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How to tell if bun is right weight? And limit on treats?

pigsforlife

Mama Doe
Charlee is 6 1/2 months old. She gained weight quite rapidly from about 4 months to 6 months, but she has started to level off a bit. I weighed her just then at she was at 1.23kg. She is a netherland dwarf by the way. I don't think she is overweight but I don't really know how to tell if she is the right weight for her shape/breed/size. So if anyone had any pointers in that area it would be helpful.

Also, we tend to spoil her quite a lot (especially cause she is an only bunny). :oops: I was told that raisins are a good treat for bunnies so got her a bag the other day and she loves them. Since giving her a little something she has come so much out of her shell. Instead of being a shy little bunny she is much more lively - she has been climbing on my lap and headbutting me for more head rubs. So I am reluctant to take the treats away as I believe that they have helped her little character develop..but on the same token I don't know how much is too much. So if you anyone has any pointers there, that would also be helpful.

So to summarise (since I have asked a couple of questions in a very longwinded way!):
1) How do you tell if your rabbit is the right weight for their size/shape/breed?
2) How many treats are too many treats? :oops:

Thanks!
 
it's a mystery to me. my tabbyrabbit is a fat biff, but she has a tiny amount of nuggets each day and loads of hay. treats are three a day max, usually one - that would be one raisin, or one fenugreek crunchie. oh, i am a cruel, harsh bunnymummy. but she's still fat cos she eats matthew's food, and he's a skinny bunny-boy.
 
With a nethie you can normally see if they're getting podgy cos they start to look like a little fluffy ball instead of a bunny!

A good indication is whether they can reach their bottom easily,and are able to clean themselves well - as soon as they look like they're struggling to reach their caecotrophs or clean their bum then they're probably a bit chunky.

Treats are fine so long as they're given sensibly.
I prefer as natural a treat as possible (none of those rubbishy pet shop things) so dandelions, plantain, small piece of fruit or veg etc.
An odd raisin wouldnt hurt, but they are sugary so you have to think about their teeth, and their tums, as sugary stuff can upset the balance of their guts.

Since she's responding so well to treats it would be a shame to cut her down drasticaaly, so why not just adjust her breakfast and dinner accordingly so she has a bit less then?
 
Treats are fine so long as they're given sensibly.
I prefer as natural a treat as possible (none of those rubbishy pet shop things) so dandelions, plantain, small piece of fruit or veg etc.
An odd raisin wouldnt hurt, but they are sugary so you have to think about their teeth, and their tums, as sugary stuff can upset the balance of their guts.

Since she's responding so well to treats it would be a shame to cut her down drasticaaly, so why not just adjust her breakfast and dinner accordingly so she has a bit less then?

I haven't really tried fruit with her. She gets veggies when I give the pigs veggies twice a day. This usually consists of a mixture of; raddichio, parsley, mint, basil, cos lettuce, gourmet lettuce (usually have 3 different kinds), endive, capsicum (3 kinds), carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, corn husks/silks. They don't get all of these things at once, usually a selection. I also tend to not give Charlee as many veggies as I give the guinea pigs. Is there anything wrong with the selection of veggies I give her? She recieves most in moderation, but I am pretty keen on providing a variety (particularly cause it is important in the guinea pigs as they can't make their own vitamin c and so get it all from their veggies).

So maybe the plan of attack would be to give her the veggies twice a day as per usual. Then with the treats, rotate through a slice of banana, slice of apple, or a raisin. Not all at once, just one a day. What do you think?

She can definitely clean herself easy enough, but I would prefer to stop her from getting to the point where she can't!
 
i was wondering this, im worried my sbastian is a bit under weight, what does charlee feel like when you run your hand over her?
 
Tricky question, normal I suppose? :lol: Thats probably not much help to you, but to be honest I have never held another bunny except for Charlee (and her litter mates when they were 8 wks old). So I don't know what she should feel like and I don't have anything to compare her to either.
 
me either :/ and i cant get hold of mae long enough to compare them :roll: ill just have to hope he's not to skinny :p
 
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