The usual suggestions for weight loss do not take into account the rabbit's feelings about it. In my experience the rabbit is unhappy, spends a lot of time hunting for food, chewing on non food, asking for food and not being affectionate. The question becomes how to make the rabbit happy without overeating? Certainly high fiber helps but what about fat and sugar? Sugar may increase hunger and someone at the local pet shop suggested replacing manufactured food containing alfalfa with one containing timothy. Unfortunately, Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit food sweetens the timothy with molasses so the rabbit will like it The only result I see is that my rabbit greatly increased the amount of mulberry leaf (which I was feeding along with fresh grass free choice) that it wants. Perhaps adding medium chain triglycerides (easily digested for energy) and finding a less sweet formula would help. I have tried to limit my 5 lb rabbit to 20 grams of the extruded food along with unlimited orchard grass hay, various local grasses, mulberry leaves and limited dandelion leaves, cabbage, carrot root, and miscellaneous leaves but the rabbit usually wants more of the extruded food and is satisfied on receiving it. She has plenty of room to roam so can get whatever exercise she wants but slowly gains weight.
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