Normal and abnormal Rabbit droppings.

One of the earliest signs that your Rabbit isn’t healthy is the sight, smell, shape, and consistency of rabbit droppings. Knowing the differences between normal and abnormal rabbit poop is vital for quickly assessing health issues. It can also indicate the severity of an underlying problem.

Rabbit droppings need to be monitored for consistency in size, shape, smell, texture, and color. Abnormal pellets will be different from the rabbit’s previous droppings in one or more of these areas. Additional and abnormal cecotropes will remain uneaten by the rabbit, and are usually malformed and lacking in structure. Pay attention if the rabbit stops pooping entirely.

Rabbit poop pellets look like round, fibrous balls. They will be scattered in little clusters, and should be hard to the touch and not at all sticky. Pellets should crush under pressure (and not mush), revealing a grainy, sawdust-like interior. This interior looks like crushed up hay.

As all rabbits have diets comprised largely of grass hay, their poop should carry these characteristics. Any variation from this is cause for concern. Soft poop, unformed poop, or watery poop are worrying signs, especially in young rabbits.

There are a few other different cues to search for when determining normal rabbit poop from abnormal rabbit poop. Gastrointestinal problems are one of the most common ailments seen in rabbits. This means being able to tell when droppings are abnormal is important for all owners.

Normal Rabbit Poop characters

Colour:

Rabbit poop color varies between different rabbits. One rabbit may have darker brown poop, whereas another might have light brown poop. What matters in rabbit poop color is consistency. A healthy rabbit will produce pellets of the same color. However, there may be some slight change if you change the rabbit’s diet on a large scale.

Rabbits in the same household and fed exactly the same diet may also have poop of vastly different colors. One may have tan pellets, whereas the other may have darker brown pellets.

Opening up a healthy pellet should reveal an interior that is lighter in color than the exterior. Occasionally, the interior will also be faintly green.

Normal, healthy rabbit poop should have little to no variation in color. Drastic changes in color between pellets and pellet piles are a huge sign that there could be some internal upset. Very dark, almost black poops are an indicator that there is too much protein in your rabbit’s diet.

Smells:

Rabbit droppings is probably one of the least smelly dropping types that you’ll ever have to deal with. The same can’t be said for rabbit urine, however, which can be quite strong smelling.

Healthy rabbit pellets will have a very mild smell. Pungent or notably odorous pellets are a sign that there is an underlying health issue. Do not mistake normal pellets with cecotropes though, which do have a stronger odor but are a healthy bowel movement.

Size:

Pellet size isn’t always relative to the size of the rabbit itself. A small rabbit may have quite large pellet poops, and a large rabbit may have smaller pellets that you’d expect. It’s worth noting that abnormally small or oddly shaped pellets can be a sign of multiple issues, including pain, appetite loss, and intestinal problems. So long as the size of the pellets remains consistent, the poop can be considered normal.

Abnormal Rabbit droppings

There are many causes for a rabbit to develop abnormal poops. All rabbits have very delicate internal systems, and are sensitive animals in general. Abnormal poops are one of the first signs that there is potentially something wrong with your rabbit. This is because a rabbit will hide its pain or hide away when in pain. It can’t hide its poop, though, so it is important to monitor its leavings. Abnormal poops can be an indicator of everything from the rabbit having an upset stomach to intestinal impaction.

Smaller Than Usual:

Rabbits are flighty prey animals that can very easily be frightened or stressed. Being in such situations can cause a bowel movement to produce smaller than usual pellets. Within a movement or two, the pellets should return to their normal size. If the pellets remain small, or are incredibly small, this can be a sign of intestinal issues or chronic pain. Intestinal impaction is also a possible cause for small pellets.

If the pellets are small and misshapen, and possibly intermingled with larger pellets, it is a sign that your rabbit isn’t getting enough food. In this case, it is important to determine why it isn’t eating. Rabbits with dental issues or inner ear infections may struggle to eat. An underlying health issue can cause it to lose its appetite too.

Your rabbit may have small misshapen poops if it is recovering from a loss in appetite. A rabbit’s digestive tract is normally working constantly throughout the day. Any interruptions of food intake can cause pellet production to be odd, given the lack of matter to form the pellets. As its eating habits return to normal, so too shall the size and shape of the poop pellets.

Clumped Together:

Normal daytime rabbit pellets should be single, round balls. At times, when matter is moving slowly through the intestine the pellets can smush and clump together. One or two of these pellet clumps on occasion isn’t much of an issue. If these clumps appear frequently or in a concerning quantity, then it’s time to look at the rabbit’s diet. A lack of fiber can cause the rabbit’s system to slow down. Stress can also cause poop clumps to form as the digestive system responds to the heightened anxiety levels.

Poop clumps can also be a sign of ageing. Talk with your vet about what dietary changes you can make to keep your older rabbit in tip top shape.

Lighter Than Normal:

Poop can become lighter in color due to a change in diet. This is normal, especially when making a switch to different, lighter-colored grass hays. Naturally, the color of the rabbit’s poop will somewhat change depending on the food and the quality of the food. How fresh the food is will also affect the poop’s color.

If your rabbit’s diet was high in protein beforehand, it will lighten in color as you provide it with a more balanced diet. Conversely, a diet too high in protein will result in very dark poop. Very dark poop isn’t ideal, as rabbit’s fed too much protein can suffer a number of health issues.

Strung Together:

It can be a little odd to find rabbit pellets strung together. Thankfully, this isn’t uncommon or abnormal if it happens on occasion.

Rabbits are fastidious groomers. A rabbit will groom itself several times a day, and such a habit results in the rabbit regularly ingesting its own fur. Naturally, the rabbit needs to pass this hair, as, unlike cats, rabbits can’t cough up a hairball. At times, as hair passes through the intestine, it becomes entangled with pellets. This results in poop pellets connected by strings of fur. Ingesting carpet fibers or other inorganic matter can also cause poop strings.

Increasing your rabbit’s access to fresh hay and grooming it more regularly can cut down on how frequently your rabbit passes poop strings. If it passes poop strings frequently, it may need you to take these steps to prevent internal blockages from forming too.

Mucus in droppings:

Mucus in rabbit poop is an immediate cause for concern. It is not normal and should warrant a trip to the vet, especially if it is a recurring event. Mucus in rabbit poop is easy to spot. Thick, slimy goop that is pale in color will be strung between rabbit pellets. It may even completely enclose the pellets. Generally, mucus production happens when there is intestinal upset or irritation. The cause of either could be parasites, cecal impaction, mucoid enteropathy, or antibiotics disturbing gut flora.