Normal Weight Gain

[bern]

Hello!

I would like to seek opinion/advice regarding my rabbit weight.

I have bought my rabbit (Angora Breed) for a consultation on the 6 Feb 2022 and was informed that she is on the skinnier side with a weight of 1.16kg (taken on that day). I have been monitoring her since then, however, was wondering now if it’s of concern as I felt that she has been growing in length but not really in size (her body shape is almost like a pole shape and I can feel her bones more than before).

Her weight on 1st April 2022 was about 1.54kg.

As such, would like to seek advice if this amount of weight gain/weight is normal, and should I book an appointment for consultation or I can wait till 13 May 2022 (she is scheduled for her sterilization surgery on the 13 May)?

She is being her usual active self, and is eating and drinking well too. She’s turning 5 months in a few days time.

Thank you!

[Wick & Fable]

Since a rabbit’s healthy weight is very much contingent on genetics (and breed weight ranges are arbitrarily set and don’t typically apply at all when we think about mixes), the best bet is ensuring you are providing your rabbit with the age-appropriate diet in the recommended quantities, paired with proper exercise. If all else is fine (i.e., no parasites or medical conditions leading to abnormal weight gain/loss), then your rabbit should ideally transition into what is her healthy, normal weight upon becoming a full-grown adult.

For information on age-appropriate diet, see here: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Diet#Age … our site here does a good job at outlining an adult rabbit diet, once your rabbit reaches that stage: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/healthy-diet/

As mentioned, since sheer number citations aren’t helpful for making judgments, it’s best for you to judge based on feel. See here for helpful guidance/images around scoring a rabbit’s weight: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Weight_management#Body_condition_scoring

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.

[DanaNM]

Angora’s tend to need more calories because they are growing their coat, and at her age she would also be growing still.

Can you describe her diet? She should be on an alfalfa based young rabbit pellet, and may need a larger ration (or even unlimited pellets since she isn’t 6 months old yet).

. . . 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.  

[bern]

Thank you all for the advices/suggestion!

I guess the weight score is in between score 2 and score 1? (cause she’s quite fluffy hence might be a bit challenging for me to feel her actual bone structure). I’m a first time bunny owner by the way! Thus might not be able to judge accurately.

I’m feeding her about two tablespoons of mix baby pellets (Sherwood Baby Rabbit Pellets and Momi Complete-A Young Rabbit Pellets) per day, and unlimited alfafa hay + handful of timothy hay (was told by the vet that I could start to mix timothy hay inside her diet). I’m also giving her herbs daily.

I did ask the vet if I should increase the pellets, but she told me not to.

 

[DanaNM]

Hmmm, that’s a bit odd. 2 tablespoons is a very small amount of pellets for a young rabbit. I don’t want to go against the vet advice, but you might ask them again, because that is much less than most people feed a 5 month old rabbit (usually it’s closer to 1/4 cup if not unlimited). When rabbits grow it is normal for them to get longer/taller first, and then fill out as they settle into adult hood.

You can give unlimited timothy hay now. Most people prefer to only have alfalfa in the pellets, and give unlimited timothy from the beginning to help establish good hay eating habits early.

In any case, I think it’s OK to wait until she goes in for her spay, I don’t think you need to have an additional appointment.

. . . 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.  

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