Help! Is Smudge too skinny?!

[Princess*Smudge]

I was giving her a brush and a hair cut (which she hates me for right now and yes she looks funny but she will be so much cooler during the hot say) and I was noticing that I can feel her back bone when she is in a sitting position and in a “loaf”. As I explored further I felt down her ribs (which I can feel) and felt the end of her rib cage, which I read that at this point you should feel a small indentation before the stomach rounds out. On Smudge I can pretty much tuck my fingers in behind her ribs and the ends of the “cage” are very prominent to touch and I don’t really feel her belly afterwards. Also the bones on her legs are very prominent and on her back end. None of them stick out just looking at her. When she is stretched out she feels normal, everything is smooth and feels right.  Also underneath her belly is nicely round not concave or anything when she is in her “loaf” position. When I stroke her normally (given she had alot more hair before this) I could always feel her back bone but the ribs is what is scaring me right now. I feel awful how could I not have noticed them before?! Could it be her hair was just adding some padding and this is just the shape of her body? 

Her diet is good, she eats like a horse! She gets 1/8 cup timothy pellets every evening, her salad in the morning which consists (usually) of romane, red leaf lettuce and parsley about 1-1 1/2cups. I do vary the herbs and lettuce every so often to have some variety. Treats are rare only a few times a week usually a raisin or a small piece of apple. She also gets unlimited Timothy hay all day which I struggle to keep full, I fill her hay rack and her ball in the morning and the next morning there is still some left but it’s ready to fill again. She does not look any skinnier than she has before, she looks the exact same. I even put her on our bathroom scale (another thing she hated me for tonight) according to it she is still just slighty over 4lbs, probably 4.2 (the scale is pretty accurate but she could be only 4) which is what I was told is normal for a fuzzy lop. She has been this weight since she was about 10 months old. The last time she was at the vet was a quick emergency fit in because of her nail so we didn’t weigh her. I could just bring her in and have her weighed and ask them but I would just like to know if there is a reason to.

Please let me know what I should and shouldn’t be feeling on her?! Is her diet acceptable? Maybe I am just over worrying, she is acting completely normal btw happy as ever except a little p.o’ed at me tonight.   Maybe I am just worried and over tired I am going away this weekend and although I know she’ll be in great bunny sitter capable hands I always worry and this time my family isn’t here to calm me down they’re all away!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think you can normally feel bones, and her diet sounds great! She just sounds like she’s not chubby! When is your next vet visit? That would clear your mind

[Moonlight_Wolf]

I think you are supposed to feel their bones too. It just seems more weird to you because she has less fur. When I dig my fingers into Fern’s fur I can feel a lot of her bones, and she is not too skinny I am pretty sure becuase she gets unlimited pellets (because she is a baby) and she gets unlimited hay.

[Beka27]

im sure she is fine if she is eating well. the bigger concern is if she was overweight… i can feel Mead’s bones pretty prominently and i know she is a good weight, altho small for her typical breed. the vet would be able to give you a better indication tho if this is something you are seriously concerned about. the vet has seen underweight bunnies and can tell the difference betw/ that and just slender. if she were underweight, there are specific things you should and should not increase. i know alfalfa hay is high in calories, and i think adding some of that is preferable to increasing pellets or treats. but like i said, your vet would be the one to ask.

[JK]

Ditto.  I can also feel the backbone and ribs easily.  When I first got Edson he was 3.9 lbs and the vet thought he was slighly skinny but ok.  About a month ago I took him in for a check-up and he was 4.6 lbs so he had gained almost 3/4 of a pound.  He’s still at a very good weight, not at all fat.  I personally think he was much younger than we originally thought and just naturally put on a little weight.

[Princess*Smudge]

Thank you everyone, I just had a little panic attack hehe. I am just glad to know that everyone else can feel the bones on their buns too. I think because Smudge went from having about 3-4 inches of long fur all over to probably more like 1- 1 1/2 it felt so different to me. Her next vet visit is just after I go back to school, her last one she weighed in at 4.2lbs and had a clean bill of health so I think it was more just me worrying because all of a sudden there was less padding lol. Smudge btw is enjoying her new ‘do’ this morning I woke up to her flopped with her tummy up (I’ve only ever gotten a side flop from her) she was cooling off on tiles of the kitchen floor.

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