Under weight buns

Hi all,
Im just after a bit of advice i have actually rescued 2 male buns from a neighbor that had no clue how to look after them they were kept outdoors in a plastic little tykes wendy house with no bedding of any sort there hind legs and front legs and brown with urine staining they should be white. they have never eaten grass or hay in there life they were feed on a diet of apples and carrots. They seem to be so under weight you can feel all the bones in there little bodies. I have had them here for about 5 hours and they have already drank 2 600ml bottles of water and eaten a whole bowl of pellets and the hay rack is empty i have brought them inside but in a cold room with the heating off so not to shock their systems to much. Im basically asking should i feed on demand atm and the same with water but i dont want to upset their systems? they are stunning boys that were born in april they look like english spots. sorry for the long winded message but i just want to check i have done the right thing by taking these boys in and all they advice i can get on getting these boys back to full health i will be taking them to the vets tomorrow to check the state of their teeth but i know you guys will have better advice on feeding xx
Thanks
Jodi

Malteser has to bulk up and the vet said to feed him the opposite to usual; unlimited musili, very little hay and greens as they have fewer caleries. I think its good to bring them in, it is gold and they have no fat! They will likely need a bit extra food to keep warm too. I'm thankful they found you!

Poor Bunnies, thank goodness you are helping them


I would NOT feed too much concentrated feed all at once, whilst you want them to gain weight feeding too much concentrated feed (ie pellets/muesli) straight away may well cause Bloat. So feed hay ad lib and a small portion of pellets/muesli twice a day for 3-4 days, then gradually increase the quantity of concentrate, but not to the point where they start leaving cecotrophs or stop eating much hay.

I would also get them Vet checked. Rabbits who have been badly neglected can sometimes have sustained major organ damage-ie Kidney or Liver damage.
They may also have Dental problems, so getting this checked ASAP is essential.

Feeding a Breeder/Grower concentrate or one designed for young Rabbits would provide them with more protein which would help weight gain. But again, introduce the feed slowly and carefully monitor hay intake and poo production.

http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/rabbit-...8-page-rabbit-breeder-grower-pellets-20kg.asp

http://www.supremepetfoods.com/product/science-selective-junior-rabbit/

There are also a wide variety of hays, dried grasses and forages available. Getting the Buns onto a diet that is as near to a Wild Rabbits diet as possible would be great for their longterm health. Weight gain needs to be achieved gradually to avoid the risk of serious GI tract disturbances.

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Hays,+Grasses+%2526+Herbs.4/



Goodluck with the Bunnies xx

All 4 of my fur babies were underweight, scrawny little things when I first got them. I've found just giving them a decent diet has worked a treat for them all.

Mine have excel pellets twice a day, greenery (fruits/veg/forage/etc) twice a day and access to grass/hay all day (and hay in the hutch at night)

As was mentioned you might not want to feed too much too fast for fear of bloating them out, just make sure they have plenty of the right foods available to them and they will soon gain a few lbs and start to feel much better.

Big bunny hugs