Rabbit weight

[Kailaeve1271]

I recently adopted 9 rabbits (a mother, father and 7 babies) and 2 wild baby rabbits to rehabilitate (mentioned in a previous post). The female and male are seperated and all the babies now have good homes. I’m worried about the mother though. She is a mixed breed so I cannot figure out what an accurate weight for her would be on a scale. Her spine is showing severely but she is still chunky in the stomach and her ribs feel healthy. Is it like this because she was pregnant at her last home? I’m worried about her. Is there a way to fix this?

[Wick & Fable]

Posting a picture would be helpful, but since there are such concerns, I would highly recommend getting professional advice from a rabbit experienced vet. A rabbit experienced vet may have insight on what you should and should not expecting in a recent mother.

Can you outline her diet and quantities of food presented?

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.

[joea64]

Do you have a picture of her that you can post so we can see what she looks like? Is she eating/drinking/toileting normally and being active? In point of fact, with rabbits of normal weight you should be feeling their spine when you place your hand on their back.

[sarahthegemini]

You should be able to feel the spine and a little padding. You shouldn’t be able to see it, so if it’s showing severely – that’s not right. Could you take her for a check up?

[Kailaeve1271]

She is currently on unlimited Pellets until she slows down eating. She just finished feeding the babies less than a week ago so I’m allowing her to still eat all the Pellets she needs. She also has unlimited hay. I give her vegetables every other day. A small piece of carrot, two green lettuce leaf, one red luttuce leaf, thinly sliced cucumber pieces, two pieces of bell pepper, some parsley and two cherry tomatoes. She also gets a slice of apple once a week as a treat.

[Kailaeve1271]

I will try to post a picture and she is doing all of her bodily functions (peeing, pooing etc.) just fine. I will try to post a picture soon and there is padding but her back still feels like the back of my elderly dog.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Kailaeve1271 on 9/20/2017 8:18 AM

She is currently on unlimited Pellets until she slows down eating. She just finished feeding the babies less than a week ago so I’m allowing her to still eat all the Pellets she needs. She also has unlimited hay. I give her vegetables every other day. A small piece of carrot, two green lettuce leaf, one red luttuce leaf, thinly sliced cucumber pieces, two pieces of bell pepper, some parsley and two cherry tomatoes. She also gets a slice of apple once a week as a treat.

She should be having veggies every day. I think you should perhaps change what veggies you are giving her – rabbits need leafy greens so cucumber, bell pepper and cherry tomatoes aren’t really suitable for their daily veggie allowance. Leafy greens include lettuce (which you’re already giving ), kale, coriander, rocket, watercress, spinach, bok choy, spring greens, chicory, mint, dill, thyme etc.

[Kailaeve1271]

I am just giving her the vegetables that I have ready for my guinea pigs. I was told they eat the same, but I guess I should have asked advice from multiple people who knew what they were doing. I will buy more leafy greens when I am going to the store. How many vegetables should they be fed per day?

[joea64]

Posted By Kailaeve1271 on 9/20/2017 8:25 AM

I am just giving her the vegetables that I have ready for my guinea pigs. I was told they eat the same, but I guess I should have asked advice from multiple people who knew what they were doing. I will buy more leafy greens when I am going to the store. How many vegetables should they be fed per day?

I think I see part of the problem there (the bolded part). The recommended diets of rabbits and guinea pigs are not, in fact, the same. Guinea pigs need foods from which they can get vitamin C (like humans); rabbits produce their own vitamin C. I recommend you check the House Rabbit Society’s list of vegetables and fruits which are considered rabbit-safe, and beyond that are most recommended for rabbits; most people here use that list as their basic checklist for fruits and veggies.

http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetab…bbit-diet/

As far as the quantity goes, the usual recommended quantity is at least 1 cup per 2 pounds of adult body weight per day. Remember that grass hay needs to be at least 75%, preferably 80% or more, of your bun’s daily diet.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Kailaeve1271 on 9/20/2017 8:25 AM

I am just giving her the vegetables that I have ready for my guinea pigs. I was told they eat the same, but I guess I should have asked advice from multiple people who knew what they were doing. I will buy more leafy greens when I am going to the store. How many vegetables should they be fed per day?

