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Advice needed for helping an older bunny

Bojangles

Bojangles

Young Bun
I have noticed over the past few months that my older rabbit bojangles, has lost a lot of weight, when I’m stroking him I can now feel is spine and feels very bony! His fur is looking less neat and he’s sleeping a lot more all the time! I’m unsure of his age as I rehomed him a few years ago but we’re guessing he’s about 5/6 years old roughly! I’m wanting to try get him to put a little more weight on. He’s is currently fed a handful of burgess exel adult pellets in a morning, unlimited hay and has access to an outdoor run at all times on concrete and an outdoor run on grass when I’m at home (he’s an escape artist on grass)
I was thinking of trying to mix in to his feed some junior exel nuggets as their higher in protein/calorie?? Also can anyone recommend an supplements to help his body and joints
Thank you
 
Bojangles said:
I have noticed over the past few months that my older rabbit bojangles, has lost a lot of weight, when I’m stroking him I can now feel is spine and feels very bony! His fur is looking less neat and he’s sleeping a lot more all the time! I’m unsure of his age as I rehomed him a few years ago but we’re guessing he’s about 5/6 years old roughly! I’m wanting to try get him to put a little more weight on. He’s is currently fed a handful of burgess exel adult pellets in a morning, unlimited hay and has access to an outdoor run at all times on concrete and an outdoor run on grass when I’m at home (he’s an escape artist on grass)
I was thinking of trying to mix in to his feed some junior exel nuggets as their higher in protein/calorie?? Also can anyone recommend an supplements to help his body and joints
Thank you
Click to expand...

Hello

5/6 is not really elderly, more 'middle aged'. In the first instance I would advise you to get a Rabbit Savvy Vet to give Bojangles a thorough check up. Unexplained weight loss can be indicative of a physical problem, dental problems for example. So before changing his diet I'd want to make sure that there was nothing physically wrong that would require treatment.
 
Jane is correct, a vet check would be best.
Is your bunny eating all of his adult pellets? Also, some bunnies will eat more pellets if given 'fresh' pellets in the evening and morning.
How is his drinking? In my experience, eating pellets and drinking go hand in hand.
My Gemini is only six, based on the date of birth I was told when he was adopted; yet he seems older than his years too. His arthritis is worse, yet after his last head tilt was successfully treated he is actually eating like he did when he was younger. I now think his ear infection was just as likely as his dental issues to cause him to stop eating in the past.
 
Yeah he’s been to the vets and his teeth are all okay!! He’s drinking and eating all his food just seem to have lost a lot of weight the last two months! The vets did reckon he could be older than what we thought as when i rehomed him they didn’t really have a clue on his age tbh!
 
How much is a lot of weight? Is your vet rabbit savvy? What is his/her suggestion as to what you do next? I would definitely want further investigatory work done as to why he’s dropping weight/sleeping more/looking scruffy. Even my 11 y/olds have none of those symptoms, barring sleeping a lot. I have a rabbit who shows no outward signs of needing a dental, barring weight loss. His mouth always looks fine upon conscious examination, but once he’s under it is always a terrible mess - ulceration of his tongue and cheeks etc. He shows no symptoms of pain. I would want at least an examination of his mouth under GA carrying out.
 
TheBee said:
How much is a lot of weight? Is your vet rabbit savvy? What is his/her suggestion as to what you do next? I would definitely want further investigatory work done as to why he’s dropping weight/sleeping more/looking scruffy. Even my 11 y/olds have none of those symptoms, barring sleeping a lot. I have a rabbit who shows no outward signs of needing a dental, barring weight loss. His mouth always looks fine upon conscious examination, but once he’s under it is always a terrible mess - ulceration of his tongue and cheeks etc. He shows no symptoms of pain. I would want at least an examination of his mouth under GA carrying out.
Click to expand...

Frosty is the same. First sign of any slight slowing of his eating and he’s in a state like your bunny :cry:
 
I used Protein pro-fibre pellets to help my first rabbit's digestion, but I believe they can also be used to help weight maintenance. Could be worth asking your vet about them.
 
susie bun said:
I used Protein pro-fibre pellets to help my first rabbit's digestion, but I believe they can also be used to help weight maintenance. Could be worth asking your vet about them.
Click to expand...

I feed these as won a tub, my bun loves them, before I go to bec
 
Both of mine have hit 'middle age' and definitely sleep a lot more. Their spines are more prominent and I posted about this some time ago, and it could be to do with muscle loss from not running about as much: it gets worse in winter when they're out and about less and better in summer, when we let them out on the lawn more. Aboleth has lost about 150g in the last year and Lopsy about the same, but they're back to their normal weight now from being a bit over in my buns' case (they're both 2.3-2.4kg):)
 
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