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Loss of weight in rabbit eating well

joybell

Warren Scout
Hi just wondering if anyone has experienced a healthy looking rabbit losing weight.
I rescued a mini Rex male rabbit one year old, who was incarcerated in a hutch. He was overweight due to over feeding with pellets and lack of exercise. He now lives in a shed with runaround link to overnight run, and access to his own garden approx 23 ft x 9 ft. He eats like a horse and poos very well, very lively, has been vet checked, inoculated, castrated and wormed. He is currently staying at my friends animal rescue being bonded with a ex breeding doe, which is going well. My friend is concerned that he is looking a bit thin, but still acting very healthily. Her daughters boyfriend is a medium and said he feels a lot of heat in my rabbit, and thinks he is very sick! I am sceptical about mediums but alarmed too. We will monitor my rabbits weight and go to vets if he is still loosing weight.
Does anyone know if rabbits get thyroid problems or Cushing disease or any other metabolic problems ?
Thank you
 
Hi just wondering if anyone has experienced a healthy looking rabbit losing weight.
I rescued a mini Rex male rabbit one year old, who was incarcerated in a hutch. He was overweight due to over feeding with pellets and lack of exercise. He now lives in a shed with runaround link to overnight run, and access to his own garden approx 23 ft x 9 ft. He eats like a horse and poos very well, very lively, has been vet checked, inoculated, castrated and wormed. He is currently staying at my friends animal rescue being bonded with a ex breeding doe, which is going well. My friend is concerned that he is looking a bit thin, but still acting very healthily. Her daughters boyfriend is a medium and said he feels a lot of heat in my rabbit, and thinks he is very sick! I am sceptical about mediums but alarmed too. We will monitor my rabbits weight and go to vets if he is still loosing weight.
Does anyone know if rabbits get thyroid problems or Cushing disease or any other metabolic problems ?
Thank you

There are many possible causes of weightloss in a Rabbit that is still eating well. Personally I would ignore any 'diagnosis' obtained from a 'Medium', I have zero belief in all that mumbo jumbo, but each to their own !!

Firstly I'd suggest weighing your Buck every 3 days. If there is a continuous loss of weight then a Vet check is essential. It could be that your Buck is not actually loosing weight at all, he is just toning up muscle having previously lost excess weight. Also, if he is being bonded and in a strange environment he may be burning up more calories-by being a lot more active and from general stress of all the new experiences. He will also have competition for food now and the Doe may be scoffing most of the food.

If your Buck is losing weight then the Vet is likely to look for the more likely causes-eg Dental problems. Although IME Rexes are not at all prone to Dental issues. Having said that, if your Buck came from a poor home he may have been raised on an inappropriate diet. So he could actually have some issues with his teeth. If that were to be the case then he would probably eat more slowly than a Rabbit with good dentition. Making it likely that he may not be getting his fair share of food now he is with another Rabbit.

A full blood profile would give the Vet some information about his major organ function. The Vet will probably ask about his exact daily diet and whether he is drinking an excessive amount.

Given that you say that your Buck is very lively heart disease is unlikely to be an issue. I have kept Rexes for 21 years and IME some breed lines can be prone to heart disease. Initial presentation being lethargy/poor exercise tolerance and unexplained weightloss.

I really would not start worrying that your Buck is 'very sick'. Personally I'd only take notice of a comment like that if it came from a Rabbit Savvy Vet !

I hope the bonding goes well. I am sure that you will consult your Vet immediately if you continue to have any concerns :)
 
Thank you! I agree with you about the Medium! I don’t think my rabbit has dental problems, I’ve had that checked at the vets, and it’s more likely that he is eating more than the doe (standard Rex) as he is bossy and she is very timid. He has always been a good hay eater and is now grazing all day on grass. It’s interesting that you say some Rexes are prone to heart disease, but I don’t think that’s it either. Maybe as you say he is gaining muscle with the extra exercise. As you suggested, I will ask the rescue centre to weigh him every 3 days and go from there. They’re such a worry aren’t they!
 
