Male with dewlap

[GeorgeWash]

Hi all! I am a first time rabbit mom who adopted a 4 year old English Spot named George Washington. He is 8 lbs and they neutered him right before I adopted him a few weeks ago, so he’s def a male despite the dewlap. Could you guys look at these photos and tell me if he looks overweight?

Edit: just adding that I can feel his hips and spine quite clearly, not padded. He had the dewlap when I adopted him.

[Wick & Fable]

Although I don’t know how ideal shape varies across species, my initial reaction is yes he’s a bit chubby. He seems to have quite a large belly. Does he exercise often?

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.

[Mikey]

Dewlaps that size are a sign of obesity in male rabbits.

Are they completely sure hes an English Spot? He really looks like a mini rex to me, putting him 3lbs overweight and in the obese range. 8lbs is in the average range for an English Spot, so if he is, he shouldnt have a dewlap that size.

How is his exercise? What is his diet?

[Bam]

He does look a bit chubby. Males shouldn’t have a dewlap, but they get one if they’re over-weight. It’s more visible on a rex type rabbit, of course. I too think there’s rex in him, maybe he’s a rex cross, not necessarily a mini rex. Standard rexes are quite big.

Try cutting back on pellets. See if it gets him eating more hay. If he gets treats, cut back on those too, only give small bits.

[GeorgeWash]

So during the work week he is out of his cage from noon to 9 pm. I have two cat tunnels and a cardboard hut for him as well as balls. He randomly likes to take the cat toy wands when I play with him and “redecorate.” So cute. During the weekend he is out from 8 am to 9 pm.

I feed him fresh greens 3x a day, like a cup or more. Unlimited Timothy hay. I was feeding him about 1/4 cup pellets daily, but I’ve cut back on that. I’ve also been feeding him 1 small strawberry a day, which I know is a problem It’s normally to get him back into his cage.

In terms of his breed, the MSPCA said he is an English Spot//Mix (prob short for “we’re not entirely sure”) When he was surrendered he was 8 lbs 8oz, when they released him to me he was 8.5 lbs.

Recently I’ve been hiding his greens around the room, in his tunnels and up on a couch and stuff. He has certainly done some Bun 500 Hope this helps. I sit on the floor with him to play but mainly I end up being his grooming servant. Any suggestions welcome!

[Mikey]

As long as you keep him exercised like you are and keep him on a good diet, he should be alright If youre ever worried about it, head to your rabbit savvy vet to have him looked at just in case.

[Bam]

A small strawberry/day isn’t a problem. Half a banana per day would be a problem

His diet sounds good and his life sounds good. He has the English Spot markings, but he could be mixed with a rex. Rexes can be spotted too, they’re called Dalmatian rexes, although I don’t think they get that line along their spine (not sure though).

[GeorgeWash]

Just posting some more pics of my guy for additional perspective on his weight…

[Bam]

He does have a chunky dewlap, but the rest of him isn’t obese. Could he have been fat back in the day and then lost the weight before you got him? I’m not sure they lose the dewlap once they’ve developed one.

[GeorgeWash]

Thank you so much for looking and sharing your thoughts, bam! I want to make sure I give George a great bun life

[joea64]

It can be hard to tell sometimes when a bun is actually obese/overweight. Some body types can be deceptive. Polish rabbits, like my own two buns, have a very round, compact body shape, so they can look plump or even fat even though they’re actually lean and mean under all the fluff and are being fed a healthy diet with plenty of opportunity for exercise (like I hope mine are – I don’t get to let them out as much as I’d like but I do my best to give them several hours’ time in their X-pen every single evening, and they’ve been out and about in the pen most of the afternoon today).

[LittlePuffyTail]

Agree with the others, he’s def pudgy but super cute!!!!!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Agree with the others, he’s def pudgy but super cute!!!!!

[LBJ10]

He looks like a tri-color rex or rex mix. I definitely see rex though.

There is one other possibility. You could have an intersex rabbit. It’s more common than you might think.

[Author]

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