A lot of people think guineas and rabbits eat the same but they have very different needs More leafy greens sounds good! Just introduce each one slowly.

A wide variety is needed but as for specifics, I *think* I read somewhere that 4 to 5 per day but I might have imagined that  I had to cut out all veggies for a while (am slowly reintroducing them) but I was providing 8 or 9 per day.

[Kailaeve1271]

It will not allow me to post the photo

[Kailaeve1271]

I am feeding them Bok Choy, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, parsley, kale and cucumbers (only cucumbers because they are outside due to allergies and it gets very hot here in Georgia). Could anyone tell me a good rabbit food brand and hay brand? I’m just feeding them a hay bale from tractor supply and Oxbow Pellets. I’d prefer to give them a healthier option if it’s available though

[joea64]

Oxbow is a very good brand. Are you offering them Oxbow Young Rabbit (alfalfa) or Adult Rabbit (timothy) pellets? I assume you’re giving them hay from those big compressed hay bales (Standlee brand) that you can get at Tractor Supply – I’ve seen them there. The maker claims they’re meant as fodder for horses and such rather than small animals, but if you read the reviews, a lot of rabbit owners report successfully offering them to their buns (though you have to be careful as always about dust and mold). If you have a Pet Supplies Plus store near you, they sell 128-ounce bags of timothy hay for $17.98; in fact, there’s a sale going on with 56-ounce bags for $4.99 (usually $9.98) each, I picked up two the other day to tide over Panda and Fernando until I can get resupply from my regular source this weekend.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Kailaeve1271 on 9/21/2017 7:06 AM

I am feeding them Bok Choy, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, parsley, kale and cucumbers (only cucumbers because they are outside due to allergies and it gets very hot here in Georgia). Could anyone tell me a good rabbit food brand and hay brand? I’m just feeding them a hay bale from tractor supply and Oxbow Pellets. I’d prefer to give them a healthier option if it’s available though

Those greens sound great

Oxbow is a good brand so I’d stick with those pellets if the bun’s are okay on them. Is there a reason you want to switch hay? A lot of people use hay bales although I personally don’t (I’m looking into it tho!) I use Readigrass – green oat and timothy. 

[Kailaeve1271]

The only concern I have with hay is it is brown, dry and stiff. I feed my guinea pigs Oxbow hay because they refused to eat the tractor supply stuff. I’m wondering if rabbits have a preference like the guinea pigs. I do not have a pet supply plus bear me. Just Petco (which I refuse to go to), Petsmart and Pet Supermarket (which I avoid as well if possible). Also I am feeding the Adult Rabbit food

[joea64]

Yes, it’s better to make sure the hay is as fresh as possible and mainly a green/greenish color (gold is OK). Hay can vary significantly in textures, stiffer/tougher is better for the buns’ teeth since it wears them down more but buns definitely have their individual preferences!! What you need to be most careful of is mold (look or smell), dampness, or excessive dust.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Kailaeve1271 on 9/21/2017 7:18 AM

The only concern I have with hay is it is brown, dry and stiff. I feed my guinea pigs Oxbow hay because they refused to eat the tractor supply stuff. I’m wondering if rabbits have a preference like the guinea pigs. I do not have a pet supply plus bear me. Just Petco (which I refuse to go to), Petsmart and Pet Supermarket (which I avoid as well if possible). Also I am feeding the Adult Rabbit food

They definitely cam have preferences, my two monsters are fussy lil things  I’d say try them on the Oxbow if you’ve already got it on hand for your guineas. Can’t hurt to try!

[Kailaeve1271]

Okay I’ll have to try it! I was also wondering if there was a way to calm down a male rabbit. I’ve been told fixing him may help but he also might still be aggressive. Whenever I hold him he kicks and bites me. When I open his cage generally he will either run to the back and growl at me or he will come to the front and beg for food. If I put my hand in to clean the cage or change out his water and don’t offer him vegetables he bites and attacks me. I’m scared he will attack my little brother or somebody else. He has drawn blood from me several times including on my neck and I’ve only had him for a month. The only times I’ve touched him without him allowing have been to move him onto the ground to let him roam around supervised, which he enjoys. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong with him but I need an alternative to help him be nice. Multiple people who have seen him attack me or other people tell me I need to sell him for meat which I would never do, but if I have to get rid of him most likely his next home will decide he is to mean for a pet. I really don’t want to get rid of him. Is there anything I could do other than fixing him (that is a last option. I’d prefer not to put him into surgery unless I have to. Last animal I had fixed died and I don’t want to repeat that)

