Obesity

[Ainsleys_mommy]

My rabbits look fat to me. They get 1/2 cup of Mannapro a day and unlimited Orchard Grass hay. They get one Oxbow papaya tablet a day and a couple times a week I'll give them a pinch of freeze-dried strawberries from oxbow. They are both Holland Lops.

 

[Kipcha]

"Looks fat to you"... Do they FEEL overweight? How much do they weigh? Do you have a pic you can post?

I'd just be hesitant offering advice on weight loss not having seen the bunnies in question.

 

[LakeCondo]

Yes, need more info. Also what is Mannapro & aren't they getting any greens?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Ours get greens twice a day, a small amount of pellet at night and all the Timothy hay they want. When Coal came to us she was an 8 pound mini Rex that looked like a blob with ears. She now weighs 5 pounds and will be 14 this April although she is slowing way down now.

 

[Ainsleys_mommy]

Sorry for the grainy pics. This was taken on my phone, which is my only working camera.

This is Domino

This is Penelopppy

I talked to the breeder I got Peneloppy from and she said it's hard to tell from a picture, but she didn't see anything that stands out. They just have big butts, and I don't know if that's a normal bunny thing. They're eating the regular MannaPro in the red, white, and blue bag. I feed them greens when I can, but right now I just started college and am working full time and can barely afford to feed myself. I have a friend who works in produce at Kroger and she lets me know when things are about to be marked down and I go buy them if they look ok. I eat whatever is leftover and make sure not to give them anything that is ruined.

 

[MiniLopHop]

How do they feel? Holland lops have a very round figure even when they are at a good weight, it's just how they are made. It's better to see if you can feel the ribs and spine. You don't want them to be sharp, but you want them to be noticable. If they are covered in a thick layer of fat so you just feel a pad then they would be over weight.

 

[Sooze247]

Nancy McClelland wrote:

Ours get greens twice a day, a small amount of pellet at night and all the Timothy hay they want. When Coal came to us she was an 8 pound mini Rex that looked like a blob with ears. She now weighs 5 pounds and will be 14 this April although she is slowing way down now.

I took my bunny to the groomer a few weeks ago and the woman told me that my bunny was overweight. He goes to the vet about once a year and the vet has never mentioned his weight to me. He's either a rex or a mini rex he was sold to me as a mini rex but he is quite big to be mini I feel but I don't really know the difference. I asked the groomer to weigh him and he weighed 5.15 lbs. I thought I remembered the vet telling me he is suppose to weigh 5-6 lbs. Do you think I should be worried?

 

[ZRabbits]

MiniLopHop wrote:

How do they feel? Holland lops have a very round figure even when they are at a good weight, it's just how they are made. It's better to see if you can feel the ribs and spine. You don't want them to be sharp, but you want them to be noticable. If they are covered in a thick layer of fat so you just feel a pad then they would be over weight.

:yeahthat:

Holland Lops are bigger bone rabbits. They are supposed to be stocky. Check the ribs and spine. They are the indicator as MiniLopHop states where you can find out if your bunny is overweight.

K

 

[LakeCondo]

Sooze247, I don't think the groomer was that familiar with rabbits, except maybe tans.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Holland Lops shouldn't be over 4lbs, so I would weigh them and see how much they weigh.

It's hard to tell by the pictures. I'd have to see them in person/get my hands on them to tell.

Emily

 

[Kipcha]

I agree with weighing them and feeling their spines. Personally, though, I would not say the look overweight.

 

[domho7]

Mine about 4 months old refuse carrot and apples. I haven try other veggies. So far she only takes pellets and hay. Is there a need to worry.

 

[ZRabbits]

Rabbits do well with just pellets and hay and water. As long as she's eating, drinking, pooping and peeing, you have no problems.

Introduce these same things when she's a little older. They are like kids. Put their nose to everything, until they find out how good it taste.

K

eta: You should try wheat grass. It's high in nourishment. Easy to grow, you can get the seeds and the kit at your local pet store. All of my bunnies LOVE it. Even at 4 months old. And they had NO problem with Wheat grass. But that's just my bunnies. All bunnies are individuals.

K

 

[LakeCondo]

Wheat grass is a good idea. It's basically very fresh hay. In a few months when you introduce vegetables, I would start with parsley or romaine lettuce or any lettuce except iceburg. Carrots & apples should be reserved for treats.

 

[jujub793]

Also you would know if your rabbit was a Rex ( standard) be ause they are very large, bigger than 5-6 lbs

 

[mrbunny]

General rule of thumb that I received from a vet:

Check along the spine of the rabbit. You should be able to feel the spine and ribs without the feeling the sharpness of the bones. (As others have mentioned previously.)

Signs of obesity: Loose flesh around the shoulders. Elbow pouches and bulging chests (large dewlaps for females and dewlaps developing for males).

Please note that a healthy weight of the rabbit will also depend on their breed as well.

 

[Jacki-Small-Pet-Select]

Hi Ainsleys_mommy

I'd just like to agree with what everyone here has already said.

Yes - it's a little hard to tell from the photos, but there's nothing that immediately stands out from them about your buns being way overweight.

The advice mrbunny above gives about how to tell if your rabbit's overweight is spot on. If you're still not sure then why not give your vet a call and have a chat over the phone - that way it won't cost you anything and you should be able to feel happier in your own mind about whether or not they're a healthy weight. If you really are concerned then take them along and get a health check up.

Fruits are generally high in sugar, so should really be kept to a minimum. Good idea to get the marked down veggies when you can. But just take care not to introduce new foods together, and only in small amounts.

Yes, buns can survive quite happily on hay & pellets, but providing greens when you can will help keep their diet as close to what they would naturally eat in the wild as possible. But as one of the posters says above, as long as they are eating, drinking, peeing and pooping as normal, and don't seem lethargic then you can be happy that all is well with them.

Another sign of obesity is lethargy and/or an inability to groom themselves properly, especially around their rear end. If you're not seeing any of these problems and they don't actually 'feel' fat under your hands, then I wouldn't be too concerned.

Good luck with the college course, btw.

Cheers,
Small Pet Select

 

[Jacki-Small-Pet-Select]

Sorry - for some reason that post duplicated itself...

 

[Ainsleys_mommy]

Sorry. For some reason, it's not telling me when I have new posts to my threads.

I can feel the ribs, spine, and shoulders just fine. I'm going to take them to the vet just for a wellness check up tomorrow because they're getting spayed/neutered on Tuesday.

What are dewlaps?

 

[LakeCondo]

A dewlap is sort of like a double chin.