Because of the way their digestion works, rabbits produce two different types of fecal pellets. Rabbits need to re-ingest one of these, called cecotropes, to gain the maximum amount of nutrients from their diet and keep their digestive system healthy. Wild rabbits who were the ancestors of our pets, evolved to have this unique type of digestive system so that they could survive on a rough diet of foliage and bark. Rabbits have a way of putting food through their system twice, so that they can maximize their nutrients.
They eat their own poop so they can digest their food the second time and remain healthy. These special kind of poop allows rabbits to absorb nutrient out of their normal daily diet. The way a rabbit digestion works is essentially by splitting everything they eat into digestible and indigestible categories. Your rabbit needs to eat these droppings in order to get all of the nutrients they can from their diet.
Without this ability to process and digest food twice, rabbits would not have been able to survive on their natural high fiber, plant based diet. Wild rabbit would not have been able to extract the nutrients they need from the available food in their surroundings. Usually rabbits will not eat these poops but they might occasionally. Fecal pellets are made up of tiny indigestible particles, looking like sawdust inside. The appearance of this type of poop will vary a little bit depending on your rabbit.
To know if they are healthy you just need to look for consistency among the little poop balls. You want to see:. However you may notice a cluster of cecotropes that your rabbit has missed on occasion. People used to think that cecotropes were only produced in the evenings, rather than all day long like normal rabbit poops. Also, picking the rabbit up and trancing them is a common cause of stress many rabbit owners are unaware of. 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. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain. Share on:.
By Jungla Luque , Ethologist and dog trainer. September 21, Rabbits will leave two types of poop: Hard droppings : harder in consistency, but crumbly if a little pressure is applied. They are the most common type of rabbit poop and they are inedible as they do not have nutritional value. Cecotropes : a softer consistency, these types of feces are created through hindgut fermentation.
This process is common to all lagomorphs. Although commonly excreted, you may not see cecotropes since they are usually eaten soon after they are excreted.
You may never have even seen them being eaten by your bunny. Other types of rabbit poop 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. They include: Feces with hair : some of the rabbit droppings may be linked together with hair. If the rabbit has ingested too much fur due to hygiene or even have been tearing out their fur, it will affect their poop.
The latter is one of the reasons they may be losing fur. It may indicate there is a problem with their digestion or they have formed trichobezoars hairballs in rabbits. Pellets linked in pairs : it is possible you will also see the rabbit's feces is connected in pairs. This occurs more often in older rabbits due to a slowing of intestinal transit. This causes two pellets to connect.
However, it can also be caused by psychological stress or physical suffering due to illness. This is why we need to assess whether they are receiving the right level of care as well as take them to a veterinarian if we fear they are suffering physically. Diarrhea or bloody stools : finally, we must be concerned if we observe diarrhea or bloody stool. This is a situation that will require an visit to the veterinarian and will be considered an emergency.
Cheeke, P. Rabbit feeding and nutrition. ISBN: X. When a rabbit eats, the food is broken down in the stomach by enzymes and stomach acid. It is then sent into the small intestine, where it is digested further. This undigested material passes into the large intestine, where it is sorted into 2 groups.
One group consists of indigestible fiber. The other comprises matter that still contains nutrients, such as protein and soluble fiber. Any indigestible material is squeezed dry, formed into round pellets, and excreted. Rabbits produce lots of these droppings. The matter that can be further digested is sent into a large organ called the cecum.
Here, billions of bacteria eat away at the material, fermenting it and breaking it down further. This is hindgut fermentation. Some, however, are not. This leftover material, which still contains valuable nutrients, is compacted into pellets called cecotropes.
These cecotropes are then expelled through the rectum. Cecotropes are not waste products, although they may resemble feces. They are a valuable food source. As soon as the cecotropes come out, they are instantly reingested by the rabbit. This is called cecotrophy or coprophagy. They are then digested and broken down again, allowing for the extraction of many more nutrients. This is because rabbits usually eat their cecotropes as soon as they come out.
It may appear as though your rabbit is grooming its anal region. However, it is catching the cecotropes as they emerge and consuming them. Rabbits swallow their cecotropes whole.
However, rabbits never eat their normal fecal pellets in this manner. They can tell when they are pooping cecotropes, versus normal pellets. This signal tells them that cecotropes are on the way. They then instinctively start to consume them. As a rabbit owner, you should never discourage your rabbit from eating his cecotropes.
They are a vital part of digestion, and an essential foodstuff for your furry friend. Without ingesting cecotropes, rabbits struggle to get critical nutrients from their food. Cecotropes differ from ordinary fecal pellets in size, shape, color, texture, and smell. Ordinary rabbit poop comes in the form of small, round, individual balls. They can vary between a pea and a chickpea.
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