Diet question

Hi everyone,

I took my 6 year old lop to the vet about two weeks ago, and was told that she's overweight!

Up until now, I had been giving her half a cup of pellets each morning and evening, in addition to unlimited hay & fresh veggies each evening (alternating between half a carrot, a few broccoli flowers or 2-3 pieces of bok choy leaves). She also gets small amounts of apple & banana a couple of times a fortnight.

The vet said that I was giving her too much fresh food, causing her stomach upsets resulting in diarrhoea sometimes. Apparently a rabbit's stomach is designed for rough material. So the vet suggested I put her on a new diet consisting of unlimited hay, and just a handful of pellets twice a day. I'm also only allowed to give her fresh veggies 3 times a week in treat size proportions.

I've always thought that giving rabbits fresh veggies each day was the recommended diet. I'm afraid this new diet may not be nutritious enough, even though it does seem to help her tummy a lot more.

How much fresh veggies do your rabbits get? Is this new diet okay?

Many thanks,
Maple

PS

One more thing...

What can you recommend that will be good for her to chew on so to keep her teeth healthy? The carrots used to be good, but if I'm reducing the portions then they won't be much use anymore. She has some wooden chew toys but she's not that interested in them.

Thanks again.

Hay is the best thing for chewing, preferable timmy hay as it's coarser than meadow hay - She should only have a few inches of carrot a day, asa it's high in sugar, for the same reason cut out completelty the banana and apple - and only a handful of pellets a day - I split mine so they get about a teaspoon full for supper. I replenish the hay about 3 or 4 times a day as they like riffling through it for their fav bits. They should mainly eat hay - their pellets are all gone in 5 mins!

I don't think veg is the problem with your rabbit, apart from too much carrot and fruit maybe - I think she gets too many pellets so is not eating as much hay as she needs to - Also check that you have good quality hay that's fresh.

My bun gets a handful of pellets for breakfast, and unlimited hay. That's it, he gets all the nutrients he needs in the pellets and he eats more hay because he's not filled up with other stuff all the time.

I had a bunny who was a bit over weight because he was not getting enough excersise, he had the whole run of the house at the time but just prefured to sit on the same spot and eat all day :lol: but he was an old man, so probably didn't feel. like running around.
Does your bunny have a lot of space to run around?
lots of good quality hay is good, it fills them up, helps trim their teeth and is good for their tummies. I always feed fresh food everyday ( but not much carrot or apple).

Could you put their pellets into a treat ball so that they have to work for them?

As Elve says I would also suggest cutting out the fruit and the carrot as they are all high in sugar.

Does your rabbit have a partner, if not that may be one way of getting her to run about and loose come weight.

Janice

jrn1310 said:

Does your rabbit have a partner, if not that may be one way of getting her to run about and loose come weight.

Janice

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TOO RIGHT!! There is ALWAYS more running around to do with a bloke (buck :wink: ) on the scene!! :roll: :lol: :lol: Jane and Buns xx

jrn1310 said:

Could you put their pellets into a treat ball so that they have to work for them?

As Elve says I would also suggest cutting out the fruit and the carrot as they are all high in sugar.

Does your rabbit have a partner, if not that may be one way of getting her to run about and loose come weight.

Janice

Click to expand...

Excellent advice id say!! My Nala was a little podgy when i got her.. she hardly ever moved.. since putting her pellets into a treat ball she is sooo much more lively and appears more fit.. she can now jump onto things :roll: which she couldnt do before. and the mate def works too.. they spend ages chasing each other as a game. Mine get about 50g of pellets a day between them.. thats a couple of handfuls. they get some veg nighttime too but rest of hte time its hay hay and more hay

Thanks

Thanks for all the good advice The treat ball sounds like a great idea, and I had no idea carrot contained so much sugar. I've definitely cut down on those foods.