Overweight Bunnie

[SirThumpsey]

Hey everyone, My name is Sherry and I absolutely adore rabbits. You’ve heard of the crazy cat lady, well my friends call me the crazy bunnie lady. I actually live next to the crazy cat lady.  Well anyway, I recently aquired Profesor Harriet “Bunnie” Kauffman from a friend and she is pretty big and I believe she is overweight. I’ve said before that she is a little aggressive (which I hear can be normal for unspayed females) which makes it rather difficult sometimes to actually check. I cannot feel her ribs or her backbone. I’m guessing her previous owner fed her many treats.

 

How can I get her running around and get more excersize? Should I also slowly reduce her food intake? I feel it might be easier for a human to lose weight because they understand why they can’t have as much food but I’m not sure she would understand. I want to do what I can to make sure her last years are spent being healthy and happy.

 

On an unrelated topic, I read that they have harnesses for rabbits. Both of my rabbits are lops and I don’t really think they would fit over their ears. Also there’s also a few problems with the walking idea…cause they could hurt themselves trying to get away or possibly even get loose. Have any of you tried these rabbit harnesses & leashes? I like the idea because I don’t think it would be safe to just let them run around in the yard since it’s not enclosed.

[Carrot Lane Bunny]

I had a leash and harness for DJ and in my opinion they are horrible he just struggled and struggled.

[Sarita]

Yes, I do not recommend the harnesses either but that is just my opinion. Especially if she does not like being touched.

Do you know yet what type of activities she likes? Is she a tosser or does she like tunnels? I know she’s pretty new and due to her aggression you don’t know what type of play she might prefer. Or maybe she’s a digger and she would like to dig in a phone book which would give her some activity too.

I think I would cut back gradually on the pellets too – how much pellets are you feeding her?

[KatnipCrzy]

I think it is easier for a pet to lose weight than a human- a pet does not have the emotional baggage that some humans have.  I am sure at first she will not be excited about a reduction in pellets- but eventually she will adapt and probably feel better once she loses some weight.

What are you feeding her now?  If she has unlimited grass hay, a good quality timothy pellet (gradually reducing amount) and veggies/greens- you should be able to get her to lose some weight.

Now that my bunnies are both adults and are settled into their home- I have reduced their pellets to 1 Tablespoon in the am and pm.  My bunnies do get treats pretty much daily- Craisins and other dried fruit (a small amount)- I have found that they are doing great on such a limited amount of pellets.  I know another member here was feeding that amount- so I decided to switch to a 1 Tablespoon scoop in the pellet jar- and the bunnies are at a great weight and activity level- and they eat much more hay which is good for them.  Not to mention I am definitely saving money as the pellets are more expensive than the hay- and veggies/greens stayed the same amount.

You can always try handfeeding her some of her pellets to increase your positive interaction with you and become more accustomed to you.

[SirThumpsey]

I did try the phone book. She didn’t seem too interested. I have put newspaper in her cage (to cut down on clean up) but she ripped it up. I don’t know how that’s different but she seemed to like newspaper better than the phone book. She tried to go behind the couch yesterday so I think tunneling would be her thing. I’ve never seen a rabbit toss but Sir Thumps plays chase and hide and seek with the dog. My dog is a smaller breed so I’m not too worried about them playing.

Her last home had her on hamster food. I’ve had hamsters and I’m pretty sure that it’s a higher calorie diet. From what they have told me, she refused to eat pellets. They had a hamster so they have been feeding both the rabbits (they have two…two girls, we think) and the hamster the hamster food. They got a big bag of it and when I took her I grabbed some of her food. She does seem interested in the pellets I feed Sir Thumps but she won’t eat them very often. She usually just pees on them. I have been slowly trying to get her to eat more, but she doesn’t seem to like them. The hamster food has a lot of different stuff in it and I think she may just like the variety of it. I used to get the rabbit food with all of the different things in it but Sir Thumps would only eat the pellets. He only eats pellets and she hates pellets. It would be alot easier to have them on the same food. It would be a little irritating to get different foods for each of them.

I have found that she loves eating flowers from the garden. Roses are her favorite and I always pick the thorns off first. I have been giving her some dandilions as well. Not many of us in the house eat veggies except from a can, but I have been pushing to get more veggies. She’ll eat carrots. The whole bag probably if I let her. I have been trying to introduce new foods slowly incase any of them make her sick.

She tried to eat some of the dog food today which was pretty alarming. I called a friend who raised rabbits for years and she said that it’s not that bad for them, it’s better than cat food. The only problem she said was that it’s animal protein and not plant protein. I put it up so she can’t get to it and now she is laying on the tile floor. She seems pretty happy right now but I know if I were to try to get her back in her cage she’d throw a fit. She reminds me a little bit like a toddler.

She did let me pet her when she was laying there. Guess she was a little tired from pooping everywhere >.< Note to self: litter train the rabbit.

