Recently rescued overweight Holland Lop with poopy butt

[KayNorris]

Hello! 

I have recently rescued an overweight holland lop that is estimated to be around 5. I have had bunnies before, but it has been awhile. First off she is very large and cannot get back to her bum to clean herself at all so that has been a big issue. She has a poopy butt and I have to clean her 2 times a day or by the end of the day it is just a giant matt of poop. She also seems to have anal polyps as well Her old owners gave her unlimited hay but and pellets. They really only gave her lettuce and just whatever veggies they had in the house and fed her them about 3-4 times a week. I have slowly incorporated more veggies and have completely cut out her pellets for right now. She does have unlimited timothy hay as well. After she uses her litter box she tends to sit in it and hang out and eat her hay which is sitting right next to her litter box. I was going to invest in one of the scatters litter boxes. I have trimmed up the hair around her bum as well. When I let her have free range she doesn’t really run around or play much, she just likes to spread out and relax. Is there anything else I should be doing to help her lose weight and to help clear up her poopy butt and polyps? What else could I do to make her more comfortable?

[Sarah]

Hi there!
I know with rabbits that are overweight they are prone to getting sore hocks fairly easily, so it may be a good idea to provide her with some memory foam mats or thick fleece blankets to keep the sore hocks from developing.

As for her diet, it sounds like you are doing everything you can! It just takes time. Try to encourage her to play as much as possible with enticing toys and boxes, but other than that you are doing everything you should be. Keep up the good work!

[Author]

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