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Help, my rabbit is fat!

TheTigerThief

TheTigerThief

Warren Scout
I need some advice regarding helping my rabbit to lose some weight... My Petra is fat. The vet suggested we lay off the pellets for a while, so we cut back to giving them an a small eggcup of pellets only once a week. Since cutting back on pellets, my other three look a much healthier weight but Petra seems as fat as ever! We've now stopped feeding them pellets altogether, so for a the last few weeks they've all been on a hearty diet of 90% hay and freshly pulled grass, with a few pieces of cos lettuce and bok choy. Petra still doesn't seem to be losing any weight? I don't know what else to do, she has plenty of space to exercise and since the other three are all healthy weights now, I don't know why this diet isn't working for her. She still jumps on the roof of her hutch with the others and loves playing in her tunnels, it isn't like she's completely sedimentary. I'm just not sure what else I can do? She has a large exercise space and doesn't appear to be any less active than my other three, and according to the vet she's fine otherwise (she goes to the toilet without issue, while her dewlap is big it isn't so large it interfers with drinking, ect.). The vet defiantely wants her to lose some weight though, are there any other dietary improvements I could try? Would a diet exclusively of hay help? Games to play with her that would give her a workout?
 
Is Petra spayed ?

What type of hay are you feeding her ?

Does she eat all her cecotrophs ?

Does she ever pass very large oval fecal poos ?

Finally (sorry for all the Qs) Do her eyes seem to have a glazed/watery appearance. Not red/inflamed just 'different' to other Rabbits ?
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Is Petra spayed ?

What type of hay are you feeding her ?

Does she eat all her cecotrophs ?

Does she ever pass very large oval fecal poos ?

Finally (sorry for all the Qs) Do her eyes seem to have a glazed/watery appearance. Not red/inflamed just 'different' to other Rabbits ?
Click to expand...

No problem about all the questions, I'm happy to answer. :) Yes, she is spayed. The vet talked to us about her weight after the spay actually, her fat made the operation a little tricky. :oops: I'll have to check the type of hay, but I'm almost certain it's the same type my local rabbit rescue buys. As far as I can tell she does eat her cecotrophs, I rarely see them. Her poops are otherwise quite normal in size and shape. Her eyes seem fine too. The vet checked her over and said aside from the weight, she's otherwise in good health. I'm so confused, she eats and plays just like my other three but seems to have this stubborn chub that won't go away! :?
 
TheTigerThief said:
No problem about all the questions, I'm happy to answer. :) Yes, she is spayed. The vet talked to us about her weight after the spay actually, her fat made the operation a little tricky. :oops: I'll have to check the type of hay, but I'm almost certain it's the same type my local rabbit rescue buys. As far as I can tell she does eat her cecotrophs, I rarely see them. Her poops are otherwise quite normal in size and shape. Her eyes seem fine too. The vet checked her over and said aside from the weight, she's otherwise in good health. I'm so confused, she eats and plays just like my other three but seems to have this stubborn chub that won't go away! :?
Click to expand...

Is she the Doe on the far right of your signature ?

Alfalfa hays are more calorific, but if she really is having nothing but hay/grass that should not account for her remaining overweight. Did the Vet run a blood profile prior to her spay ? Whilst hypothyroidism in Rabbits is rarely diagnosed I guess it could be a possibility. Didn't Petra have a dry skin problem some time ago :? The inability to loose weight and dry skin conditions are both symptoms of hypothyroidism in other species, including humans.
 
TheTigerThief said:
I need some advice regarding helping my rabbit to lose some weight... My Petra is fat. The vet suggested we lay off the pellets for a while, so we cut back to giving them an a small eggcup of pellets only once a week. Since cutting back on pellets, my other three look a much healthier weight but Petra seems as fat as ever! We've now stopped feeding them pellets altogether, so for a the last few weeks they've all been on a hearty diet of 90% hay and freshly pulled grass, with a few pieces of cos lettuce and bok choy. Petra still doesn't seem to be losing any weight? I don't know what else to do, she has plenty of space to exercise and since the other three are all healthy weights now, I don't know why this diet isn't working for her. She still jumps on the roof of her hutch with the others and loves playing in her tunnels, it isn't like she's completely sedimentary. I'm just not sure what else I can do? She has a large exercise space and doesn't appear to be any less active than my other three, and according to the vet she's fine otherwise (she goes to the toilet without issue, while her dewlap is big it isn't so large it interfers with drinking, ect.). The vet defiantely wants her to lose some weight though, are there any other dietary improvements I could try? Would a diet exclusively of hay help? Games to play with her that would give her a workout?
Click to expand...

