In search of the golden poo

As any seasoned owner of a small fibrevore knows, achieving golden poo status is something of a personal milestone. It means your rabbit or guinea pig is well-fed, well-hydrated, and their impressive little digestive system is doing exactly what it should be.

Poo is one of the most reliable health indicators these animals have. Because rabbits and guinea pigs can be experts at masking signs of illness, what ends up on the hutch floor is often the earliest signal that something is or isn't quite right. Getting into the habit of a regular poo check is one of the simplest things you can do for their long-term health.

Here's a guide to what you're looking at (and for).

The golden poo

Healthy droppings from a well-nourished rabbit are firm, round, relatively dry, and produced in large quantities. Think uniform, chestnut-brown (or golden-like) pellets — consistent in size and shape, with no mucus coating or unusual smell.

For guinea pigs, healthy poos are similarly oval or slightly elongated, dark, glossy, and smooth with round ends. There should be plenty of them so a reduction in output is worth paying attention to.

Both species should be producing droppings consistently throughout the day. A well-functioning gut in a rabbit or guinea pig is a busy one!

What it tells you: Their diet is balanced and rich in fibre, hydration is good, and the digestive system is working as it should – the “gold standard” if you will.

Deviations from the golden standard are worth taking seriously, particularly in guinea pigs, whose health can decline quickly.

• Small or teardrop-shaped droppings are often the first sign that fibre intake is insufficient. When a fibrevore isn't getting enough roughage, the digestive system starts to slow down, and the output reflects it. More hay is almost always the answer.
• Dry, hard or crumbly droppings can point to dehydration. Make sure fresh water is always available, and check that water bottles or bowls are actually accessible and working.
• Soft, mushy or runny droppings can signal too many watery vegetables, a sudden dietary change, or a more serious digestive issue. If diarrhoea persists for more than 24 hours in a rabbit, you need to contact your vet promptly.
• Linked or chain-like droppings suggest a fibre imbalance. Increasing hay intake is the first step.
• Droppings with blood or mucus are a red flag. Get to a vet with small animal experience as soon as possible. No droppings at all an emergency. Gut stasis — where the digestive system slows or stops entirely is life-threatening in rabbits and requires immediate veterinary attention.

Wait… is that poo?

If you've ever noticed what looks like dark, grape-like clusters near your rabbit's back end or occasionally discovered them in the hutch, don't be alarmed. These are caecotropes, and they're not poo in the conventional sense.

Caecotropes are the product of the first stage of digestion, produced in the caecum (a specialised part of the gut packed with beneficial bacteria) and eaten directly by the rabbit, usually at night or in quiet moments. They are softer, darker and stickier than regular droppings, often coated in a thin layer of mucus, and they carry a distinctly ripe smell.

This process called caecotrophy is completely normal and an essential part of being a rabbit. Packed with vitamins and amino acids, caecotropes are key to a rabbit's diet. Rabbits who miss this step are essentially missing out ona significant chunk of their daily nutrition.

Finding caecotropes in the hutch rather than already consumed can be a red flag. If your rabbit is leaving caecotropes unconsumed, it can point to a low-fibre diet, obesity, arthritis, or another physical issue that makes it difficult for them to reach their back end. A diet check (and possibly a vet visit) is in order.

Guinea pigs have a similar process but tend to be tidier about it, and owners are less likely to spot it happening.

Getting to golden

If your fibrevore's output isn't quite hitting the mark, the answer is almost always rooted in diet. A fibre-first diet is essential to the overall health and wellbeing of rabbits and guinea pigs. In practice, that looks like:

Hay, hay and more hay

Rabbits and guinea pigs should have access to at least their own body size in fresh hay every day. It keeps the gut moving, wears down ever-growing teeth, and encourages natural foraging behaviour. Timothy hay is a great everyday option, Meadow Hay adds variety and Lucerne Hay is higher in protein and calcium and is best reserved for young, underweight or lactating animals.

Pellets should supplement, not replace

A small amount of quality pellets — ideally a compressed hay-based product rather than a grain-heavy mix rounds out the diet without tipping the balance away from fibre. The Pick range was designed specifically for this purpose, using cold-pressed New Zealand-grown plant fibre with no fillers, grains or soy. It’s a great option for rabbits who really love their pellets but need to eat more hay.