Obese bunny on diet…how to do it

[Karla]

I got this new bunny yesterday – 3 yrs old and really obese.

She has been fed daily with ½ banana, ½ apple, 1 carrot, lots of treats and all the pellets she could eat. And no time outside her small cage.

I am not sure how to do the diet…she is getting spayed on Monday (if it is even possible because of her weight), so right now I am just feeding her hay and small amounts of pellets – and a little bit of cabbage – so she doesn’t get stomach problems before surgery.

But I just read now that eventually I should take away the pellets completely and only feed her hay and some greens (what is the difference between greens and vegetables?? ), but that I should do it slowly so she doesn’t get liver problems. But how slow is slowly?

Anyone in here who has had an obese rabbit and has some tips and ideas to share? Or just anyone else with an opinion?

My boyfriend thinks the bunny is disguisting because of its look and that it is a waste of money to have her spayed as she will problably die due to her weight within 2 weeks Poor bunny – maybe she was a big mistake, but I just know I can help her.

 

 

 

 

[Sarita]

I think first you need to try to get her more active – activity will be the key.

I think greens and vegetables are just the same – kind of one of those interchangeable wording things. I would not change anything at this point though since you need to just get her spayed and she will not want to be as active for a few weeks.

However do take away the apples and bananas. Keep the pellets, hay and greens for now. I would start measuring out pellets though – how many pellets is she getting now.

I hope you can change your boyfriends opinion – she is not a mistake and while it will take you awhile to get her into shape, you are doing a nice thing by helping her – she will be a challenge for you and you might get frustrated but in the end you will get her to a healthy weight and make her a happy rabbit. I personally love these kind of challenges where I am making a positive difference for an animal that needs my help.

Why would he think she would die in two weeks? I definitely recommend that you make sure you do have plenty of pain medication for her – it may take her a little while to recover due to her body condition.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Your BF should have more faith! I am sure she will be able to become a healthy happy bunny.
I am really curious to what she looks like, can you post a picture?

[Monkeybun]

Definitely drop the treats, aplles, bananas, and even the carrot for now. Limit her pellets too, thats just far too much treat foods for one little bunny. Most adult bunnies are limtied on their pellet intake. She definitely needs exercise, keepign her in the cage all the time will make for one unhappy and chubby bunny. Let her out a bit, whether in a pen or in a room thats bunny safe.

And your BF is just being mean She won’t die in 2 weeks because of her weight.

[RabbitPam]

I agree with Sarita. Is this the bunny that you are going to bond with your other bun?
Cutting back on the treats will help, but they are very sensitive in their digestion to change, so I would cut back on her regular food gradually so she’ll ajust to it well. The vet would not do a risky surgery if her weight were that serious a complication. And she’ll be much healthier after her spay in your care because you will be straining her system with more of the fattening foods she’s been on.

How old is she again?
Pix please. We can do a before and after picture gallery of her as she diets with you.

[MooBunnay]

I think it is a wonderful thing you took this poor bunny in – she really needs your help. It is definitely not a waste of time, if she has survived to this point, she is definitely going to get healthier and healthier. You do need to take all those fruits out of her diet. I only give my bunnies one tablespoon of pellets in the morning and one at night. Don’t feel like you need to slowly transition the fruits out of her diet, you can cut them out right away. Replace those with some nice leafy dark greens, like romaine or cilantro. Give her plenty of hay, and I’d even recommend cutting down the pellets to 1/4 cup per day right away, but if you are more comfortable transitioning over a couple weeks to that smaller amount than thats OK. BTW, give the BF a punch in the arm for me! Poor little bun bun

[jerseygirl]

LOL Moobunnay!
My Rumball was (still is) carry extra weight when I got him. I just cut down his pellet intake and upped his veggy (lots of greens leafy veg). Plus he get’s alot of free roam time. It helped he was a good hay eater because he didn’t really miss the pellets much as he filled up on hay. Though his weight may not have changed too much on a scale, I can see a real difference in is body shape and activity level.
With a female, the weight may show more (?) They can have those big dewlaps. As she is 3 and unspayed, I would urge she have a thorough health check and maybe wait until she’s lost some weight before the spay. Just my opinion – it’s what I would do.

[Karla]

I think my boyfriend was just shocked to see the bunny as he was expecting a tiny little girl…the family did not tell me about her obesity so I hadn’t warned him. And yes, I have told him not to be so mean to the poor thing.