I was actually considering the harness for Sir Thumps a lot since he loves being pet and if I open the door to our enclosed patio he bolts for the door. I want him to experience the real outdoors but after reading that your rabbit struggled, I don’t want to stress him out.

[Sarita]

I would definitely work on getting her off that hamster food – you are right, it’s not good for her.

I think it will take some strength on your part to get her off of it, because I bet she can be stubborn. I say just keep trying, don’t give her the hamster food – I doubt that she would starve herself and if she’s hungry she’ll eat. It’s true the rabbit pellets probably aren’t as yummy as that hamster food with all the extra’s but she is going to have to learn to acquire a taste for them.

How is she about her hay? Does she like that?

[dmh426]

So, I reduced Sophie’s pellet intake and kept everything the same. She is out and about for at least an hour every night, even on my busiest days, and more on the weekends, like 5 hours a day. I make sure she runs around, let me tell you. I felt like I was starving her by cutting her pellets out. I went from a 1/4 cup a day to 1/8 cup a day, to now an 1/8 cup every other day. It’s made such a difference! Her little thunder thigh fat is gone and her dewlap is muhc less pronounced. Keep up the hay and veggies, and cut out pellets, slowly. Worked for my pleasantly plump bunny! oH, and by veggies, I mean green ones. Carrots are actually high in calories or something and should be treated as a treat my vet told me. interesting, right?

[Bunnies4ever]

That’s the same thing I did with my foster bunny Cleopatra. When she first came to live with me from the shelter, she was very overweight and had a large dewlap. I knew this was from eating a full bowl of pellets from the shelter staff. I immediately started limiting her pellets very slowly, from 1/4 to 1/8 and plenty of hay. She started losing weight and lost her dewlap. When she went for her exam, the vet was very pleased. She’s a much more happier, healthier bunny now. I wish I could eliminate pellets all together, but they seem to really love them even though they only get less than a tablespoon.

[SirThumpsey]

She practically begs for hay. What am I saying? She just begs. I figured the hamster stuff was bad and I can understand why she would like it better. Just like some us would rather have icecream then salad, she’d rather have hamster food than regular pellets.

She has the biggest dewlap I have ever seen. They are very sweet too and I know it’s not the greatest for her, but I like to make sure she is actually eating. I did noticed that her poo is a lot smaller than my other rabbit so I am getting a little worried.

So if she loses weight she will have a smaller dewlap? Interesting. I didn’t realize that that was how it worked. At first (this is kinda funny) when I saw her dewlap the first time, I was worried it was a tumor. I didn’t know that large female rabbits had them. Luckily someone told me before I rushed her to the vet. I’m sure they probably would have looked at me like I was an idiot.

Lets see…Limit pellets, more hay and green veggies and more exersize. Now I just have to figure a way to motivate her to actually run around.

[Bunnies4ever]

That’s good that she loves her hay! Give her as much as she wants. I didn’t think it was possible to lose a dewlap once you had one, but Cleo’s practically disappeared and it didn’t take too long. Make sure she gets plenty of exercise. My bunnies are couch potatoes and it’s hard to get them motivated. You can check out the toy section to see if you can make something to stimulate her. I hear the bunny maze is great too. My bunnies don’t care for newspaper, phone books or toilet paper rolls. They pretty much ignore them. They love to toss the kitty balls around (the plastic ones with the bell inside) and wooden blocks (for some reason).

[SirThumpsey]

That is interesting. I will try everything I can as long as it’s safe and she enjoys it. Sir Thumps a lot doesn’t play with toys much either, just the dog. The dog seems to enjoy it though and it is pretty cute to watch them play. When he is done he always lays down the law.

My dog basically follows them both around when they’re out because he likes to eat rabbit droppings. It’s the strangest thing I have ever seen but I have heard that that is pretty common. He has litterally climbed in their cage to raid the litter box. >.< It's quite a disgusting sight and I'm not sure if it is safe for the dog. I'm sure the rabbits don't enjoy their home being raided for poop, or maybe they don't mind because in a way he's cleaning up the place. lol.

Also, I was wondering if you guys knew if licking another animals genitals was a sign of submission. My dog always licks the rabbits. I think he might like the taste of their urine. It’s a pretty disgusting thought but considering his track record of poo eating, I really wouldn’t be surprised. I also noticed that Bunnie will lick Sir Thumps a lots urine and vice versa but i think that could just be because she wants to mate with him. *shakes head* Have any of you see anything like this?

[SirThumpsey]

I have been slowly switching her to pellets and we’re making progress. She is eating pellets! Yay. If I try to offer her only pellets she gives me this look like “What the heck is this crap?” -.- She’s a handful….I weighed her yesterday and she weighs….*gulp* …6 1/2 lbs.

This is going to take some serious work.

[Sarita]

Do you have an idea of what her ideal weight should be? Is she a dwarf rabbit? Because 6 1/2 pounds doesn’t sound like alot to me but I know with rabbits much depends on the size of the rabbit.

