A rabbit has two kinds of stools

Appendix droppings (caecotrofen) are essential for rabbits

Rabbits are special animals when it comes to stools. They are a species (like many rodent species) that produce two kinds of droppings (poop). Rabbits have common droppings and appendix droppings (caecotrofen). Normally we only see the normal droppings of the rabbit as the appendix droppings are eaten again.

Eating appendix droppings is called coprophy or caecotrophy

In the small intestine of the rabbit all nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals are absorbed. In order to be able to digest the feed, bacteria are needed, which unfortunately are not present in the small intestine of rabbits. These bacteria are only later in the gastrointestinal tract, they are in the appendix (ceacum). After the first absorption of the feed, a rabbit can't absorb the nutrients in the intestine, simply because they haven't been digested yet. The appendix is located after the small intestine. This is the reason why a rabbit first defecates its digested nutrients as small soft dark droppings. These droppings smell a little stronger and are often stuck together like bunches. Appendicitis keys are normally eaten by the rabbit again. After eating, the appendix wrenches come back into the small intestine and then this part of the intestines can absorb all nutrients. The remaining and indigestible parts of the food are then defecated and not eaten again. These normal droppings are firmer, larger and contain fibres from the eaten vegetation and these are the droppings you normally see lying around.

Vasty bottom by not eating appendix droppings

When the rabbit's butt is more or less smeared with sticky poop, these are almost always appendages. A rabbit can stop eating the appendix wrenches because a disturbed appendix flora becomes much too soft so the rabbit can't eat them anymore, because they stick to the fur. A disturbance of the intestinal flora can occur when too much carbohydrate-rich food is given, so that proportionally too little hay is eaten. We do not call this diarrhoea but uneaten appendix droppings (caecotrofen) because they are too sticky.

What happens when a rabbit doesn't eat its appendix wrenches anymore?

The risk of nutrient deficiency is very real when a rabbit stops eating the appendix keys. After all, they have to be eaten in order to absorb the nutrients. When this does not happen then jet rabbit will get sick because of a lack of nutrients and vitamins.
In summer, especially when the weather is nice, the sticky poop will attract flies. These flies lay their eggs in the fur of the rabbit, from these eggs come maggots. When these maggots hatch on the hindquarters of the rabbit, the maggots will seriously affect the rabbit because the maggots feed on the skin and flesh of the rabbits. If you suspect that there may be maggots, contact your veterinarian and start with Beaphar Anti Myiasis. In addition, it is always good to keep your rabbit's butt clean and dry through good hygiene of the loft and the animal.