Food advice needed for weight gain....

[Season]

Hi everyone... I rescued my bun about 3 months ago. He is approx 4 yrs old as per the rescue (however we think he is older) and has chronic dental issues.

He has his incisors trimmed regularly as well as his back teeth are done. I brought him to the vet when I first adopted him (March) he weighed 4.2 lbs, which the vet informed me was underweight but probably due to his dental issues. I recently brought him back this week and he is down to 3.2 lbs. We did an x-ray, blood work and he also had dental surgery for his teeth. Everything went well and nothing abnormal with labs.

We are trying to have him gain more weight so with the vet recommendation we are adding some alfalfa hay and orchard hay to the timothy hay (since he had never been much of a hay eater) we are hoping this will get him eating more. I have also added spring mix (about a palm size) 2-3 days a day, as well as pellets (1/2 cup). I have also been giving him critical care 3 times a day since Wednesday.

I am wondering what another foods I could add to help with this. Every since I adopted him I noticed that he eats most of his food in the evening time, he drinks his water through out the day, however hay is not something he often eats (which is why i am adding some different ones)

I know that spring mix is low in calories so its not offering much for weight gain but my focus is to keep his GI track going. The vet also added B complex everyday in the morning for him.

The vet feels that there may be some cancer or something that we aren't aware of. I rescued him knowing that he had issues with his teeth and that was something I wanted to take on because I felt he deserved to have a good life, since no one else wanted him because of it (he has spent most of his life in the rescue)

So i am trying to do what is best for him and make him as healthy and happy as possible

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

Thank you again!!

 

[Mac189]

First of all, it sounds like you are taking amazing care of him and trying really hard to keep him well. I wouldn't be surprised if there is another medical condition preventing weight gain Has your vet recommended anything in particular to help with weight gain? As low as his weight is and as much weight as he's lost, have you and your vet discussed a higher calorie food, such as Oxbow (maybe even the high-calorie Young Rabbit mix?) Obviously your vet is the authority, and you seem to have discussed a lot with them (which is AWESOME), but something is definitely still wrong. Also, has your vet suggested sending out a Geriatric Bloodwork panel? It could answer some questions.

Also, do you feed any greens such as spinach, kale, romaine, etc., which he may eat more enthusiastically? Do you offer any treats?

 

[Season]

First of all, it sounds like you are taking amazing care of him and trying really hard to keep him well. I wouldn't be surprised if there is another medical condition preventing weight gain Has your vet recommended anything in particular to help with weight gain? As low as his weight is and as much weight as he's lost, have you and your vet discussed a higher calorie food, such as Oxbow (maybe even the high-calorie Young Rabbit mix?) Obviously your vet is the authority, and you seem to have discussed a lot with them (which is AWESOME), but something is definitely still wrong. Also, has your vet suggested sending out a Geriatric Bloodwork panel? It could answer some questions.

Also, do you feed any greens such as spinach, kale, romaine, etc., which he may eat more enthusiastically? Do you offer any treats?

Thank you... he really is a fighter LOL the vet said he is def a survivor for what he has been through. So I currently feed him Oxbox Adult Mix, but maybe I could try the young rabbit since its a higher in calorie. We are adding the Alfafa hay as well to help with nutrients.

The spring mix that I use has a little bit of spinach in it and romaine... which he will eat. I was being cautious on the spinach cause I thought i read that it could cause GI issues. He loves the spring mix/lettuce that I give him.

I also give him Oxbox Treats (the ones that are veggies and hay ) but I just ordered the Timothy Hay Treats as well.

He also gets blueberries (but a small amount)

 

[Mac189]

Thank you... he really is a fighter LOL the vet said he is def a survivor for what he has been through. So I currently feed him Oxbox Adult Mix, but maybe I could try the young rabbit since its a higher in calorie. We are adding the Alfafa hay as well to help with nutrients.

The spring mix that I use has a little bit of spinach in it and romaine... which he will eat. I was being cautious on the spinach cause I thought i read that it could cause GI issues. He loves the spring mix/lettuce that I give him.

I also give him Oxbox Treats (the ones that are veggies and hay ) but I just ordered the Timothy Hay Treats as well.

He also gets blueberries (but a small amount)

That sounds like an excellent, super healthy diet to me. Has he had a history of GI issues in the past? Spinach in excess can cause diarrhea, although a little bit is fine for most adult rabbits. Does he eat all of the food you offer him (pellets, spring mix, treats, hay)? My rabbits go nuts for the Oxbow dried strawberry treats, but they are gluttons with zero self-control, I would highly recommend them!

Another thing worth considering is whether or not he's ever been on antibiotics (especially in the past 6 months), as that could kill off natural gut bacteria and influence the ability to access calories in food.

Has your vet stated what a healthy weight for him would be? What kinds of medical tests/exams have been run on him?

 

[Season]

That sounds like an excellent, super healthy diet to me. Has he had a history of GI issues in the past? Spinach in excess can cause diarrhea, although a little bit is fine for most adult rabbits. Does he eat all of the food you offer him (pellets, spring mix, treats, hay)? My rabbits go nuts for the Oxbow dried strawberry treats, but they are gluttons with zero self-control, I would highly recommend them!

Another thing worth considering is whether or not he's ever been on antibiotics (especially in the past 6 months), as that could kill off natural gut bacteria and influence the ability to access calories in food.

Has your vet stated what a healthy weight for him would be? What kinds of medical tests/exams have been run on him?

From what I understand at one point he had GI Stasis but that was a couple of years ago and with the rescue he was at.

He will eat all the spring mix and treats i give him... since I have had him not much hay, but according to the rescue that has always been how he is with hay due to his teeth.
He will fight for more Oxbow treats lol... he loves them. He use to eat all the pellets until the last couple of days but I am thinking that is because he is still sore from the dental work.

He is currently on Reglan, B Complex, Antibiotic and an appetite stimulate since Wednesday.

I would think he would like to see him back in the 4lb or higher.
We just did a xray which was fine and blood work which was good as well
The vet said he wants to see him in 8 weeks to check his teeth again and weight

 

[Mac189]

From what I understand at one point he had GI Stasis but that was a couple of years ago and with the rescue he was at.

He will eat all the spring mix and treats i give him... since I have had him not much hay, but according to the rescue that has always been how he is with hay due to his teeth.
He will fight for more Oxbow treats lol... he loves them. He use to eat all the pellets until the last couple of days but I am thinking that is because he is still sore from the dental work.

He is currently on Reglan, B Complex, Antibiotic and an appetite stimulate since Wednesday.

I would think he would like to see him back in the 4lb or higher.
We just did a xray which was fine and blood work which was good as well
The vet said he wants to see him in 8 weeks to check his teeth again and weight

Man, it really sounds like you're doing everything perfectly. Maybe give him more pellets, but you're already giving him an excellent amount for weight gain in a rabbit his size. Maybe he needs probiotics after being on antibiotics, but that's not something I know a whole lot about. This really has me stumped. Maybe someone else has more information to share. Best of luck, you're a bunny superstar!

 

[Mac189]

@Nancy McClelland I think you're a real expert on bunny ailments and I know you've saved a lot of lives... any thoughts?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We have switched some of our elder buns to alfalfa and steel oats to help with weight loss and because they are older it's not as much a worry with the limited time they have left. Happy and healthy even though at times all you can really get is happy. Might talk to your vet about probiotics.