Hi there :wave:

Have you kept a 'weight diary' for the last few months that she's been trying to lose? It's often very slow progress, especially for some females (don't I know it!).

There's also quite a difference of opinion in what vets call 'fat' and not. One vet can tell me my rabbit is fine and another can say he is bony. There's quite a bit of leeway ..

Does she ever get to run around the garden like a mad thing? Or the house? I think it's the stairs that keep my lot healthy :lol:
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Is she the Doe on the far right of your signature ?

Alfalfa hays are more calorific, but if she really is having nothing but hay/grass that should not account for her remaining overweight. Did the Vet run a blood profile prior to her spay ? Whilst hypothyroidism in Rabbits is rarely diagnosed I guess it could be a possibility. Didn't Petra have a dry skin problem some time ago :? The inability to loose weight and dry skin conditions are both symptoms of hypothyroidism in other species, including humans.
Click to expand...

Yes that is her, I don't know how well you can tell from the photo but she's very pudgey on the sides. :? I don't think the vet ran a blood profile, but you are right she did have some flaky skin a while ago. I'll have to look into that, I've had hypothyroidism myself and it's no fun at all.

MightyMax said:
Hi there :wave:

Have you kept a 'weight diary' for the last few months that she's been trying to lose? It's often very slow progress, especially for some females (don't I know it!).

There's also quite a difference of opinion in what vets call 'fat' and not. One vet can tell me my rabbit is fine and another can say he is bony. There's quite a bit of leeway ..

Does she ever get to run around the garden like a mad thing? Or the house? I think it's the stairs that keep my lot healthy :lol:
Click to expand...

Hello! :wave: We haven't been keeping a 'weight diary', I've tried to weigh her a couple of times but she hates being picked up and gets cranky at me. When she was weighed at the vet, I think she was between 2.5 and 3 kilograms... :shock: She's a mix of things, but primarily she's a mini-rex which I believe puts her in the overweight range. :? We do let them play in the house sometimes, she'll binky and run around like a mad thing for about 10 minutes then end up flopping in front of the TV :lol:. Stairs would be a good way to keep them in shape, I usually shut off the room with the stairs when they're inside but I might keep it open next time and see if she has a go on them. :)
 
How long has she been on a diet? I have found it takes around 3 months for them to get to a good weight.
 
TheTigerThief said:
Yes that is her, I don't know how well you can tell from the photo but she's very pudgey on the sides. :? I don't think the vet ran a blood profile, but you are right she did have some flaky skin a while ago. I'll have to look into that, I've had hypothyroidism myself and it's no fun at all.



Hello! :wave: We haven't been keeping a 'weight diary', I've tried to weigh her a couple of times but she hates being picked up and gets cranky at me. When she was weighed at the vet, I think she was between 2.5 and 3 kilograms... :shock: She's a mix of things, but primarily she's a mini-rex which I believe puts her in the overweight range. :? We do let them play in the house sometimes, she'll binky and run around like a mad thing for about 10 minutes then end up flopping in front of the TV :lol:. Stairs would be a good way to keep them in shape, I usually shut off the room with the stairs when they're inside but I might keep it open next time and see if she has a go on them. :)
Click to expand...

A rabbit that is a mix can't be put readily into a category, so although she may be overweight, you can't really go by standard measurements. You can see I am working in her favour here :lol:

Stairs - if they can safely manage them (and I haven't had a rabbit who couldn't) would certainly burn fat and build muscle. For indoor rabbits that's a very good thing.
 
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