Is my Bunny overfed

[Riley]

My Bunny tobey who is about 6 years old, has always seemed like a big boy, he just loves his food! I know bunnies are meant to eat fairly constantly while they are awake. I feed him one cup of Alfalfa and fruit mix everyday as well as apples and carrots. He also has grass to eat. Is it possible that I am overfeeding him, would more grass be better than treats such as carrots and apples and other fruits and vegies? He is let out in the garden in the day and spends most of his time munching on the grass but always run to me when he knows his Alfalfa and fruit mix is comming.

He just seems to be a little overweight and I am a little scared that as he gets older his weight could become a probelm. He has a very big maine and sometimes has trouble getting his paws over it to clean his face. Would this suggest he is overweight? any tips would be great? thanks

[LittlePuffyTail]

I would suggest switching from Alfalfa pellets to Timothy pellets. Alfalfa is more fattening and he should be eating Timothy at his age. 1 cup of pellets is a lot. How much does he weigh?

[Sarita]

What makes you think he’s overweight? I wouldn’t want to abruptly change anything at his age if this is what he is used to.

[tobyluv]

The recommended quantity of pellets is 1/4 cup per 5 pounds of body weight per day. So if your rabbit is a large breed (10 pounds or so) he should be getting 1/2 cup of pellets a day.

The most important component of a rabbit’s diet is hay. They should have unlimited grass hay such as Timothy or orchard grass, not alfalfa hay. They should also eat leafy green vegetables, and not a lot of fruit since that contains too much sugar.

Here is one list of recommended vegetables. If your rabbit is not used to eating veggies, you should very slowly introduce them into his diet.

Carrot tops
Cilantro
Beet tops
Swiss chard
Dandelion greens and flowers (no chemicals or pesticides)
Parsley
Clover
Kale
Cabbage
Collards
Broccoli – including leaves
Escarole
Carrot
Romaine lettuce (no iceberg lettuce)
Brussel sprouts
Endive
Radicchio
Mint leaves
Bok Choy

I would be concerned about letting Tobey run around in your garden. Predators can come out of nowhere to attack them, even if you are close by, and rabbits can get worms from eating grass or other vegetation that dogs or other animals may have used the bathroom on. Plus there may be some plants in your garden or yard that aren’t good for rabbits to eat.

[LoveChaCha]

I would suggest limiting the fruit. Fruit has a lot of sugar and could make a bunny a little chubby.
I second the switching from alfalfa pellets to Timothy. timothy is for adult rabbits

[Beka27]

What has the vet said about his diet and weight?

Just glancing at your list of food, it certainly sounds far too rich, but Sarita makes an important point that sudden changes in diet could cause more issues that good. The House Rabbit Society’s diet page details a complete daily diet for rabbits. You can also find that info under “Bunny Info” on this page.

Something I am concerned about, is he getting hay or just fresh grass? Hay provides a lot of fiber, keeps the gut moving and the teeth in shape, and should make up the bulk of his diet. Fresh grass is not an alternative to dry, stalky timothy hay.

[Riley]

Thanks for the info =), ill be getting timothy hay.

[Author]

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