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Worrying about her weight

Fennic

Fennic

Warren Scout
Hi guys, we've recently taken on 2 bun's (See http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?402039-Stressful-morning-2-rabbits-dumped-on-me for more information on the whole subject) we've recently been getting a doe to come out of her shell, shes quite lively and active, although after her spay she does seem to have lost weight. Her spay was over 12 days ago or so as was the bucks neuter, shes been more than happy to run around eat play and do everything a healthy rabbit does, but I have noticed I'm starting to feel her spine, shes getting hay at all times, and a fair amount of pellets. I honestly can't remember if I could feel her spine prior to her operation as she was very skittish and wouldn't let you near her but on the times I had picked her up she did feel heavier. Looking at all the lionhead photo's on Google they all seem pretty plump in body which concerns me with her. I did read into body types but I couldn't find anything specific on lionheads shes got the body like an English spot. I got some photo's to make it easier.

Also: Irrelivant to the topic but still about her, is the buck allowed back in with her now? They're bonded and have their freerange together but has he got any chance of hurting her if he mounts her? It's been 12 days.











 
It should be fine to put them back together now, just keep an eye on them for a day or two. As regards the possible loss of weight I really have no advice, maybe due to all the trauma she has been through lately. You don't know how old she is, so she may still be young. Also, sometimes when they have been moulting they appear to have lost weight.
 
She could have a leaner breed in there, or she could be on the lower end of her personal weight range. I'm debating as to whether to feed my three a little more at the moment because the vet always describes them as very lean (and adds its nothing like what she normally sees from bunnies :(), Pooka was apparently an easy spay because she hardly had any fat in the way.

Was her spay completely routine? I'm just wondering if noticing the spine is a subconscious thing because you feel she weighs less, and so wondering if there was anything extra removed during the spay :/ I would expect the vet would have said so if there was a mass, so it's highly unlikely.

Probably just a result of the couple of days post spay where food is less interesting, maybe give her a few extra pellets?

And you should be fine with them back together :)
 
I have a pure lionhead and one that was sold as a lionhead but Buster is much like yours, slender and had a lot bigger ears than Alfie so im sure he is a cross. Alfie also although he is smaller he does look rounder but I think that is because he is a lot fluffier :wave:
 
I would weigh her now and see if she stays the same or looses.
Maybe you could ask the vet her weight when she was spayed as I think they need the exact weight for the amount of a anathstetic (spelling!)
 
Think I will, she'll need a vet trip next week along side her boyfriend due to a mysterious lump on his nose which frighteningly looks like Myxi.
 
She looks body wise like my boy Buster below he is a lionhead. He is 2.4kg in weight which my vet says is fine

977299_10151710884430774_1658853606_o_zps179324cf.jpg


I would keep a eye on her weight and if your concerned ask the vet to check her over.
 
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Hopefully the vet will have weighed her pre-op and that will give you something to compare - they should be able to tell you over the phone if you give them a call.

She'll have used a bit of extra energy healing so she may just need a temporary increase. A few extra pellets or pinch or two of rolled oat may help.
 
Just a pinch is okay dry but any more and I like to mix into a porridge with water, just so it doesn't swell a lot in their tummies :)
 
Thank you, i'll see her opinion on it. She seems to eat anything she can get her hands on anyway. :)
 
Ended up with a right twonk for a vet wasn't my usual vet at the practice and they apparently didn't record her weight before spaying. Shes 830g it seems anyway.
 
Had her back up today with my normal vet, he's put her on septrin for 14 days. He believe she may have Coccidiosis (90% sure he said that) She does have smaller poos but I'm not seeing anything in it.
 
That's a bit useless, especially as they are spaying and 830g is a little bun to start with - they don't usually spay under 1kg so that may mean she's lost weight or they just didn't check. My vet records weight at every vaccination etc. too.

At least you have a weight now so you can monitor if it goes up/down. It might be worth weighing her on your own scales too as sometimes they are calibrated differently and that way you can compare it home with the weights your scales give. Scamp's only little too so I do him on the kitchen scales, he'll sit on them just long enough usually but you can use a box/bowl is necessary.

I'm not sure how coccidiosis presents in older rabbits - it's more common in babies. I think they need to test poop to 100% confirm it - but they'd look under a microscope you wouldn't see it just looking.
 
Thanks for the reply Tasmin, I'd got Coccidiosis confused with Pinworm when I was thinking you could see it. He calculated her weight from the anesthetic dose that was wrote down and that she hasn't lost any weight, she needed an emergency spay as she was in with a buck when we was given her (Luckily she wasn't pregnant). Shes on a follow up check up in a month to see if she's gained any weight.
 
Ahh, that's not so bad then if the two weights match. I think coccidiosis can effect growth or she may just be a youngster with some filling out to do. Different breeds do have different shapes to them, and they can seem quite boney some of them. It's tough without feeling to tell - particularly with all that lovely fluff she has so it might just be she's a new bun and feels thin compared to yours :)
 
Well, it is possible to feel her spine and hips which had put me into come concern I thought it may be something more sinister than just being young or the likes. At what age should she be on adult pellets? I'd only just remembered theres adult and junior ones.
 
Usually about 4-5 months, but if you are worried, keep her on them longer. Small bunnies can have a higher metabolism (need more calories) than large ones so that can mean the junior pellets work well for them anyway. It's fine to be able to feel the hips etc. but it should feel like there is a bit of padding over them.
 
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