Let’s try this again…

[xParadise]

Hey guys,

I posted a while back (re)introducing myself and my new bunny, Belle, a beautiful BEW lionhead. But unfortunately my post got deleted during the updates. Here’s her picture in case you don’t remember

http://i53.tinypic.com/voq52h.jpg

My original question had been about her not pooping, although she still had a healthy appetite. After she hadn’t pooped in 24hrs and she started barely touching her pellets and greens (although, she was still eating lots of hay), I decided to take her into the vet. She got a full exam (ears, teeth, the works), since I had just gotten her and wanted her all checked out, and the vet felt around her stomach for blockages, which she didn’t find. She was extremely knowledgeable about rabbits and was absolutely in love with Belle (she kept raving about how easy she was to handle). I was quite proud . She ended up giving her a shot to encourage gut-motility (have no idea what it was called now) and I brought her home and she pooped up a storm only a few hours later. Which was a great relief! The vet also shaved off some mats she had around her bum area (her previous owners obviously did not keep up with her grooming at all) which may have also been causing her some discomfort.

I’m happy to report she’s now a happy, healthy bunny and really enjoying the good life. Binkying around the house and sleeping on the bed I love her to pieces!

My only question now is, she is a little underweight and quite boney. She really isn’t a big eater. I’ve tried giving her extra pellets to fatten her up a bit, but I find if I just fill up the bowl, she’ll munch on them a bit throughout the day, but never really eat that much. I give her probably around 4 dried cranberries a day, which she gobbles up right away (probably the only thing she’s really a piggy for, hehe). Anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do about putting some weight on her? Thanks in advance!

[mocha200]

What did the vet say about her weight? How much does she weigh? What is her daily diet like?

[xParadise]

The vet said she might be a little underweight, I think she was about 3.2lbs when she weighed her, but she feels like a skeleton. She’s not as small as she looks in the picture and I don’t think she’s a purebred lionhead, she’s bigger than the average lionhead.
I typically give her about a 1/4 cup of pellets in the morning and a couple large handfuls of hay, and then about 2 cups of veggies (romaine lettuce, cilantro and parsley) in the evening when I get home from work, which she nibbles on throughout the night.
It’s been a looong time since I’ve had a bun as young as her though, she’s only about 8 months. Maybe she just hasn’t quite filled out yet?

[Andi]

What is the protine % of your pellets and what kind of hay?

If she is underweight, you could try upping the protine %, and since she is still under a year old I would feel comfortable adding Alfalfa hay to her diet. I do these things for older rabbits who have a hard time keeping on weight because of age.
I would also ask your Vet what she reccomends, i have found some rabbits are just ‘bonier’ then others (so far i see unspayed or late spayed females like this) though their body weight is ok.
If you’ve only had her a little while you may just want to wait it out a bit and watch for changes, before changing her diet.

[LoveChaCha]

A friend of mine and I both got bunnies at the same time. She got a Lionhead, and I go a Netherland Dwarf. We got our bunnies 1 week apart. My rabbit, the dwarf matured and was fully grown within a few months, while her Lionhead was still growing and adapting.

I agree with Andi’s suggestion with alfalfa hay, or even some Orchard grass. Orchard is very fragrant to a bunny’s nose and bunny may love it.

I would cut down on the cranberries. Too much fruit can cause a chubby bunny. I would say one piece of cranberry a day would be enough Bunnies can become obese really easily.

Have you felt his spine at all? Try running your hand down his spine (don’t apply pressure) to see if you can feel his spine standing out a lot. I read in the 2010 rabbits annual that you can tell a bunny is underweight by doing that.

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

Belle is adorable! I agree about the alfafa, since it’s usually used for growing bunnies : )

[xParadise]

Belle appreciates the compliment And yes, I can feel her spine sticking out quite far, and her hips too. Not sure what the protein % is in her food, I’ll have to check when I get home but they’re good quality pellets. Thanks for the help, I will try mixing in some alfalfa with her timothy (maybe do half-and-half?). She already loves her hay, I’m sure she’ll be happy with the addition! I’ve only had her a couple weeks, so I’ll give it a bit more time to see how it goes. Thanks again

[mocha200]

yes half an half would be be ok I think.

[Author]

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