Hi just wondering if anyone has experienced a healthy looking rabbit losing weight.
I rescued a mini Rex male rabbit one year old, who was incarcerated in a hutch. He was overweight due to over feeding with pellets and lack of exercise. He now lives in a shed with runaround link to overnight run, and access to his own garden approx 23 ft x 9 ft. He eats like a horse and poos very well, very lively, has been vet checked, inoculated, castrated and wormed. He is currently staying at my friends animal rescue being bonded with a ex breeding doe, which is going well. My friend is concerned that he is looking a bit thin, but still acting very healthily. Her daughters boyfriend is a medium and said he feels a lot of heat in my rabbit, and thinks he is very sick! I am sceptical about mediums but alarmed too. We will monitor my rabbits weight and go to vets if he is still loosing weight.
Does anyone know if rabbits get thyroid problems or Cushing disease or any other metabolic problems ?
Thank you

Personally this is what I would do. Looking thin and feeling hot are not scientific enough for me :)

I hope you get to the bottom of it and that the bonding is a success.

Rexes are wonderful rabbits :love:
 
Hi just wondering if anyone has experienced a healthy looking rabbit losing weight.
I rescued a mini Rex male rabbit one year old, who was incarcerated in a hutch. He was overweight due to over feeding with pellets and lack of exercise. He now lives in a shed with runaround link to overnight run, and access to his own garden approx 23 ft x 9 ft. He eats like a horse and poos very well, very lively, has been vet checked, inoculated, castrated and wormed. He is currently staying at my friends animal rescue being bonded with a ex breeding doe, which is going well. My friend is concerned that he is looking a bit thin, but still acting very healthily. Her daughters boyfriend is a medium and said he feels a lot of heat in my rabbit, and thinks he is very sick! I am sceptical about mediums but alarmed too. We will monitor my rabbits weight and go to vets if he is still loosing weight.
Does anyone know if rabbits get thyroid problems or Cushing disease or any other metabolic problems ?
Thank you


Hi Joybell

If you weigh your rabbit regularly and he's still losing weight then I would consider dental issues as one possibility. His teeth may be OK from the vet's point of view, but unless your vet does 'conscious dentals' whereby they can access the cheek teeth without anaesthetic, then it's difficult for them to see very far into the mouth. I've had issues where my vet has missed serious stuff going on at the back when looking through an otoscope. It's just not visible!

The other thing to consider with eating lots and weight loss is E.Cuniculi:

https://www.dechra.co.uk/therapy-ar...cs-antifungals/disease-information/e-cuniculi

I would view it as a red flag and want blood work done at the vet.

Some people Panacur rabbits when a new one is introduced, or when bonding takes place, as it's a stressful time for rabbits (though of course lovely in the end!)
 
Thank you. I went to the rescue today and he doesn’t look any thinner to me. He’s had a massive moult and is still shedding. I think my friend was influenced by the ‘mediums’ remarks. He out on grass eating away and binkying, seemingly fine, but I will take everyone’s advice on board and monitor his weight just in case. ������
 
Thank you. I went to the rescue today and he doesn’t look any thinner to me. He’s had a massive moult and is still shedding. I think my friend was influenced by the ‘mediums’ remarks. He out on grass eating away and binkying, seemingly fine, but I will take everyone’s advice on board and monitor his weight just in case. ������

A Rex in moult can look to have lost weight, I have one doing exactly that atm. But he has not lost weight at all, just a lot of fur !!

Unfortunately advice given by 'Mediums' can cause a lot of unnecessary distress and anxiety.
 
Thank you. I went to the rescue today and he doesn’t look any thinner to me. He’s had a massive moult and is still shedding. I think my friend was influenced by the ‘mediums’ remarks. He out on grass eating away and binkying, seemingly fine, but I will take everyone’s advice on board and monitor his weight just in case. ������


You're welcome Joybell :)

I am glad he doesn't look any thinner. Moulting can make any rabbit look rather on the scraggy side.

Hopefully the 'medium' was misguided - I believe a lot of them probably are ;)
 
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