Diet time for Panda and Fernando!

[joea64]

So I took the buns for their semi-annual checkup today. They’re in fine health overall, but they need to lose some weight, I’ve been too overindulgent with feeding them over the winter. The vet instructed me to cut their morning pellets from 1/4 cup total for the two buns to 1/8 cup total, and cut back on their evening oat snack as well to no more than 1/8 cup total, also watch out on the sweet stuff. Fernando seems to be getting bored with Oxbow apple/banana baked treats anyway so I picked up some of their bell pepper treats (the vet has a full range of Oxbow products for sale, cheaper actually than Petsmart!)  Any other ideas? Rabbits seem to pick up weight fast and have a lot of trouble shedding it…

[Wick & Fable]

Why the oats exactly? That may be something you can reduce unless it’s for their health.

You could shift to the veggie oxbow snacks, which are lower in sugar so you can feed one more piece if you feel bad!

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.

[Wick & Fable]

Also I recommend getting them to exercise. So giving them the treat across the room, or holding it off a bit so they run a few circles around you before getting it. Also making them work for pellets too! Pelleet balls, or scattered on the ground.

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.

[joea64]

Posted By Wick on 5/05/2018 2:42 PM

Why the oats exactly? That may be something you can reduce unless it’s for their health.

You could shift to the veggie oxbow snacks, which are lower in sugar so you can feed one more piece if you feel bad!

I started giving them oats as a treat after Thanksgiving based on the recommendation of a fellow local bunny parent (oat flour is a major  ingredient in Oxbow baked treats, if you didn’t notice), and they love them; their evening oat snack is a high point of their day. I agree, though, it can definitely be reduced. I know Oxbow offers mixed-veggie baked treats as well as bell pepper, so I’ll see about trying those later on.

[sarahthegemini]

I should think cutting out the oats will make a significant difference. Oats are notoriously fattening so they shouldn’t really be getting them anyway. And make them work for their Oxbow treats or better yet, switch the Oxbow treats for herbs such as dill. My rabbits loved dill.

[joea64]

Posted By Wick on 5/05/2018 2:43 PM

Also I recommend getting them to exercise. So giving them the treat across the room, or holding it off a bit so they run a few circles around you before getting it. Also making them work for pellets too! Pelleet balls, or scattered on the ground.

That’ll be especially helpful for Panda – she’s always been the lazier, more sedate of the pair; Fernando is the high-energy bun.

[joea64]

Posted By sarahthegemini on 5/05/2018 2:49 PM

I should think cutting out the oats will make a significant difference. Oats are notoriously fattening so they shouldn’t really be getting them anyway. And make them work for their Oxbow treats or better yet, switch the Oxbow treats for herbs such as dill. My rabbits loved dill.

I’ve actually experimented in the past with giving them herbs as treats. Panda loves them, but Fernando is very picky unless they’re mixed in with the salad (actually, I’m thinking of starting to mix in some mint with their salad daily since I read in another thread that it’s good for their digestion).

[Daisy]

I think you already had this idea, but stop giving fruit also helps a lot. If you feel bad about not giving them a fruity treat, replace it with a veggie or a brand of pellets that differ from their main pellet meal. I give a few Beaphar Care+ pellets as treat sometimes. These pellets are known for their aromatic scent and my bunnies gobble them up happily. A good thing of giving pellets as treat is that they can be put in a feed ball that they have to roll around to get to the goodies inside, meaning excercise!

[joea64]

I’d actually like to get them a pellet/feed ball. I’ll have to look into that tomorrow, hopefully one of the local pet stores will have them.

It’s a very encouraging thing that Panda and Fernando really, really love their hay. In fact, I’ve often seem them go for the latest batch of hay in their litterbox before having their pellets or salad! It helps that the batch of hay I’m currently using is really good – I think it might be first cutting; it’s long-stalked, green, fresh, sweet-smelling and has a very firm, crunchy texture that is splendid for their teeth.

[OverthinkingBun]

I would quit the oats. I was specifically giving those to my rabbit when she was clinically underweight, and think they might be too fattening for a healthy bunny. I can confirm that it’s very fun to watch rabbits try to get all the pellets out of a treat ball

[Wick & Fable]

You can make a pellet ball with a toilet paper tube!

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.

[Muj Mom N Bun]

Yes, I would also be one to suggest cutting the oats out… and possibly the fruit… and I say this with my face wincing because it feels painful just to type it! Oats are very fattening and boy oh boy, Buns Love em!
There are many days where I switch on and off what “Fuller” diet I give BunBun, sometimes I reduce her down to only her hay and 1/4 cup pellets at night. (I do this because her poops almost always look a bit darker and softer than the dry greenish gray)

[Muj Mom N Bun]

And I clicked on this forum because I am on this morning to create a new topic: Guilty Pleasures!

[joea64]

Posted By Muj Mom N Bun on 5/09/2018 8:57 AM

Yes, I would also be one to suggest cutting the oats out… and possibly the fruit… and I say this with my face wincing because it feels painful just to type it! Oats are very fattening and boy oh boy, Buns Love em!
There are many days where I switch on and off what “Fuller” diet I give BunBun, sometimes I reduce her down to only her hay and 1/4 cup pellets at night. (I do this because her poops almost always look a bit darker and softer than the dry greenish gray)

As it works out, I’ve basically cut out the oats for the last few days now, though I may still give them a small handful as a special occasional treat, and have cut back their pellet intake significantly. Therefore, Panda and Fernando are now subsisting on hay and greens, with two Oxbow baked treats per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. They seem to be doing quite well with it so far, though it’ll take some time to notice any change in their weight. Maybe I really should invest in one of those digital scales…I saw them for sale at the vet for $65 last weekend, maybe I’ll stop by there again next time I go down to Fairfax for a hay refill.

[Daisy]

If you have small bunnies a regular kitchen scale with some kind of basket or box on top to put the bunny in will work fine! I always weigh my 2 kg and 3 kg bunnies that way and even the 3kg one fits on the scale in a box. If they are 4kg+ this method won’t work I think. If you have a luggage scale, that will work as well when you use a bunny carrier with it, even for bigger bunnies.

[joea64]

One week into the diet, I can already see some (positive, I hope!) effects. I’ve essentially cut out oats completely except as a special treat and have cut back significantly on their daily morning pellets. They were previously leaving leftover pellets in their bowl when I came back home in the evenings, now they’re eating every one of them. Also, Panda and Fernando have always been good about eating their hay, but now they’re even more diligent about doing so (helps, as I think I mentioned, that the current batch is very good quality). They’re pooping more frequently and more abundantly so that their litterbox is full of “bunny berries” and a lot of strays are scattered around their condo and even outside.

[Author]

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