I don’t feed fruits at all to Karl and this new bunny, Molly, will not be given any either. So no worries there. The same goes for treats. I have cut down drastically on her pellets, but she doesn’t eat it – she only seems to eat hay now and cabbage. Which I guess is good.

The thing is…she pees all over the place. I am unsure if it is because Karl is around and she is marking territory, but as long as she is doing it, I find it hard to let her out. So she ought to be spayed soon, but then again, could she survive an operation?

Do you think the dewlap will disappear?

 

[jerseygirl]

I think the dewlap can reduce in size. With the peeing, I’m not sure it would entirely be due to her being unspayed. My guess is her weight and health might come into it. Can you lay down a large peice of plastic in a room and let her roam about in there? You could put a litter box in there too and see if she’ll use it.

I got my 2nd bunny much the same way. I hadn’t seen him or knew too much. But I traveled over to “look” at him and there was no way I was leaving without him. I didn’t even know if he was going to have any health issues, I just knew I could give him a good home. You are doing a great thing for Molly.

My personal view is you tackle some of the health issues and let her settle into the new lifestyle before you spay or bond. There are complications with overweight rabbits, they have trouble cleaning themselves and can sometimes get urine scald. If she was sitting in her own filth at her former home, she could have developed a urinary tract infection which may be why she pees everywhere. I guess get a vet check up and follow their advice about how to proceed.

By the way, congratulations on the new bunny!

[Karla]

She does look like she has trouble cleaning herself…I think I noticed something under her tail, which should not be there. And I can see that she has troubles cleaning her eyes and ears. She had something at the corner of her eye, which I thought was dirt and removed, and then she started to bleed.

I am glad you say this, Jerseygirl, about the spay – I really do want to wait. We still have an appointment with the vet tomorrow and he can give her a check. She drinks all the time. We have been discussing if she might have diabetes, or it might be because she wants a lot of water to mark the territory.

I will let her stay in her cage the next couple of days – don’t you think that will be best regarding her littertraning? I have given her a huge toilet box now that takes up half the cage, so no excuse to miss it now And then I take the urined newspapers and put in the toilet.

At least, Karl is madly in love with her, and is glued to her cage, so I have hope for this.

[jerseygirl]

Please understand I’m a complete novice – lol. I just have the same concerns you have, can she survive an op with her weight issues? etc
Good point about diabetes too. It’s not really common in rabbits but is a risk that obese rabbits can develop, just like humans. I agree, keeping her caged will aid her litter training, but I do think she’d benefit with some time to get out too now and then.

Very cute how smitten Karl is with her. Really hope they do bond swiftly when the time comes.

[Sarita]

Was she an outside rabbit before? Sometimes outside rabbits drink more than inside rabbits.

I would wonder too about a UTI as well. As for diabetes it certainly can happen but it is not common. And waiting for the spay is fine too if you have concerns. Might not be a bad idea to take her in for a good overall exam now. The vet can weigh her to and do a urinalysis. Also if she’s been outside a fecal test.

[Karla]

They say she was an house rabbit. What is UTI??? Just to know, so I could ask the vet to check her for it

*pictures removed*

 

 

[Sarita]

A UTI is a urinary tract infection. She’s a little overweight certainly not obese – not nearly as bad as I thought she would be. She’s very cute.

Sneezing is most likely just a change in the environment – something in the air is irritating her.

[RabbitPam]

She’s not nearly as fat as I was picturing. She’s beautiful! No wonder Karl is smitten.

This may not apply to bunnies, but I learned that when we diet, it breaks down the fat and we get rid of it through our own urine. So it’s possible that her reaction to your new diet for her is to pee away some of what she is losing. Her digestion might be getting better, so she may be clearing out some of the fats with her system cleaning her out nicely, so that’s a possibility.

Taking her to the vet for an overall evaluation will both reassure you and let you know exactly what condition she’s in. The vet can do some blood work if you want to test for diabetes or other possible issues. She definitely needs time to ajust to her new home. Having her in her cage initially will be OK, but you could let her out into a confined area for some exercise and bonding with you a few times a day. You can watch for her to pee in her litter box, then take her out right after that so she’s unlikely to need to go again soon. (But if it is territorial, it might happen anyway.)

