Chubby bunny or not?

[skibunny8503]

When we first got Gracie, the girl at the shelter said she was thin and that she still needed to gain a little weight.  To me, she looked pretty fit…maybe a little chubby or stalky.  She was never fed properly by her previous owners.  So now she eats like a little piggy!  Sometimes I’m afraid that Archie might not get enough pellets because she inhales them.  I try to get him up to the top level get some pellets or fill them back up when she’s asleep so he can eat more. 

I think she’s afraid she has to eat everything really fast because that might be her last big meal.  She’s apparently a mini lop.  And I believe at the vet they said she was 4.5 lbs (maybe more, that was 3 weeks ago).  She runs around but usually just in the morning or late at night, rest of the time she just sleeps in her corner most of the day.  When she does run she’s not very fast and does a little butt wiggle for her binky but nothing else.  I figured she really hasn’t ran around that much since she was in a 2×2 hutch for I think, 4 years. 

I dunno…you be the judge:

 

[KatnipCrzy]

It is very difficult from a photo to judge weight- especially since she is within the weight range for Mini Lops.

When I got Schroeder he had been eating junk pellets (super cheap pellets)- no veggies and minimal hay.  I could feel his ribs and spine more prominently than on Penny and Cotton.  During some of the car ride bonding sessions- I took them to work (vet clinic) to weigh them and show them off.  Everybody thought Cotton was a bigger bunny- but she was 3 ounces less actually.  Schroeder eats like a pig- like Gracie does- and seemed to put the weight on in his belly.  (I did not weigh him before he started getting Oxbow pellets, veggies and unlimited hay- I wish I would have).  His fecal check was negative- so no worms.  The vet said that it will just take some time for the “weight” to distribute- and I have noticed he is slowly feeling less “bony”.  But there really is nothing to change with his diet- he is getting what he is supposed to- his body just needs to adjust.

Lops are more compact build than some other rabbits- so sometimes that makes them look “chunky” when they may not be.  Archie is a Mini Lop also right?  But the best way to tell is really hands on- how prominent the spine and ribs are or are not.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’ll second that it’s hard to tell weight by photos’-we had a bunny come back from foster extremely underweight and it took hundreds of photos to depict the loss accurately. And my bunnies Noot and Kahlua are very small but you can’t really tell by pictures how small they are-even when next to their bigger buddies Chuck and Rupert.

I’d have to say I think all animals should be a touch heavier then ‘fit’-I just feel more comfortable that way they have a bit of weight to help them if they fall ill. Obese is not good but I don’t mind my animals looking a bit chunkier then lean
From your pictures, your bunny looks like she’s a good size. Has she had a vet exam? It’s a good idea to have one done on any new pet (and regularly after that) -the vet should be able to tell you more accurately then us if she needs to gain weight or is healthy

[Beka27]

She has had a vet exam since Skibunny brought her home… (I believe she had coccidia, right?)

I agree that it’s hard to tell. She doesn’t look obviously overweight to me. As people, I know we tend to think “double chin” equals chunky (*Beka pats her double chin*) but with buns, a dewlap is a natural thing for females. I’ve seem buns with huge dewlaps and they are very skinny everywhere else. She may have been spayed a little later in life and that’s why it’s more prominent. How does she look stretched out? Max always seems so SQUARE to me when he’s hunched over like that, lops are quite boxy…but when he flops or lays down, he looks very slender and sleek. He weighs just barely over 5 pounds.

[skibunny8503]

I was never really sure if Archie was a holland lop or mini lop but when I brought him to the shelter she said he was Holland because he was smaller than her.  I think he weighted like 3 lbs or so.  Yes Gracie was at the vet and did have coccidia.  The nurse never said anything about her weight.  I believe she was at the shelter for about a month or so and she gained a lot of weight during that month.  I guess I never saw a rabbit like that with her legs looking stalky, but I never owned a rabbit that big.  She does look pretty good when she lays down though.  Her fur is a lot thicker than Archie’s, so that might make a difference too. 

Thanks guys

[Deleted User]

I can’t tell about being chubby, but wanted to say that Gracie looks very beautiful! She is super cute! I love her!

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