• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

What's a safe rate of weight gain?

clutterydrawer

Wise Old Thumper
i.e. in terms of grams per week?


Apache has lost a bit over time, I think partly just due to getting older, and partly because he had a bout of stasis recently where he didn't eat much for a while. I'd like to put a bit back on him but don't want to do it too fast in case it just causes more problems.
 
I dont think it's possible to be specific as it would depend on the individual Rabbit. But it is usually better to do any dietary increases/changes gradually and whilst their may be a temptation to try to bulk an underweight Rabbit up with carbohydrates-eg Porridge Oats- this can definitely cause more problems than it solves. Rates of weight gain will also vary depending on a variety of things such as whether the Rabbit has any chronic health issues, whether they are very active Rabbits, whether they are experiencing any undue stress such as a new environment etc...

Older Rabbits do loose muscle mass/tone, so it is important to determine whether what you are seeing is 'true' weightloss (ie weigh him regularly) or if it is a change in his body shape due to a loss of muscle mass/tone
 
Ah fair enough - he's definitely lost about 400 grams since I've had him, as his earliest recorded weight was 2.4kg and now he's only 2kg. but I don't know how much of that is recent, as I haven't had access to scales for a bit. (I've bought some now). His spine feels super sharp though :(


I've been giving him some extra Excel and some alfalfa hay because I found a post on here that said it was high in calories...? Don't know if I should do more, or less, but I felt like getting some weight on him was a high priority when he came back from boarding as he was so very, very thin :(



I did wonder if I should look more into whether there's another underlying cause. But he has no other symptoms and seems really well in himself so I'm reluctant to put him through loads of sterssful tests "just in case".
 
I would weigh him every couple of days to see if his weight is stable. Does he live with another Rabbit ? If so are you certain he is actually getting his share of the food ? If he eats more slowly than the other Rabbit it may be that he is only actually eating a fraction of what you think, the other Rabbit eating the majority.

With the weighing if he has 3 consecutive losses that definitely merits a Vet check.

What is his water consumption like ? Has it increased over recent weeks ?
 
He lives with Skye but he definitely gives as good as he gets at feeding time :lol: :lol: If anything he probably gets more than she does. His water consumption is stable as far as I can tell.

I will get back on the reglar weighing and see how it goes. :) I used to be super diligent with that but it's slipped a bit with constantly moving house and losing my scales :oops:
 
He lives with Skye but he definitely gives as good as he gets at feeding time :lol: :lol: If anything he probably gets more than she does. His water consumption is stable as far as I can tell.

I will get back on the reglar weighing and see how it goes. :) I used to be super diligent with that but it's slipped a bit with constantly moving house and losing my scales :oops:

If there has be a lot of house moves in a relatively short time and also a stay in boarding that could account for stress induced weightloss.
 
I've actually used porridge oats and sunflower seeds to fatten a thin bunny with no adverse effects for the past 20+ years. I know others on here have too, and Tamsin has also suggested it at times.

In view of the fact we are approaching colder weather, I would also feel I wanted to put weight on a thin bun to help them have a better 'covering' and sustain them. It's impossible to say how much weight gain, as I don't know the original weight of your bunny and how much has been lost.

I have a very small rabbit, and when his weight fell to 800grams I increased his pellets and added in the oats and sunflower seeds until he put on about 30grams a week. So only a pinch or two is needed.

Is he eating well in himself? Just not picked up his old weight?
 
My preferred method of weight gain for older bunnies is swapping them to a Junior pellet. I've always found it helps put back any lost weight but no so much that its too quick or excessive.

I agree with Jane ref the muscle mass/tone thing though. My bun Autumn looks a bit thin but her weight is actually good and remains stable
 
Back
Top