Fat Rabbit

[ilovemybunnies]

Hi everyone, I have a holland lip and a mini rex. I’m actually pretty embarrassed to admit this but I think I might be over feeding them. They have unlimited hay which I freshen AT LEAST twice a day (I switch between brands so they’re not bored. They’re currently eating Oxbow Oat Hay, Oxbow Organic Meadow Hay, and Kaytee Timothy Hay Plus Carrots-which I have yet to see any “carrots”…) Every time I freshen their hay I put in a pinch of National Geographic rabbit forage mix. They also get pellets-which I refill anytime it looks like it’s getting empty, but I generally top that with some kind of store bought treat mix. They also get either a carrot to share or a bundle of parsley or cilantro as their fresh veggies. They seem to like veggies more than fruit. I also tend to give them a munchy stick, and my mini rex is crazy for Saltines, so she gets about 2-3 per week. And I give them an Oxbow Urinary Tract support “pill” per day. They both look like they’re getting big…but they were very young when I got them, so maybe they’re just filling out? How do you tell when a rabbit is too fat? And I realize I need to cut all the store bought treats out. I’ve made a pact with myself to not buy anymore after these run out and just give them hay, pellets, and veggies. But does anyone have any specific recommendations as a menu for them? They are both under 4 lbs. The lop is 2 1/2 months and the rex is around 6-7 months. Also, will they be hungry (hangry) if they stop getting treats? I was reading about GI stasis and too many carbs, too many nuts, etc. and now I’m a little worried. Thanks

[LittleBunnyPaws]

First off, it isn’t healthy for rabbits to saltines, or any crackers for that.

I would definitely cut down on the different kinds of hay and mainly feed him Timothy. Sometimes it is fine to add other hays in there

I would only feed them limited pellets, not unlimited.. Especially because of their age.

I would also cut down on all of the treats, they won’t be hungry from not getting a lot of treats. Sometimes, I even use just normal pellets for treats, haha.

Also, if you are worried about their weight, you can let them out more often and put them in agility.

[LBJ10]

Your younger one is probably okay getting “unlimited” pellets. You will want to start rationing your older one though. Depending on the brand, that is usually 1/8 cup per day for a 4lb bunny (or less if you are just using the pellets as a supplement and they are getting tons of veggies). The different types of hay are fine. Hay doesn’t really contribute to weight gain, unless it’s alfalfa.

[ilovemybunnies]

Posted By LittleBunnyPaws on 10/04/2014 12:04 PM

Also, if you are worried about their weight, you can let them out more often and put them in agility.

Oh, they have a large x pen and are free to be out 24/7. They have really done great with litter box training. I know they get plenty of exercise I just wasn’t exactly sure how much food they should be getting.

I only fed pellets once today. No treats aside from a pinch of forage mix in their hay. They also got cilantro. They seem to have survived just fine lol, so I guess they won’t be hurting too bad. Their diet will slowly be improving.
I don’t understand why different grasses of hay would be bad? I guess if they’re mixed with “treats” that’s one thing, but I don’t ever feed alfalfa, so why is just Timothy hay best?

[LBJ10]

Any grass hay is fine. Mine prefer oat hay, actually. I don’t think timothy hay is necessarily the “best”.

[litheandgraphic]

Posted By LBJ10 on 10/04/2014 6:11 PM
Your younger one is probably okay getting “unlimited” pellets. You will want to start rationing your older one though. Depending on the brand, that is usually 1/8 cup per day for a 4lb bunny (or less if you are just using the pellets as a supplement and they are getting tons of veggies). The different types of hay are fine. Hay doesn’t really contribute to weight gain, unless it’s alfalfa.

I agree with this, as well as with the notes on not feeding saltines. Those really aren’t good for bunnies.

Also, I would eliminate the Kaytee “with carrots” – you don’t want any “mix-ins” in your hay, especially not starchy, sugary carrots that should only be fed in very limited quantities. Similarly, the Nat Geo forage mix treats are filled with various fruits and carrots, and again should only be fed as occasional treats. Cut back considerably on these starchy and sugary things and that should help.

[Whobott]

My rabbit got pretty fat aswell (due to a pet-sitter incident) i feed him unlimited orchard grass hay some dandelion greens, parsley, and lettuce for his greens (about a cup of greens maybe a little less) and i feed him 1/4 cup of pellets a night, but when he was fat i fed hum half that amount and he lost weight pretty fast after doing that, also like littlebunnypaws said, agility training, for agility treats i pour 1/4 cup pellets in his bowl and use those but i dont give any extra at bed time so he doesnt eat any extra! you can also use craisins as treats (i do sometimes) but they are sugery so dont give many. Sorry for the rant! Hope this helps

[Booplesnoot]

I have a fat bun as well because of prior feeding habits. He had a dispensing type of food tray for his pellets that continuously refilled itself so… you can imagine where that led! He’s a mini lop but he’s a big boy anyhow, so right now his diet is 2 cups of spring greens (without spinach), unlimited hay, and a quarter cup of pellets (no refills if he dumps it!). He gets those little seedball clusters as a treat every now and then for him to chew on, but I limit those.

[Love4Bunny]

I would also suggest slowly introducing a variety of greens for your rabbits. You dont want to feed them the same stuff all the time. Check out the BB guidelines for feeding, and there is a list you can reference. My buns get a large mixing bowl of wet vege’s once a day, sometimes a little more because I approximate according to their weight. I stay away from all the packaged store-bought Nat Geo stuff. Honestly, Thor will scarf down anything if I let him.

Bunnies are a bit like toddlers – they will eat junk whenever, not necessarily because they’re hungry. Kids don’t always eat what they should, but they will likely say “Yes” to candy. I think it’s the same with bunnies, and if your rabbits appear hungry, you just give them the right stuff, and monitor their poop/ pee and eating/drinking habits. Of course, your bunners will have to adjust to a slightly new diet, so just keep an eye on their progress.

I have a greedy chihuahua, and I have to make sure he keeps his weight down – he ALWAYS behaves like he is hungry, even though he has a high-quality dog food. My other one can’t keep the weight on and turns into a walking rib cage in the winter, so she needs extra and she’s only just coming back to normal.

It’s great that you’ve working to improve your rabbits diet.

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