Mocha needs to loose weight

[mocha200]

Mocha is a Holland Lop. For about 2 years the vet has told me he was a bit chunky. I don’t have any idea how to help him loose weight though! He doesn’t eat pellets, he is free range in a whole entire room, doesn’t eat much treats except for a tiny peice of banana or a table spoon of shredded carrot for rewards for agility. I’m think he needs more exercise. Because they have a whole room to themselves I don’t let them out of the room much. They have sore hocks problems so hard floors can bother their hocks. I’m thinking I need to start doing agility more often. The only thing is that it involves treats, is the exercise helping if he’s eating carrots while doing it? Does anyone have any other ideas on how to help him loose more weight?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Something my vet suggested when my cat was overweight. When you bring him his veggies, make him “chase” them around the room a few times. Show him the veggies and walk or run slowly with the veggies at a height he can smell. Then reward his exercise with his meal.

For agility, would he be willing to accept tasty, healthy veggies like parsley as a treat?

[Roberta]

Starsky is only just starting to look like an English Spot Bunny again instead of a brown and white beach ball…. It has been a long slow road reducing pellet portions and encouraging hay increase….. The tanties have been phenomenal especially the pushing of the empty pellet dish up the ramps or slamming it about to get attention… We are now doing binkies again and feeling healthy, we are even leaving some pellets in the dish….
It has been a trial of fire and will and thankfully I seem to have won.

[mocha200]

LPT: Every time I feed the bunnies all the bunnies go crazy! They chase each other all over the room! Haha! So he does get exercise that way.

I did some agility last night and when I finished he went straight to the water dish to drink so I think I tired him out a bit.

[Mocha]

Maybe you can try hiding some of their vegetables? My bunnies sometimes get bored of their half of the room, so I think they’d be more interested in running around if they got let out of the room. You can put bathroom mats on the floor to help them with their sore hocks.
Maybe you can use cilantro or mint as an agility treat instead of bannanna and carrot.

[Franks mom]

My vet told me that bunnies can live on hay alone! If weight is the problem you can always feed very few pallets and lots more hay. Make sure he eats it though. And fresh green veges of course.

[dmh426]

Just like humans, the processed treats we buy aren’t the healthiest. I give my bun pellets only. I think of it like raisin bran. Some of the other foods with the colorful treats I think of as Fruity Pebbles. To lose weight, your bun’s diet should be made up of 75% hay and 25% pellets.

[Sarita]

I think his diet is fine – I think getting him more active is your best bet (if you can). I imagine he’s not terribly overweight though.

[Author]

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