[SirThumpsey]

The pet store told my friend it was a Holland Lop but they weren’t sure.

It doesn’t sound that heavy but I can not feel her ribs or her backbone…(yet!)

She is probably supposed to be a smaller breed of rabbit. I might need help identifying her true breed but it’s quite possible that she is a mutt.

[Furface]

I have had Bugsy outside on a harness many times. They are not reliable. She got startled one day & squished up her body & slipped out right thwer the neck hole in 2 seconds flat. Luckilly she just ran in the trailer. I still use it for car rides. I’m not the driver.

I have a NIC pen set up outside. You can make in as big as you can afford. I use 2 cubes high. I have them zip tied together without the factory sent joiners. This makes them more movable. You also have to be there watching because if bun desides to dig out. it only takes 1 minute. I just move the cube away, allow the dig exorsize with no escape. LOL

[SirThumpsey]

Well, she is definitly pregnant. That might have something to do with her weight. After she gives birth I may just take out her pellets and give her lots of veggies. I’m not sure because I want to make sure that she can produce enough milk for the babies. She refuses to eat her pellets. She got used to all the extra stuff. She’s been eating her hay and she loves her veggies and the flowers I give her. (She loves roses.)

I found that she really likes to dig. She keeps rearranging her cage (although that could be because she is expecting.) She also picked up a bunch of hay in her mouth (I tried to take a picture but the lighting was all wrong) and ran around the room with it. She dropped a little here, a little there. It was strange but so cute. She put her head back and it looked like she was smiling at me.

I’m going to really try to set up a NIC pen and see how that works out. Sir Thumps a lot is a chewer and also likes to rearrange his house…alot.

[Sarita]

Oh goodness, how long have you had her? Their gestation period is generally 31 days.

[Elrohwen]

If she is pregnant, she’s going to need a lot of calories in order to produce enough milk. I would ask your vet or check the bag of food for what is recommended, but she should probably not be restricted during that time as feeding babies is very stressful.

[SirThumpsey]

I got her on June 10. I have had her for a little less than a month and since she has been showing nesting behaviors for the last couple days I am thinking that it could be any day now.

I have been giving her a lot of treats to help with the pregnancy and milking.

After she has weaned them, I will consider taking out the pellets. She doesn’t eat the pellets at all but I still offer them to her. I’m starting to wonder if I should put her on something with more “stuff” in it. I know they have rabbit food with dried carrots, pellets, corn kernels and some other flavored things.

She just will not eat the pellets so I have been giving her more snacks and stuff to make sure that her calorie intake is high enough.

I’ll keep you guys updated.

[Sarita]

No, you don’t want to give her those pellets with all the extra’s since she’s not eating the stuff that is good for her.

Try offering her some fresh alfalfa too.

[Beka27]

You might have posted this somewhere else that I didn’t see (I apologize if I am repeating it), but you may want to take this opportunity to read up on caring for an accidental litter.  This way you will know what supplies you need to get together to make this as easy as possible.  Like Sarita said, gestation is about a month, so she should have them any day now.  Rabbits going thru a false pregnancy exhibit the same signs as a pregnant rabbit, so if in the next few days there are no baby bunnies, that is probably what happened.

BB has some links to articles that may be of some help:

Pregnancy/Babies – Uh Oh, Surprise Litter?:

• http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html
• http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
• http://www.rabbit.org/care/newborn.html
• http://www.mybunny.org/info/newborn.htm

 

[SirThumpsey]

Thank you. That information was very helpful. A good friend of mine has experience in rabbit kit care. She has taken care of them for years. She has offered to help. We have even found homes for some (or all depending on the number).

She said because she is older and this is her first litter that it probably shouldn’t be as large.

She also said that her behavior probably means she is going to give birth in the next 48 hours. I’ll be sure to post pictures then.

[SirThumpsey]

Bunnie has passed. She hemoraged while giving birth. I was not home to try to save her. I am still in shock right now, but I’m sure it will hit me hard tomorrow. She was such a sweet little girl.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

My gosh! I am so sorry ((((((FEEL BETTER VIBES TO YOU))))))

[SirThumpsey]

Thank you moonlight wolf. I appreciate the vibes. I know I will be okay.

Now my mission is to save her son/daughter.

[Isabelle88]

aww I’m so sorry for your loss, I was reading the topic becuase my girl bunny Julie is a bit over weight and I was picking up on tips but thankfully no way Julie can be preg,

I hope you are able to save the babies, best of luck to you.

to all reading this:
I have read 2 stories now about the moms hemorrhaging while giving birth, does this happen alot, is it common?

[SirThumpsey]

It is definitly something to watch for. I don’t know how common it is though. I’m thinking that it is just something that happens.

There is only one baby and she has the will to live. I am doing everything I can to keep her.

Thank you all, very much.

[Author]

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