Bunny is underweight

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This topic has 12sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 7 months ago by Willow.

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- 04/16/2021 at 3:14 PM
  Willow
  Participant
  39 posts
  Hello everyone, I have a 6-month-old holland lop bunny, and I’m pretty sure he is underweight because when I pet him I can feel his spine and it is quite pointy and his backbones too. Any way on how to make him average weight? I don’t want to overfeed him pellets as he doesn’t eat that much hay. He refuses to even eat hay from the litter box and prefers to eat it outside the litter box. Please help or give any tips. Thank you
- 04/16/2021 at 7:40 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17027 posts
  Young bunnies tend to be on the lean side until they stop growing size-wise. When that happens, they start to fill out more. What are you currently feeding him?
- 04/16/2021 at 9:38 PM
  Willow
  Participant
  39 posts
  I’m currently feeding him 1 cup of veggies in the morning with 1 tbsp of pellets, then in the afternoon, he gets 1/2 cup of veggies with another tbsp of pellets. That’s about it and he has unlimited orchard grass hay.
- 04/17/2021 at 4:22 AM
  jerseybunnies
  Participant
  47 posts
  There are two things I’d recommend:
  
  One: Maybe he is getting pickier with his hay. Try some varities, such as Timothy hay, which my bunny enjoyed. I either gave him the Oxbow western Timothy hay (red bag) or I bought the 25 lb bale of Timothy Grass Hay at Tractor Supply Co., And that was cheaper so I would recommend buying a bale from TSC (if you have a TSC near you) if you ever want to buy hay in bulk. I did the math and it saved me $350 from the small Oxbow bags a year.
  
  Two: Look at what kind of pellets he is receiving. At this point he shouldn’t be on adult pellets. They should be quality pellets without muesli type ingredients, as quality pellets will include nutrients essential to young rabbit’s growth. I recommend Oxbow Essentials Young Rabbit Food or Sherwood. Small Pet Select is another alternative. Go for quality over quantity too.
  
  I also wanted to ask, could he have a parasite or an underlying medical condition? What was the last time he went to the vet for a checkup, and what did they say?
  
  These are just my suggestions. Please seek an experienced veterinarian if you have medical needs / questions. Thank you!
  - 04/18/2021 at 1:30 AM
    Willow
    Participant
    39 posts
    Since I’ve only had him for a month he hasn’t been to the vet yet but I will be taking him soon. He was on timothy hay so I recently switched to orchard grass which he enjoys more.
- 04/17/2021 at 5:15 AM
  Cinnamon Bun
  Participant
  205 posts
  You could try and cut down on his veggies. Maybe you’re overfeeding them? Leafy greens contain a lot of water in them, so they could cause a bun to lose weight if they’re eating too much. I’d give him one cup of greens a day since he’s just reached adulthood. Once he gets a bit older you could slowly increase.
- 04/17/2021 at 11:18 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  How long have you been feeding just 2 tablespoons of pellets?
  
  Young bunnies should usually have more (some people say unlimited up to a year old, but usually that’s a bit excessive), so if he’s been on that ration for a while then he might not be getting enough calories.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 04/18/2021 at 1:27 AM
    Willow
    Participant
    39 posts
    Hi, I’ve only had him for a month but I had been feeding him 1/4 cup but he wouldn’t eat much hay so I decreased the pellets to 2 tbsp to increase hay intake which worked out.
- 04/17/2021 at 2:41 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17027 posts
  I’m going to agree with Dana. He may not be getting enough. He’s only 6 months old, so (as a dwarf breed) he should just be reaching his adult size. Then he should continue to “fill out” between 6 and 9 months or so. Are they adult pellets or a junior formula?
  - 04/18/2021 at 1:26 AM
    Willow
    Participant
    39 posts
    Hi, the pellets are an adult formula. Should I increase the pellet intake or should I buy a junior formula?
- 04/18/2021 at 10:02 AM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17027 posts
  At this point, it would probably be best to just stick with the adult formula and increase the amount.
- 04/18/2021 at 1:11 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Yeah, I think you could go back to 1/4 cup and see how he does. Maybe now that he’s got a taste for hay he will have higher hay intake.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 04/18/2021 at 1:22 PM
  Willow
  Participant
  39 posts
  Okay thank you for the advice I’ll try that and see how it goes
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