[sarahthegemini]

Having him neutered would probably help considerably but I can understand why you are not keen on that. Sorry to hear about your previous animal

Generally speaking, rabbits don’t like being picked up because it scares them/makes them think they’re in danger so it’s not unusual for a bun to kick and scratch to get away. My Buttercup has scratched my partner and Peanut has scratched and/or bitten. And they are not aggressive in the slightest! It’s best really to pick them up as little as possible. Especially to begin with. Perhaps when you’ve had him for a while and he’s comfortable you can try to get him to tolerate it but for now, try to stop picking him up. It sounds like he’s a little afraid of you at the moment as well as a bit territorial (him running/growling/biting) so your best course of action in my opinion is to help him realise that you’re not a threat and try not to invade ‘his space’ so try not to touch him, or reach into his cage too much whilst he’s in there. And when he’s out, try ignoring him. Bunnies are naturally very inquisitive little monsters so chances are if you ignore him, he’ll eventually come to investigate. At this point, you could offer him a treat so he begins to associate you with something nice (and yummy) Remember, do not touch him yet. Wait til he is comfortable just being around you and then try to pet him once or twice.

I really do think a lot of aggressive behavior can be due to fear. Just be patient with this little guy It can take a while for him to feel comfortable. My Buttercup was happy to be pet within a couple weeks. Peanut on the other hand took months. So its important to be patient and understand that from his point of view he is in a new environment with potentially scary predators (humans!) He has to learn that he’s safe

[joea64]

I agree with Sarah. Panda has been with me for nearly 5 weeks now, and she’s only now beginning to tolerate/accept/enjoy being petted on the forehead (the best/default spot to pet a bun on) for more than a brief moment at a time. It’s been boring at times sitting or lying down in the X-pen and watching them eat hay for up to half an hour at a time while seemingly ignoring me, but it’s beginning to pay off. Both Panda and Fernando are coming so close to me routinely now during floor sessions that I can feel their fur and whiskers brushing against me, and Fernando is now allowing me to nose-boop him on the forehead.

[Kailaeve1271]

I’ll definitely be working on it! Thank you! Would getting him a buddy work? Can you put two males together or will they fight?

[Kailaeve1271]

I’ll definitely be working on it! Thank you! Would getting him a buddy help? Can you put two males together or will they fight?

[sarahthegemini]

Two males can be buddies but you have to go through a bonding process. It’s the same process whenever you put two buns together. They are very territorial so the proper bonding process is very important.

[Kailaeve1271]

Today I opened up his cage and waited for him to approach. If he did I was going to give him a carrot as a treat well he did approach me and I softly tossed the treat beside him so I didn’t go into his cage. He reached his head for out of the cage and curiously sniffed me ignoring the treat. Then out of nowhere he bit me! I wasn’t even in the cage and he gave no warning sign. Was I doing something wrong?

[joea64]

Posted By Kailaeve1271 on 9/22/2017 7:14 AM

Today I opened up his cage and waited for him to approach. If he did I was going to give him a carrot as a treat well he did approach me and I softly tossed the treat beside him so I didn’t go into his cage. He reached his head for out of the cage and curiously sniffed me ignoring the treat. Then out of nowhere he bit me! I wasn’t even in the cage and he gave no warning sign. Was I doing something wrong?

Did he really bite you hard (as in breaking the skin/drawing blood) or was it just a nip? I’ve found in my own interactions that my two buns generally don’t give warnings before they nip (as a rabbit would if he were preparing to attack or defend himself). Rabbits nip for a wide variety of reasons, almost always because they’re communicating something. For instance, Fernando nipped me the other evening during a floor session, and I knew pretty well what he was saying; “Get out of the way, you big clumsy galoot!”  because my arm was in his path and he didn’t feel like jumping over it or going around.

[Kailaeve1271]

He broke the top layer of skin, but I wasn’t bleeding. He’s definitely done worse so it may have been a hard nip. I don’t know what he would have wanted though

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