vegetables is good for a rabbit treat, but too much will take a toll on their digestive tract.

Some antibiotics are bad for rabbits. These can negatively harm a bunny’s intestinal flora by killing good bacteria and allowing bad bacteria into the system. Certain bad bacteria allow toxins to increase in the rabbit, which can ultimately cause a rabbit to die. If your rabbit has been on antibiotics and has begun to have watery diarrhea, take it to a vet as soon as possible.

Diarrhea in rabbits may occur due to an illness or a parasite infection. Diarrhea is a sign of gastrointestinal problems that can have multiple causes. Mucoid enteropathy is a distinct diarrheal disease of young rabbits that also can be fatal. One of the symptoms of bladder stones in rabbits is diarrhea. If you suspect that your rabbit has an illness take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Stress can cause a rabbit to become unwell. If the rabbit was treated poorly or needs to share his space with cats or dogs, he may become stressed. If you think your bunny is suffering from stress,

Rabbits engage in coprophagy, which means they eat their own feces. While this may be a problem in other animals, this is a normal and healthy behavior in rabbits. Rabbits typically do this overnight. The fecal pellets they ingest are different from the ones normally excreted and seen by owners. They are called cecotropes and are usually small, soft, pasty, darker, and have a strong fermented or sweet smell. While cecotropes are softer than normal fecal pellets, they should not be confused with diarrhea.