Chunky

[auntie]

[caption id="attachment_1999718" align="alignnone" width="225"] Does my bunny look fatHe is a lionhead mixed with Rex and he is 3 years old and he is an indoor rabbit. he is free roamed when supervised and when not has a huge cage with open door and a dog pen attached . Diet is unlimited hay,water, Home fresh show hutch deluxe extruded food 2 handfuls twice (morning and night) his green leaf lettuce every other day and occasionally treats. I have gently rubbing my fingers down his back and can’t feel his spine. I’ve patted him on his sides where his ribs are and I don’t  feel his ribs either. He does feel heavy when I have him in his carrier to the groomer and when he is on my back. My husband keeps telling me he is chunky. Should I switch his food to small pet select pellets which is high in fiber? And should I get a scale on Amazon?[/caption]

 
<p style=”text-align: center;”>I’ve attached his current food</p>

[caption id="attachment_1999720" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Current food[/caption]

 

 

[Wick & Fable]

What a cute loaf!

Unless a rabbit extremely, extremely obese, a single picture or description can’t reliably tell us whether a rabbit is overweight or not. Not being able to feel the spine is a good indicator of excessive fat; however, the best way to address this concern is with a rabbit vet.

I’m not familiar with the food brand, but the question of switching pellets should be based on nutritional value rather than rabbit weight– the amount of whatever pellet you choose is what weight impacts.

Here is a website that provides guidance of various pellets and whether they meet standards: https://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp

I recommend comparing what’s on your pellet bag to what’s shown and making a decision from there.

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.

[auntie]

Okay thank you 😊 maybe I’m being biased but yes he is adorable! I call him my fur baby😊 my husband and daughter think he’s very spoiled. I’ll check out the link you sent to me. I’ve been wanting to have him get a check up with his vet so I’ll give them a call

[LBJ10]

I agree. Make sure what you’re feeding him has an appropriate nutrient balance and make sure to feed him an appropriate amount. Many rabbits do not eat a ton of pellets. If he’s getting plenty of hay and veggies, then a smaller amount of pellets would be appropriate (even if the feeding instructions suggest more).

[Bam]

He’s adorable and he has the most elegant sideburns!

Show rabbit pellets are typically high in protein and fat. You can cut back on pellets if you suspect that he’s a bit too chunky. Healthy young-ish rabbits practically only need good quality hay, perhaps with some pellets during molting. It’s good to weigh buns regularly and keep a weight diary. Esp the fluffy ones can gain weight over time without the human noticing it.

It’s not possible to tell if he’s chunky from one picture alone, as the others have said.

[auntie]

I ended up switching his food to Small Pet Select pellets that says high in fiber Timothy Hay based formula.

i ended up buying a pet scale on Amazon. Cocoa weighs 8.8lbs. The new pellets give weight ranges for how much to feed.

for 8-10 lbs feed 1/3 – 1/2 cup. I was going to give him 1/4 cup in the morning and the other 1/4 cup in the evening.

thank you for saying he is adorable 😊 He is very spoiled! My husband told me that when I go into Cocoa’s pen he gets super excited and he flops down it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.

thank you all who responded with your input much appreciated!

 

[LBJ10]

If you feel he isn’t losing weight after switching to the new pellets, then you can decrease the amount of pellets. If he’s getting plenty of hay, etc. then he may not need the amount listed in the feeding instructions.

Also, be sure to make the switch slowly by mixing with his old ones.

[auntie]

Okay will do, yes I have a little left of his old food and been mixing it in with the new food. Yes he eats lots of hay as well.

thank you 😊

[auntie]

So the transition to the new food isn’t going well. I still have some of his old pellets and I’ve been doing the mixing of old and new food very slowly. I’ve also crushed up the old and new food together so he doesn’t see the new pellets and he isn’t eating the food. Now just hay and greens. I’ve kept the mix of crushed up food in his dish for 2 days now and yet he still refuses to eat the food. The new food is a lot more healthier for him and has Timothy hay . The old food had higher, calicium , protein , and had alfalfa hay.

im wondering what my next step is. Do i continue the transition or do I go to the store and buy his old food back and just cut down how much I give him? The old food doesn’t measure by his weight it does it in ounces.

[Bam]

As long as he is eating a good amount of hay and greens, I’d try the new pellets for a while longer. They’re less yummy than the old ones. Show bunny pet food is not made for lonevity in buns, it’s made to get the bun to showable form quickly (and for the fur to quickly become full and shiny). There are weight ranges for show buns of different ages and breeds, and to successfully show a bun, those criteria must be met or the bun will get  disqualified. Fur that’s not yet fully set will get low scores. For these reasons, show bun pet foods tend to be high in fat and protein.

If he’s not eating hay and esp if you see his poop become smaller and fewer, then it might be good to get more of the show bunny food and do the transition extremely slowly. But if he eats hay I think he’ll eventually forget his old pellets and start to consider the healthy pellets quite good enough 😃

[auntie]

Okay that makes sense. I have just a little bit left of his old foo that’s why I was wondering too if I should buy more to have on hand for just in case. I also this morning sprinkled some dandelion greens on his new food. He ate the dandelion greens but not the new food.

[auntie]

I decided to take 2 pieces of his new food and cover it up with a small piece of banana as banana’s are his favorite and he devoured it. So he loves his sweets. Because I then tried to hand feed him 1 of the pellets without anything and put his nose in the air. I then dumped out the new pellets out of his food dish and put it on his blanket with his hay that was on there and it appears that he may have eaten some of the pellets. Hoping this works 😊

[Bam]

Fingers crossed it’ll work! Rabbits can be such picky eaters, they’re actually one of the most picky species. They go for the most calorie-dense foods first, which makes sense if you’re a prey animal who rarely has  time to enjoy a meal in peace. Our domesticated rabbits have retained this behavior.

Hopefully he’ll understand that the new pellets are more calorie dense than hay and greens, and if he wants calories, these pellets are his best bet 😄

(I just now remembered I had a similar problem back in the day when I switched my Bam to a new, healthier pellet. He did eventually comply but it took some time.)

[auntie]

Thanks to all who has been helping me through this challenge. Yes fingers crossed 🤞

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