Rabbit Diarrhea: This is What to Do to Stop Rabbit Diarrhea

Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Laura Thompson

At some point, you are going to have to deal with rabbit diarrhea. In most cases, it probably isn’t going to be anything to worry about. Animals, just like humans, can get mildly sick from time to time. However, if the diarrhea is particularly serious, or lasts more than a day or so, then you will need to do something about it.

Diarrhea in rabbits comes in many different types and degrees. The diarrhea is a sign that something is wrong with the rabbit. The more liquid it is, the bigger is the need for urgency. 

If it’s just softer poops, then ask yourself is there anything that could have stressed the bunny recently. Any new changes in the diet or new foods? If there haven’t been any changes that could be the cause of rabbit diarrhea, then most likely the bunny is getting too many carbs and not enough fiber in the daily diet. 

The causes of rabbit’s diarrhea is usually a dietary issue but may also be:

• Too much green food
• Poisoning
• Improper diet (too little hay)
• Sudden feeding after transport
• Side effects when taking some medications

What can cause rabbit diarrhea?

There are plenty of things that can cause rabbit diarrhea. In many cases, it is something that “just happens” and it should be absolutely no cause for concern. This tends to be the case if you are dealing with just one or two stools that seem to be diarrhea-like in nature.

Here are some of the most common causes of rabbit diarrhea:

Stress

Rabbit diarrhea can also occur if the rabbit gets stressed about something. For example, if you have moved their cage recently, or they have had had a bit of a scare.

Illness

Just like humans, diarrhea can occur in a rabbit if it gets sick. Once again, in the vast majority of cases, this is probably not something that you will need to worry about. Your rabbit’s immune system will be able to fight off the sickness.

Although, of course, you will still need to keep an eye on the rabbit to ensure that the problem doesn’t become too serious.

Side effects due to medication

If your rabbit has recently started taking a new medication, then it is likely that diarrhea can occur. If the problem gets too bad, then make sure that you inform the vet. In most cases, though, you should be fine. It is just the rabbit’s body adjusting to the new medication.

Eating food low in fiber

You may also want to pay attention to the diet of the rabbit. If the rabbit is not getting enough fiber into their diet, then it is likely that they will end up suffering from diarrhea. This is because they need fiber in their diet in order to ‘bulk up’ the stool. Again, this is something that would happen to humans too if there wasn’t enough fiber going into their diet.

Change of diet

Finally, rabbit diarrhea can occur if the rabbit has had a changed diet. They have delicate stomachs. This means that if there is a sudden change in the food that they eat, their entire digestive system would be impacted. The same would happen with you or me if we suddenly changed our diets.

One thing that you may need to pay special attention to is if you give your rabbit a new type of fruit or vegetable. Some rabbits may end up having a reaction to certain fruits and vegetables.

This is why it is important that you introduce anything new into their diet nicely and slowly. They will tend to have a much larger reaction to foods that are high in sugar. So, it is more likely that fruits will cause a reaction than vegetables.

When should you be concerned about diarrhea in rabbits?

As we said, in the majority of cases, you do not have to worry about your rabbit’s diarrhea. It is something that just happens.

If the stool seems to be mostly solid with only the smallest hint of liquid in it, then your rabbit should be fine. We suggest that you keep an eye on them for a while, but we doubt that the problem is going to get any worse.

In fact, it is not uncommon for a rabbit to have watery stools like this a couple of times per month anyway, even if there is nothing wrong with them.

The more liquid there is in a stool, and the more frequently it happens, the more concern you should be showing. So, if your rabbit passes several stools per day and they are all mostly liquid, then you know that you have a problem!

How do you deal with diarrhea in rabbits?

The first thing that you will need to do is determine why the diarrhea is happening in the first place. In the vast majority of cases, it should be immediately obvious.

For example, if you have attempted to introduce a new fruit or vegetables into their diet, or if you have changed the pellets that they are eating, then go back to what they were eating before.

Our suggestion is that you completely remove all food from your rabbit except for hay.

This will mean that your rabbit is eating less, but this is fine. It means that they are not taking in as much food, and this means that they will be producing far fewer stools.

If they are producing far fewer stools, then they are not dehydrating themselves with all of the liquid that is leaving their body.

Of course, at the same time, you will want to ensure that your rabbit has access to a fresh source of water. If they do not have water, they will get dehydrated, and this is going to end up making them far sicker.

At this stage, many people will feed their rabbits with a small amount of banana. Not too much. This does a brilliant job at cleaning up diarrhea.

Quick Tips:

• Remove all food except hay (And don’t feed any treats)
• Give a piece of banana and make a slight Russian (black, Indian) tea
• Give 1/4 pcs of activated charcoal (especially if you suspect a poison)

If the diarrhea does not stop (or does not appear normal), the rabbit refuses to eat and drink (it is very important to drink, because rabbits can easily get dehydrated). Never wait or watch, you have to react immediately. Collect a sample of the rabbit diarrhea in a safe and clean bowl and go to the vet.

If you feel that your rabbit has eaten something that it should not have done, then a small amount of activated charcoal can work wonders. Your rabbit may not necessarily be happy about eating it, though.

You should only really be using it if you know that they have eaten something wrong. Don’t give them activated charcoal for the sake of giving them activated charcoal.

If the problem lasts more than a day, or if the stools are very liquidity and your rabbit is passing these stools several times per day, then we suggest that you head straight to a vet instead.

There may not necessarily be anything majority wrong with your rabbit, but it is better to be safe than sorry, right?

The vet will then be able to work out why your rabbit is sick. They will then be able to provide you with ways to deal with diarrhea and ensure that your rabbit doesn’t end up becoming dehydrated.