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Overweight rabbits

bunnyhuggger

Warren Veteran
I have noticed there seems to be an awful lot of overweight rabbits coming into rescues just now. Has it always been like this?
 
I would have thought it has always been like that - just up to now it has never been an issue and no-one bothered about "things like rabbits"... :(
 
I imagine a lot of the overweight Rabbit problem is to do with this "conveince feeding" culture we seem to have got ourselves stuck into.

Its far easier to give your bun a big bowl of dry feed rather then spend half an hour picking greens and cutting veg.

Married with buns being kept in small hutches and not having appropiate exercise its a recipe for weight gain.

Louise
 
ellepotter said:
Married with buns being kept in small hutches and not having appropiate exercise its a recipe for weight gain.

Louise
:lol: But I'm not getting married, don't keep my bakery produce in small hutches and I get loads of exercise! Only kidding Louise, I see what you mean.

It's just that I feel that some people are killing their rabbits with kindness. Classic example was the rabbit we helped clean up before it was taken to the vet. The poor bun was covered in poop and his wee leggies could hardly bear his weight. He couldn't even reach his bum to clean himself, how he never got flystrike I'll never know. Because he was fat though, the anaesthetic was riskier, and he never regained conciousness. :cry:

Overweight bunnies and anaesthetics are not a good mix.
 
overweight buns

it can go from one extreme to the other either the buns are overfed/not fed properly or not enough.

one of my four is a french lop & she is a big girl but not in the fat way. i ensure my vet checks her weight, i give her fresh veg daily & even though a 'flat' rabbit i ensure she goes outside even taking her to my grandads garden to run. some just dont look into what a rabbit requires or how they can change things for example my lot are fed on burgess supa excel but rumour has it supreme science doesnt have as much fat in it so i'm looking into that.

thats why this forum is fab so that people can get ideas on how to make things better or make a change, xxx
 
Re: overweight buns

for example my lot are fed on burgess supa excel but rumour has it supreme science doesnt have as much fat in it so i'm looking into that.

Burgess make Supa Excel Lite now for fat buns :)

Obviously not a substitute for exercise and fresh veg but it helps.[/quote]
 
I put together a food comparision table for those trying to choose foods - http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/rabbitfood.asp

I use supreme science for my buns but if your already using burgess then swapping to the lite version is less of a change for the bunnies. The normal excel only has 14% fibre which is the lowest of the lot!

Tam
 
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