"Husky" Bunny

[madisonl702]

My bunny has gotten a little bit, well, pudgy. How do you get a bunny to lose weight healthily? My bunny is still considered a baby, so should I worry about him becoming fatter when he gets big? Should I start him losing weight now or what? I do not know what to do with fat bunnies. And what kinds of vaccinations do bunnies need? I'm kind of new in the whole rabbit health world. What do baby bunnies (6-8 weeks old) need for food? I have him inside and he has a litterbox. I give him water(obviously), alfalfa hay, pellets and a chew blox( that's what they are called, it's for their teeth.) Should I stop feeding the chew blox? I just want what is best for my rabbit.



I know this picture doesn't help tell if he's fat or not, but I just wanted to show you my bun

 

[lopsofloverabbitry]

You may have to put your rabbit on a diet. Try giving him a certain amount in the morning then in the afternoon.

He really shouldn't be this fat when he is this young. If he is just a cubby rabbit, he may grow into it.

I would slowly work him into this diet so he can be a happy little bunny!

Depending on where you live, rabbits don't need vaccinations. I don't know where you live so you should call a vet and they should have all the vaccinations that your bunny needs

For young rabbits you really need to pay attention to what your rabbit eats. They are little and have weak digestive systems.
I would give him a certain amount of pellets in the morning and at night. On your bag of food it should have a chart of your rabbits weight and how much he should eat. Make sure that he has lots of hay, alfalfa or Timothy. Alfalfa is really important for baby bunnies since they need it to grow.

The chew blocks, I don't see anything wrong with keeping them there

Here is website that would help you step by step!
http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

Hope this helps!


~Breeding Quality Holland Lops Since 2012~

 

[whiskylollipop]

A 6-8 week old bunny fat? That doesn't sound right, unless he is eating a lot of sugary junk. Keep him on hay and pellets and his weight should be fine. Are you saying his tummy area looks really fat and bloated? Because that would indicate some serious gut problems.

What is that orange stuff in the bowl?

 

[Azerane]

I agree that it's unlikely he's fat, possibly just fuzzy. If he is fat, you could limit the pellets to 1 cup/day.

If you're in the UK, you will need to vaccinate for myxomatosis and calcivirus (possibly from 12 weeks old, check with your vet). In Australia, you will need to vaccinate for calcivirus, and in the USA they generally don't recommend any vaccinations, although you can still get them.

 

[madisonl702]

The orange stuff is the bowl, it's just stained...

 

[Blue eyes]

I agree that he seems far too young to be overweight. He is probably just growing or he is having something else going on (like bloat).

Hay and pellets should keep him the correct weight.

What are the "chew blocks" you are referring too? Of what are they made?

Are you in the US?

 

[madisonl702]

Yeah I'm in the USA. It's a pumice stone?! Well, I know it's a pumice stone, but just checking if it's safe?!

 

[edwinf8936]

No alfalfa hay, Timothy pellets, limited treats, limit the veggies.
Plenty of exercise.

 

[madisonl702]

But what if it's a bunny? I thought they needed alfalfa hay.

 

[madisonl702]

And I don't give him veggies Bc ppl told me it would be too much for the age he's at.

 

[Blue eyes]

Madison, you are correct. Your bunny is far too young for greens. Alfalfa hay is just fine for a bun that young. I believe Edwins' suggestions may be more intended for an adult overweight bunny.
However, if your bunny really is overweight (which we haven't determined yet), then if the pellets are alfalfa-based, it can be fine to switch to timothy hay (or a mix of timothy and alfalfa).

 

[madisonl702]

Okay, but in a different post called "Is my bunny fat?" It said that bunnies caught and raised by people tend to be a bit fatter when they are younger and then they eventually thin out. Is that true??

 

[RabbitsForever303]

No the chew blocks are just so the teeth don't overgrow.

 

[RabbitsForever303]

Also that might be too much food too. 😔🐾

 

[Aki]

So, just to clarify, your bunny is around 8 weeks old?
Which breed is he? Does he come from a pet store? Which pellets are you feeding? Did you weigh your bunny?
Don't try to put a growing rabbit on a diet. Don't EVER limit his hay. Like NEVER. Hay doesn't make rabbits grow fat and not enough of it could kill him.
I think the question here is more 'is your rabbit getting any exercise?' How much time out of his cage does he get? If it's less than 5 hours a day, there lies your problem.
In the end, vegetables are better than pellets and less fatening. They also keep your rabbit occupied for a longer time and actually avoid teeth from overgrowing (forget the block, it's useless). Depending on his age and if he comes from a pet store, you will need to think about introducing them eventually. Everyone say nowadays that you can't give them to a rabbit younger than 6 months, that's obviously not true - what are young rabbits eating in the wild? I gave vegetables to all of my rabbits from 2 months old and I never got a soft poo from any of them. BUT they came from mothers who ate vegetables. There might be a problem if the rabbit comes from a petshop, with a mother who never ate vegetables. If that's the case, wait for a bit.
AND you have to introduce the vegetables very gradually. I always do one new vegetable for a week, beginning with chicory, then carrot tops, then carrots... End with leafy greens which are slightly harder to digest. The first day, just a tiny piece, like the nail of your pinky. Then increase gradually until you have a normal portion (about 30g). Then, add another vegetable if everything is fine... Of course, all of this with plenty of hay to avoid any tummy problem.