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FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A New bunny concerns

  • This topic has 3sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Bam.
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    • SmellyBunny
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        I just got a new bunny to bond with my sweet boy. They got along so well at the “play date” I just had to get her. I love her dearly and I noticed somethings last night that are worrying me. For starts all her bones seem so sharp and easy to feel, yet she looks very fat and has two big lumps on her side, like a belly sticking out. Could her skin be loose? Her poops are also REALLY weird. They’re huge, and weird shapes. My current theory, based on how bad she looks, is that she was used for breeding, constant breeding in a cruel environment. That maybe she was kept in a very small cage eating only pellets, and maybe she’s all fat but no muscle which maybe could be why she’s so weirdly shaped. And maybe the weird poops are a side effect of that constant breeding. This is just a theory I’ve made up of course with no real proof. I’m just worried and don’t want it to be a serious health issue. Any thoughts? Has anyone heard of something like this before? She’s so sweet I’d hate for her to be in any pain.


      • Bam
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          Thank you for saving her! I think your theory seems reasonable. She could be fat and have too little muscle from sitting in a smallish cage all day and being bred continuously. Or it could be loose skin from having been fat. You should be able to feel the difference, though. You can always feel the spine and hip bones on a bunny because of how they’re anatomically built, but on a fat bun you can’t feel the ribs. There can be pouches of fat on the sides behind the “arms”. On girl buns there is as a rule a hefty dewlap.

          The poop weirdness could be due to her being in a new environment. There’s always a certain amount of stress when a bun goes from it’s well known environemnt to another place, even if the new place is a million times better. The bunny gut reacts, the pH changes in the cecum and the gut microbiota gets disturbed. Also if she’s on a new diet and her gut isn’t used to hay/greens, the gut microbiota will need to adapt. It will adapt, but it can take a couple of weeks.

          I think the best approach is to ensure a good diet with plenty of grass hay and a good amount of exercise every day. Although for starters she might not be keen on exercising, it can take a long time for a bun that’s been caged 24/7 to understand the concept of exploring and moving around. It’s like they have an invisible cage around them at first, so to speak.

          Weekly weighing is good, and you could also take a picture of her poop every day just so you can see how/if it changes.


        • SmellyBunny
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            You can feel her ribs and she definitely has those pouches, her dewlap is crazy big as well. I’m so glad this is heard of and she’s not just the weirdest lumpiest rabbit around lol. I will definitely start taking pictures for reference and getting her to exercise a bit. Thank you so much for your response and help!


          • Bam
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              Wishing you the best of luck with her, it sounds like she’s won the lottery with you =)

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          FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A New bunny concerns