need help w/ emaciated bun

[SamC]

Hi, I’m new to this forum. I have 1 bunny of my own, Peter, and 1 foster boy, Wade.

I foster the small animals for the MCSPCA in NJ. On Sunday I picked up a bunny (lionhead mix?) who had been severely neglected. He was confiscated from a woman with 3 dogs and many many cats in a cruelty/hoarding situation. Aside from being soaked in urine as his cage was absolutely filthy, Wade is extremely thin. He is only 2.6 lbs and I’m sure that he, if fed properly, could reach at least 4lbs.

Aside from being very thin (and you can feel all of his little bones) Wade also has a small bald patch on the top of his neck and between his ears. It’s actually more like a thin patch than a bald one, but I was wondering what that could be from.

If someone could help me out with suggestions on getting some weight on him, that would be really great.

I have been giving him: pellets, alf-alfa, yogurt treats, kaytee honey treats, as well as romain lettuce and carrots.

Thanks so much!

 

BTW: here are some pics of my boys…

First is Wade(foster), then Peter.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/SamsPigs/HPIM3501.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/SamsPigs/HPIM3510.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/SamsPigs/SamanthasPictures656.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/SamsPigs/SamanthasPictures618-1.jpg

[Staja]

First things first, Welcome to Binky Bunny!

Have you taken Wade to the vet? Your vet can help rule out if his malnutrition and neglect has caused any long term damage, and if he has any other health problems – your vet can also make some suggestions as to what his ideal weight should be, and give healthy solutions to getting him there. Also, I would recommend that you cut out the yogurt and honey treats. Those do have a lot of calories, but they also have other ingredients that aren’t healthy. Stick with healthier treats like a sliver of apple or banana. The alfafa is a good start, as it’s higher in calories than timothy. I’ve also heard that adding a small amount of oats to his pellets can help add weight. Also make sure Wade’s getting plenty of fresh veggies! I know my bun loves romaine and parsley.

[babybunsmum]

awww they’re both adoreable!  thank goodness wade has you looking out for him now

i was wanting to add a tiny bit of weight onto my 7yr old lop not long ago… i had cut back her pellets last november when the vet said she was a bit overweight but a few weeks ago i picked her up & she felt a little too skinny.  what was recommended & worked for her was just adding a slight bit more pellets.  i was giving her a level 1/4 cup scoop which she finished off and i increased it to a slightly rounded 1/4cup.  i do not have experience in rescue or have ever had a bun so wee as yours, but from what i’ve read up on this site the yoghurt & honey treats can throw off intestinal balance & may cause other issues like poopy butt.  what about offering unlimited pellets & hay and keeping the romaine amount steady?  good luck!

((((((wade))))))

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi and welcome! Those are some mighty cute rabbit pictures! How many pellets exactly are you giving him?  What brand and are they timothy or alfalfa hay based?  As has been suggested, the yogurt treats and honey treats should be eliminated from his diet.  They are sugar-filled and the dairy in the yogurt drops really is not good for Wade (opt for a healthier treat like a sprig of mint, slice of apple or banana) the honey treats contain nuts and seeds which should not be in a healthy rabbit diet they have too much starch and can cause an impaction which could lead to GI stasis. If your Wade has an imbalance in his GI tract, the unfriendly bacteria could take over and actually cause just the opposite of what you want to happen so it might be a good idea to have a vet check that out.

A word of caution though about the carrots, they are the equivalent of a candy bar for humans and should be offered sparingly.  Since your Wade was a neglect case, start slow with introcing vegetables (The romaine is great!) and maybe try some of the more tolerated ones like parsely. Here is a comprehensive list of bunny-safe veggies: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144

For general dietary info: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=60

Are you giving him unlimited alfalfa hay?  You should probably offer only a handful in with a primarily timothy hay offering or even some oat hay. Be watchful of too much clacium in his diet.  How does his litterbox look, is his pee creamy white at all?  What about his poo?

Well I hope this helps and keep in touch!

[SamC]

Thanks so much everyone. Wade was seen by the vet at the shelter (not a very rabbit knowledgable one though). It really is a great shelter(I’ve been volunteering there for about a year), but when it comes to the “exotics” : guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, birds etc. they could do a better job. The staff, while very caring, has almost no knowledge about most of the small animals and I always worry that they aren’t getting the attention/care that they need. The shelter is undergoing some major renovations now and as space becomes even more limited, I worry about the exotics even more. So I made a commitment to the shelter that I would foster any exotics that came in and find them homes on my own. And what a challenge it has been!lol Nevertheless, I will do my best to help whatever fosters I can. Because of this, and the fact that I’m in high school and have a part-time job, I can’t really afford(money is not the problem, transportation/time is) to take Wade to a “bunny knowledgable” vet right now. However, if I feel that it is neccessary, I’ll get him to one even if it means skipping school and taking a cab lol.