[Karla]

She really does look bigger in real life…but okay, Karl is so small and tiny, so anything will look huge next to him But I can’t believe you say she is only a little bit overweight…but I am happy to hear that ’cause then the spaying might still be an option tomorrow. She is letting out some thick creamy fluids whenever Karl humps her, so until she is spayed, I cannot bond these two inside the apartment at least.

Maybe you are right about the urine and her new diet. Hadn’t thought about it. I read that if the diet happens too fast, the fat can congest the liver and make her ill, so it would make sense that she is getting rid of it through her urine. But I have only had her for 1½ day, so I think she is reacting too quickly perhaps for that to be the main reason.

Thank you all for your replies. I will write back tomorrow after having been at the vet to tell you how much she weighs and what he said

But really, you don’t think she is fat?? I should show some pictures of her rear! ‘Baby’s got back..’

[kralspace]

She’s a beautiful rabbit, maybe you could rub a bit of banana on you BF without him knowing so she’d play up to him….lol.

I have a mini-rex who is a chunky monkey too. She’s slowly slimming because she loves to be out and about and I follow Sarita’s advice (she was her foster mom and had started her healthy program) Lola does get mad when she sees everyone else getting their pellets and I hate to deprive her mate of his share. So while Lola’s out in the house, I scatter a dozen or so pellets about to keep her busy and give Daisy his ration in the condo.

I had to give Lola a few butt baths because she couldn’t always get around to clean herself. There’d be this brilliant white bunny hopping around with a great black wad of poop stuck to her butt!.

Despite her weight, Lola is very active and likes to explore. She can’t jump on the couch, but I have old pillows I put beside it and she’ll spend all night running up and down them.

I think you have a kind heart and the bunny is lucky you’ve taken her in. I think you’ll have fun working to slim her down once she’s over the spay and all.

good luck, Kathy

[Sarita]

What type of thick liquid? Does she seem to strain when she urinates? That thick creamy liquid sounds a little like bladder sludge to me. Definitely have the vet do a thorough check up on her before she is spayed.

[Karla]

Sarita: No, no her urine is just fine – the thick white liquid is only when.. ehrm… Karl is doing what bunnies like to do. I think it is because she is sexually turned on. The family had never seen her release this liquid before, but the mom in the family works in a kindergarten that has rabbits, and she recalled having seen it when they are in heat.

But yes, I will ask the vet to really check up on this as well. Haha, this is going to be one expensive bunny I should bring Karl along as they have 2 for 1 prices

Kralspace: are you doing something special to make her loose weight? And how slowly are you taking it?

[Sarita]

Well sometimes activity can help release sludge so it’s possible this activity is releasing the sludge – just something to consider and not rule out.

[Karla]

OH!! Thank you for that information. God, you are so clever in here. Don’t know what I ever would have done without this forum! I will definitely suggest this to the vet – he might not think about this. So you are saying it MIGHT be in relation to a UTI?

As for the bonding: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/11/aft/106146/afv/topic/Default.aspx
I have two pictures of the loving couple…

[Sarita]

I cannot say for certain if she even has sludge or a UTI, but just based on things you’ve mentioned they’ve come to mind. I would give the vet the same information you have given us though so that it can help him/her make any diagnosis since they are the professionals.

They are cute together.

Let us know what the vet says.

[kralspace]

Besides getting almost no pellets, she gets lots of greens and hay, so as pitifully as she may look at me, I know she has plenty to eat.  I do tend to stick to the lower calorie veggies (only tiny slivers of carrots for example) I don’t have a scale, but I can see in the year or so I’ve had her, her fat rolls have slowly gotten smaller and more importantly, she can clean herself thoroughly.

Over that time I’ve watch her binkies go from grounded spastic body wiggles to full blown airborne binkies.

I took some advice and would hide a fairly smelly small treat like a raisin inside 2 paper sacks, under the hay in the litter box or in grass ball so she’d work hard for it.

Right now she’s molting so she looks a lot bigger, I’ll take a photo when she slicks back down. I guess it would be easier to restrict her diet if she were a single girl, I hate to impose the same restrictions on poor Daisy.

Kathy

 

PS, Lola’s mate is a Dutch, and even though Daisy is very slim, he still has that dutch roundness, especially in his cute bunny butt…lol maybe that’s why you BF thinks she’s so overweight

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