Baby Frenchie and Overweight Mini-lop (Sorry - long post!)

Hi everyone! As some of you may know, we lost our beloved Poppy last week to osteomyelitis in her jaw. It was a very sad weekend for us (the tears are just starting to dry up a bit!!). We had previously arranged to pick up a baby french lop this weekend (before Poppy even became ill, I should add) and we picked him up on Saturday. This was obviously tinged with sadness at losing our Poppy. He is almost 11 weeks old and is a blue steel buck called Humphrey. I wonder if anyone can give advice re. caring for frenchies. We've done lots of research, but I think the best advice will come from experienced frenchie owners! We're feeding him A&P Breeder and Grower pellets, mixed in with a little Excel Junior. He has two bowls of readigrass a day and unlimited meadow hay (and Timothy sometimes!). He is about four and a half pounds in weight already! Has anyone any advice re. feeding? Also, he poops for England!! We've put a litter tray in his hutch but he just poops everywhere (and all over the kitchen floor!) I should add that he will only be in his hutch whilst we are out and will be half house bunny when we are in and will also have free run of the garden when we supervise him and have a large run in the garden as well and his hutch is 8 feet long.

We have also taken on a little mini-lop from a breeder, as she is "no good for breeding" :evil: She is a really porky little girl and needs to lose quite a lot of weight, I think. We're feeding her just a teaspoon of pellets and the rest is hay and readigrass. Is this the best way for her to lose weight? She is also coming out for loads of exercise, but as she was confined to a cage before, I don't think she is used to running about, we will try to get her moving. She will have a much better life with us. If anyone has any advice, I'd be grateful.

Can I just ask, when does the pain ease from losing a bun? Every time I think of Poppy I almost cry (and did over the weekend!). These two new buns are not a replacement for Poppy - I'd give anything to have her back. Thanks for listening, everyone. Claire x

Re: Baby Frenchie and Overweight Mini-lop (Sorry - long post

minilops said:

Can I just ask, when does the pain ease from losing a bun?

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If only there was an answer to this - I lost my boy Robbie last May, now I'm not a particularly emotional person, but I still cry when I think about him , and would give anything to have him back However, the good thing is I now also smile when I think of him, which just didn't happen for a long time after I lost him :wink:

I have two wonderful buns now, who are not a replacement in any way - they are wonderful in their own right

Try to enjoy your new buns - it sounds like they are lucky to have found you

I've lost two much loved buns in the last six months, and although one was more recent than the other it still hurts when I think of either of them I don't think you ever get over it completely and you'll go through the normal grief process just like you would with any other friend, but with time I guess (I hope!) the memories become less sad

I know a few people on here have put buns on just hay diets to shift a bit of weight, but definitely reducing the pellets is the way to go :thumb: She could probably have a few veggies too (avoiding the high sugar ones, carrot, apple etc) - is she used to getting those? If not, I'd take it slowly and just introduce one at a time It sounds like you have it spot on though! She's a lucky bun to have found you.

Thanks for advice so far! She hasn't had any veggies before so I'm going to have to be really careful with those. I'm sticking to mainly hay and grass for the moment, but will get the Vet's advice on Saturday when I take her for her myxi jab (She's never been vaccinated, either

The frenchie should be having unlimited pellets whilst he is growing. I have a 5 month old frenchie and he eats LOADS! And, yes, he poops loads and they are enormous :lol: Loads of hay too. I would start to slowly introduce veg.
Sounds like the mini-lop is on the right diet. Is she having veg? I would give her vegeach day like celery, spring greens, brocolli, but obviously stay off the sugary things like carrott and fruit.

Will you be bonding the two bunnies in the future?

Hi Spacegirl! What pellets do you feed your frenchie? As Humphrey is only 10 weeks, I won't introduce any veg yet for a while. Little Tilly (mini-lop) hasn't had any veg before so I will need to be very gradual with her, won't I? I'm only giving her about 8 Science Selective pellets and the rest hay and dried grass. Does this sound OK? She is a very small-framed mini-lop, but is VERY porky - probably due to being confined to a small cage with no exercise and crappy mix!

My frenchie has Allan & Page pellets. What you're feeding your min-lop sound sfine. Yes - introduce the veg slowly Have you weighed her and compared her eight to the "average"? I only ask because the shape of mini-lops can be they look a bit "rotund"copared to other breeds so she's possibly not as overweight as she looks! Excuse me if Iam telling you things you alread know! If you're experienced with mini-lops then you will know what they look like :lol:

Oh and can we see some pictures??
This is my frenchie and mini lop;

Have you had the minilops weighed at the vets? Maybe they could advise you how overweight she is. I'm presuming she now has a run and space so she should start to burn off any excess fat with exercise. I have heard of someone cutting their rabbit's pellets down and they nearly died as they wouldn't eat anything else, so go carefully.

And pics would be great

The breeder described her as a "micro-lop", to be honest I'm not so sure she is a pure-bred mini-lop, as my other two mini-lops are much chunkier in frame. This little one is tiny - her back feet are really weeny, as are her front paws. She has a really large dewlap and you can feel her porkiness all the way round her. I'm taking her to the Vets on Saturday morning to get her myxi jab, so I'll get their advice then. Any more help, please keep it coming! I'll get my son to take some piccies later.

Hi there.
I have a five month old french lop, got her at 10 weeks old. She is currently on unlimited hay, mounds of the stuff and A&P natural pellets, at the moment she is eating quite a few pellets, but these will be gradually be reduced as she gets to 6 months old. She does have lots of veggies now too, they were introduced very slowly and so far no sticky bums and lovely big poo!!!

You will love having a French lop!!!
xx

PS: Hope your mini-lop soon sheds the pounds too!