excessive appetite?

[cocorabbit]

Hey... I dunno if this is a weird question... but has anyone read/heard/known of rabbits having an excessive appetite??

I'm not worried, cuz my buns are happy and pooping normal. But they do seem to be eating a lot more than they used to!!! or... is that just my imagination?
opcorn2opcorn2opcorn2

 

[LakeCondo]

You'd probably better keep track of what they eat. Excessive eating without gaining weight could be a sign of an internal parasite. I hope that's not the problem, but you should be watchful.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[tamsin]

Have you changed the types of food? It's quite normal for rabbits to spend 5-8hrs per day grazing, but they spend much much less time eating if there diet is mostly dry food.

 

[cocorabbit]

internal parasite??? Really??? I would've never thought of that... I have two rabbits doing the same thing... I usually give them hay and pellets. Pellets only once a day either at night or in the morning. The hay they seems to be finishing each time I fill up the bin (it's not that big of a bin), but before I always felt like I was throwing hay away because they wouldn't finish it and then they wanted fresh instead of old hay.

BUT I will say if I fill their pellet dishes full at night, in the morning they still have 1/4 left in their bowls- which means they didn't eat the pellets all up like they do the hay... I used to have the opposite "problem" where they would finish the pellets not problem but it was harder to get them to eat their hay. WEIRD!!!

I'll keep an eye on them...

 

[Tam O Ham]

George has started eating more since winter rolled around. I can't honestly tell if it's just because she passed her one year mark at about the same time and perhaps at that age they start eating more or if it's the weather but I was kind of going with thinking it was the weather. When did you notice the change?

 

[LakeCondo]

I guess it all depends what you meant by excessive eating. That's not just eating a little more, or more hay & fewer pellets. Rabbits who act starved all the time & don't gain weight or even lose it, may have worms. In fact if not, a vet would have to determine what else it could be [cancer?] They get worms from wild rabbits or rabbits who have been around where wild rabbits are. That's why I treat the part of my yard where I put Honey's cage in summer with food-grade diatomaceous earth, to kill the worms from other rabbits' droppings.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Indoor rabbits can get parasites too, either from their hay or other pets. Usually excessive eating is accompanied by loss of condition, not necessarily weight loss. Their stomachs will feel very round/bloated, but their back will feel bony or rough.

 

[cocorabbit]

George has started eating more since winter rolled around. I can't honestly tell if it's just because she passed her one year mark at about the same time and perhaps at that age they start eating more or if it's the weather but I was kind of going with thinking it was the weather. When did you notice the change?

I guess they are almost 1.5 years old now.

They are indoor rabbits with no contact with other animals or pets. So far their condition seems normal. Perhaps their diet is just changing a bit but so far they look good- not fat but not loosing weight or looking skinny. Thanks everyone for your replies!

I'll keep an eye on them and if anything strange check with the vet! :anotherbun