Right now Wade is getting a brand of pellets called “Big Red” its from a feed store because I like to buy animal supplies in bulk (trust me, I have a lot of animals lol). I believe it is timothy based, I looked for alfalfa based pellets in Petsmart and Petco but I didn’t find them. I’m really not even convinced that Wade is even eating his pellets. I filled his dish on Sunday when I brought him home and it doesn’t really look like he has touched them : ( . He is getting a mixture of timothy and alfalfa hay. I’m not sure what oat hay looks like, but I can try to get some. I will lay off the treats, the last thing the poor guy needs is a digestion problem. Where can I buy oats? I can’t make the trip to the feed store(its about 45 min away) for a while and I’m not sure if Petsmart/Petco has them.

I haven’t really seen any signs of calcium deposits in his pee. His poo looks normal to me, but I’m no expert. It seems a lot bigger than Peter’s poo, but all rabbits vary in that department, so I’m not sure.

I’ll work on getting parsley for him as well. What healthy treats can I give him? I noticed that he is very food motivated and I have been working on training him to do simple tricks for example: standing on his hind legs to get treats, jumping through small hoops, lol. He seems to enjoy it.

Thanks again everyone! I’ll relay your compliments to the boys…
-Sam

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Gorgeous bunnies!! You are too sweet-good job helping all those animals ****Vibes for Wade****

AND welcome to binkybunny!!

Your doing great! Some things my bunnies love as treats that you might have on hand at home are : banana slices, raisins, parsley, oregano, orange slices, papapya, pineapple, mandarins, berries. As for your question about oats, just grab rolled whole oats, it’ll be beside the ‘minute oats’ for making oatmeal in the breakfast cereal isle at your grocery store. To get weight on him I’d treat him like a baby bunny and allow alfalfa hay, alfalfa pellets (no rationing).

Of course make sure you introduce treats or any new food slowly (i do one new one a day…so far that’s always been good for new stuff), you don’t want to have to deal with poopy bum!

Your doing a good job and thanks for helping the bunnies!! Keep us posted!

[Gravehearted]

Hi Sam,

Welcome to you and Wade. It sounds like it’s a real blessing that you were able to rescue him, poor little guy.
I understand money is an issue right now – but it’s a good idea to start researching vets before there’s a true emergency. I think it would be a very good idea to get Wade in to be checked out, but it might be something you can’t swing right now.

here’s a list a NJ rabbit vets that might help: http://www.njhrs.com/vet.htm

the bald patch could be due to mites, fleas or even stress. just make sure not to use flea collars or frontline on him – but the vet might recommend Advantage or Revolution if it is fleas or mites.

as far as the weight gain – i’d likely keep him on an alfalfa diet and offer both timothy and alfalfa hays. generally we give bunnies a small sprinkling on critical care on their veggies to encourage weight gain, but has to be purchased through a vet or rescue group.

[SamC]

Hi everyone,

Wade is doing better everyday. He has become very friendly and demands attention . I have an exotic vet that I use for my guinea pigs and I know he specializes in rabbits as I know he was recognized by the House Rabbit Society. I have never used him for Peter because he has never been sick and was too old to neuter when I adopted him. I would definatley trust this vet if Wade takes a turn for the worst. But, I think the little guy is just going to continue doing well. I’ll be sure to get some oats and healthy treats for him. I was wondering about how long I should quarenteen him from Peter. I’m not planning on introducing them, as they are both unaltered males, and I don’t think they would like eachother very much, but I wanted to know about how long I have to wait before they can be in the same room. Right now I shower and change my clothes before I handle Peter. I’m a bit paranoid about transfering anything to my baby .

I was actually considering keeping Wade, he is such a curious, funny little guy! I have really started to become attached to him lol. However, I don’t want to pay any less attention to Peter. And I want to have room for another rescue should one need fostering. Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how Wade does before I make any decisions.

-Sam

[Scarlet_Rose]

That’s great you have a vet to go to and I am so glad you help the shelter out too (they do sound great!).   One thought to consider is that the fur is thinner between the ears and that is normal. If you make any alterations to his diet, be sure to go very slowly on him. 

The challenge I think you know is having two unaltered males if you want to keep sweet Wade, would you alter him if you did?  The usual amount of time to quarantine I *think* is about 3 weeks. But I think I would wait until Wade is healthier and at a good weight as the extra stress of another rabbit around might make it a little harder on his poor body. Definately give him tons of love, be persistent with the pellets but be extra sure to give a good balance of veggies with the right nutrients since he is not getting it from the pellet food.  However, I am not sure how his GI tract will handle it.  I suppose there is no way of knowing what he used to eat?

[SamC]

Hey there, I just wanted to let everyone know that Wade is doing really great. He is now 3.5 lbs. I’m not sure if it is possible for a rabbit to gain a pound in a week but unless my scale is wrong, Wade has done just that. He has become sooo friendly and I think he will make someone a terrific pet (perhaps me ). I’m going to test him out with a litter box and see if he can learn to be a house bunny, as he has only ever lived in a cage. If I end up keeping him, then I would definately neuter him.

Thanks again everyone, I’ll keep you posted on Wade’s progress.
-Sam

[JK]

That’s great Wade is doing so well!  It’s because he’s getting what he needs from you!  Great job!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Go Wade!  Yes, definately keep us updated!

[babybunsmum]

yay for wade gaining weight!!!  nicely done!  def keep us posted… and more pics too please

[Author]

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