Sammy&Patch
Warren Scout
My bunnies had both been about 2.5kg, early this year they were both about 2.7kg. I had asked my vet if they were overweight but she said she could feel their bones etc and didn't think so. Hazel has been unwell with sniffles recently (posted on another thread) but she has still been eating well. She was weighed a few weeks ago at about 2.9kg! The vet commented it's not holding her back from eating!. She was weighed again last week and still around the same. After having her tear ducts flushed I noticed the after care sheet had her weight as 2.9kg but next to that it has a section saying ideal weight, they have filled in 2.5kg (different vet to my normal). I only saw that when I got home so now I am worrying she is overweight. I am taking her back next thursday so will ask the vet then but thought I would see if anyone has advice on here.
Both my bunnies are really good hay eaters and I have only ever given them a handful of nuggets a day each, about 50g between them. I put it in a dog treat puzzle thing and they get pretty much half each.
Here is their diet:
-25g nuggets each per day
-Hay
-I was giving them a small handful of redigrass but stopped that (I had some left over from a previous underweight bunny).
-One small piece of carrot about 1-2cm long (stopped that now to see if that helps but they have always had that).
-Cabbage
-Curly Kale
-Small piece of red pepper left over from my lunch.
-Small piece of cucumber.
-I had a forage mix with herbs in but stopped that for the last few weeks as the dust wasn't good for Hazel's sneezes.
-Fresh picked grass from the garden, a mix of nice lush light green grass and some darker more stem like pieces. I collect a mixing bowl amount of grass per day and Hazel eats most of it. Also a few dandelion leaves but not much left at the moment.
Recently I have added 2 apple tree leaves and 2 bramble leaves per day. About 2 inches of fresh apple twig.
I can't work out why she has gone up in weight other than if the grass is fattening? Everything else is pretty much the same as before or less. The grass is the only significant increase, I have always given them grass every day but she's been having more than she did over the summer as we haven't cut it and it's been growing very well. I thought it was great that she eats so much but I read something about spring grass being fattening for horses and wondered if this was similar for bunnies. I don't know what spring grass is but I thought it might be referring to the lighter green nicer looking stuff.
If this isn't likely to be making her put on weight, the only other thing I thought was maybe her being unwell is meaning she's not moving around as much and that could be why? She still seems as active as before but I'm not sure.
Thanks for any advice
Both my bunnies are really good hay eaters and I have only ever given them a handful of nuggets a day each, about 50g between them. I put it in a dog treat puzzle thing and they get pretty much half each.
Here is their diet:
-25g nuggets each per day
-Hay
-I was giving them a small handful of redigrass but stopped that (I had some left over from a previous underweight bunny).
-One small piece of carrot about 1-2cm long (stopped that now to see if that helps but they have always had that).
-Cabbage
-Curly Kale
-Small piece of red pepper left over from my lunch.
-Small piece of cucumber.
-I had a forage mix with herbs in but stopped that for the last few weeks as the dust wasn't good for Hazel's sneezes.
-Fresh picked grass from the garden, a mix of nice lush light green grass and some darker more stem like pieces. I collect a mixing bowl amount of grass per day and Hazel eats most of it. Also a few dandelion leaves but not much left at the moment.
Recently I have added 2 apple tree leaves and 2 bramble leaves per day. About 2 inches of fresh apple twig.
I can't work out why she has gone up in weight other than if the grass is fattening? Everything else is pretty much the same as before or less. The grass is the only significant increase, I have always given them grass every day but she's been having more than she did over the summer as we haven't cut it and it's been growing very well. I thought it was great that she eats so much but I read something about spring grass being fattening for horses and wondered if this was similar for bunnies. I don't know what spring grass is but I thought it might be referring to the lighter green nicer looking stuff.
If this isn't likely to be making her put on weight, the only other thing I thought was maybe her being unwell is meaning she's not moving around as much and that could be why? She still seems as active as before but I'm not sure.
Thanks for any advice