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Maintaining weight in older bunnies

HS

HS

Wise Old Thumper
Little Salt pot will be 9 years old this year. He's a nethie and has always been prone to being overweight. However, this last week, I've noticed that he's losing weight.
How can I keep weight on him. He's a good eater and loves his hay, so that side of it is fine. He has excel mature pellets, about a tablespoon full a day, as well as a bit of carrot and a sprout.
I could up his pellets to twice a day and see how we get on. Anything else I can do?
 
Is he an outdoor bunny?

You could provide snuggle safes to keep him warm, it's really cold ATM so it may be that he's using a lot of energy reserves to keep warm and so is using body fat to do so, so yes, I agree, up the pellets a little more and perhaps add a few porridge oats into his diet, only say a palmful every other day or something to start with and see how he gets on?
 
Thanks.
He has a snugglesafe, as he is outdoors, and he does use it. So cute, has a little nest of straw over the top!
I will try the porridge oats as well. I used to do that with Squidgy and he really enjoyed them, so it's worth a try.
 
I give Dudley a teaspoon of porridge oats with warm water most days and that seems to keep his weight mostly stable. Hope little Salt is ok x x
 
Thank you :wave:
He's fine, but he just looks like an old man! He's a bit bedraggled now and needs me to regularly groom him - Pepper must have done a great job before. And he's just getting on a bit I think.
He manages to zoom up and down his ramp and loves playing in his tunnels. I even had a binky the other day when I was cleaning him out and we were playing with the brush!
It's just this last week that I've noticed him getting thinner, so I'll definitely try the oats. I bet he'll love them.
 
Mature pellets don't have much protein in them.

I think the manufactures feel that older buns are less active so put weight on, but in my experience I've always found they loss weight with age.

I find junior pellets better for older buns.

I would keep a close eye on his weight just incase it is a sign of illness as opposed to old age.
 
Get him checked out at the vet just to make sure there are no other issues first. Flora is 10 next month and finds it hard to keep weight on now. So she has breakfast of one teaspoon of porridge oats mixed with one teaspoon of Oxbow Critical Care (mixed with a little water) together with hay and veggies, and then at teatime she has another teaspoon of dry oats and two tablespoons of SS pellets together with hay and veggies. At each meal, I sit with her and make sure she eats it all, otherwise Benji, who is 5 years her junior, will push her out of the way and he eats MUCH fast than she does. I find this works quite well and her weight is maintained.
 
Thanks. I'll try the porridge oats definitely, and I'll look at the junior pellets. That would make sense that they would be for more active bunnies, but Salt's still really active, so he needs the energy as well!
 
we always use junior pellets for our old bunnies struggling with weight and if that doesn't help we try porridge.

But I would get him vet checked just to make sure there is no underlying cause rather than putting it down to just old age. The older they get the more likely they are to develop health issues so always best to know exactly whats going on x
 
I agree with the others to get him checked by the vet inthe first instance if he is losing weight. Then try the junior pellets and porridge.
 
They're due their jabs soon anyway, so I'll pop him along next week in half term.
 
I am having the same issue with my bunny Polly. She lives with Sybil and I have had them both nearly 7 years. They are rescues but going by estimates will be 8 this year. They are both eating well and have the same food. They live outside and have a snuggle safe at night when it is cold. They are both running around as usual and seem happy. Poops seem fine. I am planning to take them to the vets soon to check if is just age or any other problems. I have given extra food a few times but don't want to discourage them from eating their hay. I would be interested to hear how you get on. Good luck!
 
Polly and Sybil are booked into the vets for vaccination and check up - fingers crossed all goes ok
 
Which are the Junior pellets that you all use? My bun could do with some extra weight and she won't eat porridge oats. The pellets they have at the moment are the Science Selective ones. Thanks
 
I've not tried junior pellets yet - I feed mine Allan and Page pellets.

I have got a few mature pellets mixed in but not sure if this is a good idea now.

Update - Polly and Sybil both booked in for weight check early April to see if weight stable or dropping

HS - how is your bun doing?
 
Mine all have Excel pellets - Daisy-Boo and Pippin have the adult ones and at the moment, Salt has a mixture of the mature and junior pellets.
Salt has actually gained a bit of weight and I can no longer feel his spine so prominently, so that is good. I'm really pleased with that.
Unfortunately, he's now urinating on his back leg, and I don't know if it's because he's old and has a bit of rheumatism or if there's another underlying cause.
I'm going to pop him back to the vet tomorrow to see if we can fix that problem.
 
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