Overweight? What is normal for a mini lop! So confused!

[silverspider05]

Hello

I have just taken Mimi to the vets for a checkup. When I first got her about 2 years ago, she was overweight at 3.5 kg. She (since having been on a diet since I've had her) is now 2.2kg. I am somewhat confused because the vet says that she is still rather fat and is having trouble cleaning herself (she has to be cleaned and shaved / clipped every so often) and gets quite large mats where she does not clean herself enough. I have been trying to find out the ideal average weight for a Mini lop doe, spayed, 4 years old. I keep trying to find out on websites and things, but it says on some that she should be 3lbs (about 1.3kg, which is less than my dutch!) or 6lbs (2.72 kg) etc, and i know it's down to the rabbit (like my dutch Jake is about 1.81 kg, but he is quite poorly a.t.m. so is a bit thin FOR HIM) but i just want to get a rough idea of where i am aiming for if that makes sense?

Also, can someone please point me in the right direction in terms of encouraging her to exercise... Jake has always been extremely active, but Mimi is quite sedentary. I have to push her gently to encourage her to move, but all the while I'm not there, there's no one there to MAKE her do anything. I have hung hay feeders up higher so she has to stretch to reach them, there are logs in their run so she has to hop up them to get to any tasty treats like leaves (i don't feed them processed manufactured rubbish), put things they can hop on, jump over, reach up to get, and yet she just sits. I am going to try and make some agility jumps and try and get her to do that, but I need ideas for while I'm not there during the day.

Thank you!

Kate

 

[Ailstar]

My mini lop Daisy is 2kg and Levi who is a mini lion lop is 2.2kg. Tbh I don't think either are overweight. They don't get loads of treats or pellets. I'm happy with their weight unless the vet tells me otherwise when I take them for their vaccs in June. I don't know how I'd get them to lose weight other than to starve them though!

 

[elmoandfern]

ideal weight will differ between rabbits, even within a breed. you should use a body condition score like this to assess her weight:

and also weigh her regularly so you can keep track. it sounds like you're doing all the right things to keep her active, do you also scatter feed, use a treat ball and put hay in toilet rolls etc? since rabbits spend the majority of their time eating, making them exercise for food is the easiest way to encourage them to be active and lose weight. also, what quantity of pellets do you feed? and what other treats etc?

 

[Confused_bun]

This link tells you how to body score your bunny http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-weight.asp . I dont think anyone can say your rabbit should be x weight - its too individual.

ETA - whoops it took me a while to find the link and elmoandfern posted something very much like it whilst i was finding it. Sorry for repeating.

 

[silverspider05]

I scatter feed them pellets; she gets half an egg cup and Jake gets an egg cup's worth. I have to try and feed them separately so she doesn't eat all the food cos she is a greedy guts lol! Going by the chart I'd say yes she probably is still a bit overweight. But not obese like she was when i got her luckily. They get a small portion of different greens each day. Maybe the odd piece of banana every now and then (about a quarter of a small banana each, one small banana usually lasts them two days then they don't have any more for maybe a few weeks (my mum hates banana so we don't often have them in the house cos the smell makes her feel sick!) They don't really have anything else apart from the occasional fenugreek crunchie, readigrass and hay which i put inside cardboard boxes and things to make them work to get to it. They are indoors a.t.m. cos Jake has been very poorly and can't really be outside. When the weather improves and it's warmer they will hopefully go back outside because I think Jake will be able to cope a bit better (he has pneumonia and possibly congestive heart failure so has to be monitored and given meds constantly he's a poorly bunbun). Its a bit difficult too because I have to restrict Jakes activity but try and keep her active too!

 

[Amy104]

I agree the body score is much more acturate. I think the breed standard is about 1.5-2kg.