First things first, Welcome to Binky Bunny!

Have you taken Wade to the vet? Your vet can help rule out if his malnutrition and neglect has caused any long term damage, and if he has any other health problems – your vet can also make some suggestions as to what his ideal weight should be, and give healthy solutions to getting him there. Also, I would recommend that you cut out the yogurt and honey treats. Those do have a lot of calories, but they also have other ingredients that aren’t healthy. Stick with healthier treats like a sliver of apple or banana. The alfafa is a good start, as it’s higher in calories than timothy. I’ve also heard that adding a small amount of oats to his pellets can help add weight. Also make sure Wade’s getting plenty of fresh veggies! I know my bun loves romaine and parsley.

awww they’re both adoreable!  thank goodness wade has you looking out for him now

i was wanting to add a tiny bit of weight onto my 7yr old lop not long ago… i had cut back her pellets last november when the vet said she was a bit overweight but a few weeks ago i picked her up & she felt a little too skinny.  what was recommended & worked for her was just adding a slight bit more pellets.  i was giving her a level 1/4 cup scoop which she finished off and i increased it to a slightly rounded 1/4cup.  i do not have experience in rescue or have ever had a bun so wee as yours, but from what i’ve read up on this site the yoghurt & honey treats can throw off intestinal balance & may cause other issues like poopy butt.  what about offering unlimited pellets & hay and keeping the romaine amount steady?  good luck!

((((((wade))))))

Hi and welcome! Those are some mighty cute rabbit pictures! How many pellets exactly are you giving him?  What brand and are they timothy or alfalfa hay based?  As has been suggested, the yogurt treats and honey treats should be eliminated from his diet.  They are sugar-filled and the dairy in the yogurt drops really is not good for Wade (opt for a healthier treat like a sprig of mint, slice of apple or banana) the honey treats contain nuts and seeds which should not be in a healthy rabbit diet they have too much starch and can cause an impaction which could lead to GI stasis. If your Wade has an imbalance in his GI tract, the unfriendly bacteria could take over and actually cause just the opposite of what you want to happen so it might be a good idea to have a vet check that out.

A word of caution though about the carrots, they are the equivalent of a candy bar for humans and should be offered sparingly.  Since your Wade was a neglect case, start slow with introcing vegetables (The romaine is great!) and maybe try some of the more tolerated ones like parsely. Here is a comprehensive list of bunny-safe veggies: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144

For general dietary info: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=60

Are you giving him unlimited alfalfa hay?  You should probably offer only a handful in with a primarily timothy hay offering or even some oat hay. Be watchful of too much clacium in his diet.  How does his litterbox look, is his pee creamy white at all?  What about his poo?

Well I hope this helps and keep in touch!

Gorgeous bunnies!! You are too sweet-good job helping all those animals ****Vibes for Wade****

AND welcome to binkybunny!!

Your doing great! Some things my bunnies love as treats that you might have on hand at home are : banana slices, raisins, parsley, oregano, orange slices, papapya, pineapple, mandarins, berries. As for your question about oats, just grab rolled whole oats, it’ll be beside the ‘minute oats’ for making oatmeal in the breakfast cereal isle at your grocery store. To get weight on him I’d treat him like a baby bunny and allow alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets (no rationing).

Of course make sure you introduce treats or any new food slowly (i do one new one a day…so far that’s always been good for new stuff), you don’t want to have to deal with poopy bum!

Your doing a good job and thanks for helping the bunnies!! Keep us posted!

Hi Sam,

Welcome to you and Wade. It sounds like it’s a real blessing that you were able to rescue him, poor little guy.
I understand money is an issue right now – but it’s a good idea to start researching vets before there’s a true emergency. I think it would be a very good idea to get Wade in to be checked out, but it might be something you can’t swing right now.

here’s a list a NJ rabbit vets that might help: http://www.njhrs.com/vet.htm

the bald patch could be due to mites, fleas or even stress. just make sure not to use flea collars or frontline on him – but the vet might recommend Advantage or Revolution if it is fleas or mites.

as far as the weight gain – i’d likely keep him on an alfalfa diet and offer both timothy and alfalfa hays. generally we give bunnies a small sprinkling on critical care on their veggies to encourage weight gain, but has to be purchased through a vet or rescue group.

That’s great you have a vet to go to and I am so glad you help the shelter out too (they do sound great!).   One thought to consider is that the fur is thinner between the ears and that is normal. If you make any alterations to his diet, be sure to go very slowly on him. 

The challenge I think you know is having two unaltered males if you want to keep sweet Wade, would you alter him if you did?  The usual amount of time to quarantine I *think* is about 3 weeks. But I think I would wait until Wade is healthier and at a good weight as the extra stress of another rabbit around might make it a little harder on his poor body. Definately give him tons of love, be persistent with the pellets but be extra sure to give a good balance of veggies with the right nutrients since he is not getting it from the pellet food.  However, I am not sure how his GI tract will handle it.  I suppose there is no way of knowing what he used to eat?

That’s great Wade is doing so well!  It’s because he’s getting what he needs from you!  Great job!

Go Wade!  Yes, definately keep us updated!

yay for wade gaining weight!!!  nicely done!  def keep us posted… and more pics too please