How old is my bunny?

[pherber12]

I've recently adopted a bunny from the SPCA. She had been left behind in the apartment when her owners moved away and was brought into the SPCA by the landlord so there is no info on breed, age, etc for this bunny.

Is there a way I can guess approximately how old she is?? A google search suggested I look at the teeth, but I would have no idea what I am looking for. Does anyone have any tips of what I could look for that would help pinpointing an approximate age??

Here are a couple pics of Roxy -- some of you might have seen these in our intro post

 

[kherrmann3]

I've heard that about the teeth, too. The only info I know about that is that younger bunnies tend to have more clear-ish teeth. Older bunnies have more solid (non-see through-ish) teeth. Does that make any sense? The younger buns have a see-through quality to their teeth, the older ones don't. I will see if I can find a better explanation...

 

[pherber12]

thanks for the reply

I can look at her teeth but I really have nothing to compare it too

Maybe I can manage to take a pic to post here...

 

[Flashy]

I always generally thought that you couldn't really tell how old a rabbit was specifically, just that you could get a rough idea, like if it was a baby, young rabbit, adult, or geriatric. But I might be wrong.

 

[kherrmann3]

That's basically it. You can't guess an age, just an age period. I will see if I can find something...

This is the best I can get for you This is from Yahoo! answers:

This is something all us rabbit rescuers face, too. Unfortunately, not even a vet can tell the age of a mature rabbit with any real accuracy. When the bunny is spayed or neutered, the condition of the reproductive organs can give a clue (if they're relatively small and "new" looking the bunny is probably only a few months old. With a great deal of experience, a person can learn to gauge the *approximate* age of a rabbit (under one year; 1-2 years; over 5 years, etc.) by looking at the shape of the body, the condition of the skin and eyes, the color and condition of the teeth, etc. But it's a very inexact science. I wish I could be of more help! Please write back if you have any other questions.

Like I said, the more "solid" the teeth are (you can't see through them) the older the rabbit, or so I've heard. I was told their teeth get a little more yellow as they age, as well. Think of the more "clear" teeth being similar in clarity to an opal. They are still white, but more translucent towards the edges.

The only accurate way to get the age is to weigh the lens of their eye (postmortem). I don't think you want to do that!

 

[wabbitmom12]

***Hijack alert!!!***

Oh, Pherber! I'm sorry that I didn't see your intro post, but I just have to say this...your Roxy looks EXACTLY like our beloved Lilybun, whom we just lost a few weeks ago. I miss her so much. I wish Ilived close enough to come over and give that Roxy a little *smooch* on the nosie! She is so gorgeous. :inlove:

Now back to the topic of the thread...

We have several flemmies that we have raised from babies, or got when they were only 6-9 months old. (As flemmies continue to grow til they are 14-16 months old, that's still pretty young.) Anyway, Roxy looks like a youngish doe. Does she seem to still have a baby coat? If so, she's probably under a year. If the coat is more mature, she's probably under 18 months, judging by her youthful appearance.

 

[LadyBug]

wabbitmom12 wrote:

We have several flemmies that we have raised from babies, or got when they were only 6-9 months old. (As flemmies continue to grow til they are 14-16 months old, that's still pretty young.) Anyway, Roxy looks like a youngish doe. Does she seem to still have a baby coat? If so, she's probably under a year. If the coat is more mature, she's probably under 18 months, judging by her youthful appearance.

that's kinda what i was thinking too!

 

[pherber12]

wabbitmom12 wrote:

***Hijack alert!!!***

We have several flemmies that we have raised from babies, or got when they were only 6-9 months old. (As flemmies continue to grow til they are 14-16 months old, that's still pretty young.) Anyway, Roxy looks like a youngish doe. Does she seem to still have a baby coat? If so, she's probably under a year. If the coat is more mature, she's probably under 18 months, judging by her youthful appearance.

I think it's interesting how everyone thinks she's a flemmie. Sadly, I don't think she is. Roxy is only about 1 1/2 feet stretched out and only 1 foot in bunny loaf formation. I have no idea what mixed breed she is.

I looked at her teeth and they look very clean, and smaller than I expected, but without having anything to compare it to, I have no idea.

 

[wabbitmom12]

I think it's interesting how everyone thinks she's a flemmie. Sadly, I don't think she is. Roxy is only about 1 1/2 feet stretched out and only 1 foot in bunny loaf formation. I have no idea what mixed breed she is.


Oh, I don't know about that! She really, really looks like a flemmie....she has the classic body type, the ears, and even the BIG BACK FEET!! If she is as young as we suspect, she wouldn't behuge yet. Flemmies reach maturity quite a bit later than most other breeds. They grow until they are 14-16 months, or so. Even one who is say, 12 months, and looks fairly mature, will continue to grow, fill out, and become more proportionate over the next 6 months. When you live with them everyday, you don't notice it as much (just like children ). We will look back at photos, or others will visit who haven't seen them in awhile, and everyone's like, "Whoa!! They've gotten BIGGER!!"

Yes, definitely possible that she's mixed, but the flemmie in her is undeniable. And, you know, just like other breeds, some buns really don't get as big as others. We have a blue buck that barely makes senior weight (14 lbs.) at shows, and he is 15 months old. Obviously, he will not be a 25 lb flemmie, ever! Fortunately, though massiveness is an classic flemmie trait, it's not the only one the judges feel is important. The standards book says "A less-massive rabbit that is more proportionate, and of a better body type, will place ahead of it's larger counterpart, when all other factors are equal." (not actually a direct quote, but close.)

 

[Leaf]

wabbitmom12 wrote:

Yes, definitely possible that she's mixed, but the flemmie in her is undeniable.

I agree. I have a 23# Flemish Giant and a 16# Flemish mix. This girl looks so much like them it would amaze me if she doesn't have Flemish in her.

 

[pherber12]

Leaf wrote:

wabbitmom12 wrote:

Yes, definitely possible that she's mixed, but the flemmie in her is undeniable.

I agree. I have a 23# Flemish Giant and a 16# Flemish mix. This girl looks so much like them it would amaze me if she doesn't have Flemish in her.

I agree she looks like a Flemish but Roxy is only 5lbs right now. I don't think she'll get that much bigger, but I'll let you all know how she turns out