My bunny seems to have lost weight.

i have 2 mini lops, barney and alfie, they are indoor bunnies who live in my bedroom.

i dont always pick my bunnies up as they don't like it but i do when i clean them out or put them in the outdoor run, but a few days ago i pciked alfie up and he seemed really light and can feel more of his spine (the past few weeks ive not picked him up as i went away so family was taking care of him).
my other barney has always weighed more than alfie, and he hasnt lost weight.

i give them hay everyday and they have mixed herbs and leafy greens everyday.

i stopped giving them pellets over a year now as i was told they dont need them and can cause dental problems, and they have seemed fine without them.

should i give alfie some pellets to podge him up? if so how much?

or any foods i can give him or advice.


i know some people may suggest a vet visit but iv'e not noticed anything in the way he behaves and he eats well, and i had my hours cut so cant really afford it (of course if he got worse i'd take him)

bunnies95 said:

i have 2 mini lops, barney and alfie, they are indoor bunnies who live in my bedroom.

i dont always pick my bunnies up as they don't like it but i do when i clean them out or put them in the outdoor run, but a few days ago i pciked alfie up and he seemed really light and can feel more of his spine (the past few weeks ive not picked him up as i went away so family was taking care of him).
my other barney has always weighed more than alfie, and he hasnt lost weight.

i give them hay everyday and they have mixed herbs and leafy greens everyday.

i stopped giving them pellets over a year now as i was told they dont need them and can cause dental problems, and they have seemed fine without them.

should i give alfie some pellets to podge him up? if so how much?

or any foods i can give him or advice.


i know some people may suggest a vet visit but iv'e not noticed anything in the way he behaves and he eats well, and i had my hours cut so cant really afford it (of course if he got worse i'd take him)

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Sorry to hear about Alfie - it's a worry, isn't it?

First, check whether Barney is getting more food/eating faster than Alfie. This might indicate that Alfie has some dental issues that haven't been spotted, and making him eat more slowly. That would need a vet check to verify, although it's impossible to really see into a rabbit's mouth with a normal dental exam.

You can perhaps give Alfie a few high calorie pellets - those made for baby or junior rabbits. A few porridge oats usually go down well - dry or wet. (mine prefer dry). Don't be put off if you're told that carbs are bad for bunnies - even Tamsin our admin recommends them

Pellets don't cause dental problems, unless you give so many that they eat them in preference to hay and grass. Pellets supply the necessary vitamins and minerals they need, and Vit D, which is essential and not easy to obtain from hay and greens, especially for indoor rabbits who have less access to all round sunshine. (Does anyone in the UK get much sunshine?:lol

Start with a small handful of pellets once a day and see what happens.

If he seems well in himself and is eating and pooing well, I don't think you need to take him to the vets at the moment.

What I would do though if I were you is to weigh him now and then regularly, say every 1-2 weeks weigh him again and record the weights. It's probably a good idea to do this for both rabbits. This will allow you to confirm whether or not Alfie is losing weight now. It's not always a reliable estimation of weight just to pick them up, especially as you have been away for a while.

If he is losing weight still, I personally at that stage would take him to the vets for a general examination. However, if that is difficult for you, you could try feeding him some Readigrass, which is slightly higher in calories than hay. You could also, as you've suggested feed just Alfie a very small amount of pellets each day. Or you could get some Fibafirst sticks and give him one of these each day.

However, if the weight loss is continuing to be substantial, especially after the extra feeding I would urge you to try to get him seen by the vet.

Omi said:

If he seems well in himself and is eating and pooing well, I don't think you need to take him to the vets at the moment.

What I would do though if I were you is to weigh him now and then regularly, say every 1-2 weeks weigh him again and record the weights. It's probably a good idea to do this for both rabbits. This will allow you to confirm whether or not Alfie is losing weight now. It's not always a reliable estimation of weight just to pick them up, especially as you have been away for a while.

If he is losing weight still, I personally at that stage would take him to the vets for a general examination. However, if that is difficult for you, you could try feeding him some Readigrass, which is slightly higher in calories than hay. You could also, as you've suggested feed just Alfie a very small amount of pellets each day. Or you could get some Fibafirst sticks and give him one of these each day.

However, if the weight loss is continuing to be substantial, especially after the extra feeding I would urge you to try to get him seen by the vet.

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I agree with the Readigrass and Fibafirst - though my suggestion for pellets was because feeding rabbits separately can lead to aggression and disgruntlement on the part of the one who's not getting extra. I prefer to do my 'top up' feeding rather more secretly, and pellets and oats are easily and quickly devoured ...