Diarrhoea is never a pleasant experience for any animal. The reasons an animal can get diarrhoea are numerous as there are a lot of conditions that can cause diarrhoea as a symptom. It is important to be aware that the cause of diarrhoea is often different between animals due to how their gastrointestinal tract is built and what their diet is, for example the causes in a dog will differ greatly to those in a rabbit. In this article we will discuss the reasons a rabbit may have diarrhoea.
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What do rabbits eat?
Rabbits are herbivores which means their diet consists of plant based material and they don’t consume any meat. The majority of a rabbits diet is long fibre such as grass and good quality hay, which is supplemented with a small amount of pellet feed, leafy greens and vegetables. For a full breakdown of what to feed rabbits check out this article from the RSPCA.
What is special about rabbits’ gastrointestinal tracts?
In order to process the plant material they consume, rabbits need specially adapted gastrointestinal tracts which are able to break down the fibres in the plant material into nutrients to feed the rabbit. These special adaptations include the ability to ferment plant material using specialised bacteria. Often referred to as ‘hind gut fermenters’, rabbits have a very similar gastrointestinal tract to horses where their caecum contains specialised bacteria that ferments the plant material. The bacteria are vital to ensure that rabbits can digest and process their food.
Rabbits are grazing animals which means they will naturally eat grass and hay for long periods of time throughout the day. This is vital as it is an important energy source for rabbits and is necessary to keep the caecum healthy. Without this good quality long fibre their gastrointestinal tract will struggle to function leading to serious health issues which can be fatal.
You can read more about rabbits’ digestive systems here.
Is diarrhoea in rabbits a problem?
Unlike in cats and dogs who may have occasional short lived episodes of diarrhoea due to an upset stomach, remain otherwise well and recover with no issues, diarrhoea in rabbits is always a concern. If your rabbit has diarrhoea it is important you take them to the vets as soon as possible and never wait to see if it improves. Diarrhoea in rabbits is a concern as it indicates the rabbits digestive system is not functioning as it should do and as they have a very specialised gastrointestinal tract this can quickly lead to serious health problems.
What are Caecotrophs?
Caecotrophs are clumps of sticky dark brown faeces that the rabbit produces and then eats. These faeces are high in nutrients and eating them allows them to get all the remaining nutrients available from their digested food – a very efficient system! It is possible to confuse caecotrophs with diarrhoea. Normal rabbit faeces will consist of pellet faeces. Caecotrophs shouldn’t be seen as the rabbit should eat them very quickly after passing them. If you are concerned your rabbit has diarrhoea or are seeing uneaten caecotrophs it is important to get your rabbit checked by a vet as soon as possible as rabbits generally only stop eating their caecotrophs if they are unwell.
What can cause diarrhoea in rabbits?
There are many different causes of diarrhoea in rabbits, some of those include:
- inadequate diet with low fibre or a change in diet
- bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract
- parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract
- dysbiosis – caused when the bacteria in the rabbits caecum are disrupted sometimes as a result of antibiotic treatment. This is very serious and can be fatal.
- liver disease
- tumours
You can read more about diarrhoea in rabbits here.
Summary:
- rabbits have a very specialised gastrointestinal tract to allow them to digest plant fibres
- diarrhoea in rabbits can be caused by many different things
- diarrhoea in rabbits is always a cause for concern and if you suspect your rabbit has diarrhoea they should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible
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