Feeling Bunnies Spine - is this normal as they get older?

Hiya

Our Flopsy turned 3 in september, on her most recent visit to the vet, everything was fine, but over the last couple of months we have noticed we can feel Flopsy's spine a lot more the we used to be able to. Is this just an ageing thing in rabbits and totally normal?

She's still eating food normally, exercising normally, no difference in toilet or drink habbits, and is still behaving normally, and wierdly, doesnt seem to have lost weight, its just that her spine is more noticeable now than it was before

thanks

I have a 4-5 year old Holland lop who has a prominent spine, ribs and hips. But he also has early onset arthritis and doesn't get around very well.
I would call your vet and ask if you should be worried, but I think it's preferred that bunnies have some bones you can feel as opposed to being too plump and no bones showing at all.
Of course if you notice weight loss despite good appetite, that would be something of a concern.

I think if it's an outside bun maybe he needs more food to put a bit more weight on. At this time of year they're using a lot of energy just to keep warm. Possibly an extra helping of pellets per day with a teaspoon of oats sprinkled (there are other threads on the best type to use and it would only ever be a small quantity as they're not ideal for bun's digestive systems.) Hope this is helpful! :wave:

ETA Oops yes and get her checked too. She may have parasites like pinworms that lapizole would cure, for example, or other parasites. The vet could do a faecal float to see if she's harbouring anything or could just prescribe as a preventative measure...

Get her checked, my robbie bunny went through stages like that and we never found the cause...I have older buns whose spine isn't prominant

Is she spayed ?

I agree that another Vet check is needed.

I think we will visit the vet again, just to be on the safe side.

It maybe that now she has her winter coat, which isnt as thick as the last one yet, its more noticeable. We've always been able to feel her spn and hips a bit, just thought it seems a bit more prominant. She isnt underweight, she looks more over due to having a large dewlap. when sat upright she is a nice ball shape, and when not moulting she has always had a prime line.

She's eating food fine, behaving normally, doesnt appear to be in pain, isnt hiding from us or womble and is still always the first bun for the food and treats! (poor womble!)

I have spoken to someone who has had rabbits before and they noticed changes like this in a few of their bunnies, not everyone of them though, and not really breed specific. they said, just like humans, as they age their weight can shift around their body shape. (eg like a man who was 12st toned physic at 21 might still be 12 stone at 60 but have a gut and really skinny shoulders!)

both our bunnies live outside all year, only coming indoors in really extreme temps like the uk had last year and the year before. They have plenty of hutch space (people comment their hutch has more room than our house!) and do get run around time during daylight, a little bit more so this year now Rach not working all day from early morning.

You know your bun best but if you have the slightest concern though definatly go to the vets. Buns are great at hiding illness (being pray animals they dont want a predator to see that they are unwell and easy to target) so she could be hiding pain. They also go down hill very quickly. My bun Buster has been poorly and lost a bit of weight recently, his back bone and hips stick out quite a bit and the vet said it shouldnt be that prominant. Hope she turns out to be fine! If you are worried you could keep weighing her to make sure she isnt loosing weight.

we are aware about bunnies hiding illness, however, even though both have had excellent health, they have had a hiccup. if flop is feeling under the weather she goes from really playful and attention seeking to hiding in the hutch bedroom and getting snappy and bitey and staying out the way. she is in no way like this at all at the moment.

Even so, i do get that they hide things well, its only as we know her so well we can spot her go in this mood, anyone who didnt know her would think shes a bit vicious, but ok.

Its easy to spot when wombles off too- he doesnt binky or run, he would just look like flops normal behaviour. he usually has lots of binkys and lots of mad running in the garden. Flopsy rarely binkys but she does do dead bunny flop which has scared a few guests before now!