own treats, here is a recipe. There are many ways to do - Quantities rabbits need to eat depend on age/lifestyle/general health. Pathara Buranadilok/Getty Images Why is Obesity in Rabbits Bad? Do not forget water as it is essential. Most overweight rabbits are being fed far too much concentrated food. of exercise (for example running around your living room for an hour each evening) is a great way to boost their activity levels. Learn more about monitoring your rabbit's weight here. However, that’s not the kind of diet a rabbit would get if they lived out in the wild, and some pellets are small, or contain added sugars and can be easy for rabbits to overindulge in. When your domestic rabbit is getting overweight, it's due to the fact they have been consuming more calories than needed and need to go back to their natural diet and daily exercise. You can also hand feed it as a reward for training, Step 1: consult a vet. How to Tell If Your Rabbit Has an Ear Infection, Why Is My Rabbit Shaking and Breathing Fast. In the case of respiratory disease, your rabbit may be unable to smell food. Human food – cookies, bread, snack food, cheese, sugary snacks, milk — anything processed or ‘non-rabbit’ food should never be fed to an underweight bunny. Diet Diet is one of the most important factors affecting a rabbit’s health. Overeating can cause obesity and digestive problems which could lead to death. An overweight rabbit is probably more in need of exercise than having his/her food limited. Symptoms and Types. Just wondered what I should be feeding each day. It's a good idea to weigh your rabbit weekly to monitor their progress. quite small. To do this, you will need to determine whether your rabbit is indeed overweight and if so, adjust their diet and promote more exercise. You can turn your rabbit's normal dry food into the 'treat' just save a portion of their daily ration to feed by hand. Fresh foods are also good to use as treats, a sprig of fresh herbs usually goes down very well or a small cube of carrot or apple. This will not only keep them in a healthy weight but also help them be happy and entertained. Dry food is the biggest culprit when it comes to weight gain in rabbits. Breed standards set … Store bought rabbit treats: do not give your rabbit any processed food. - Rabbits become overweight and may suffer if eating more food than needed. If you are feeding a lot of fruits or root vegetables such as carrot and parsnip, which are high in sugar, then reduce these and replace them Most people think that rabbits should live on a diet of pellets, nuggets or muesli almost exclusively, with leafy vegetables thrown in occasionally as a treat. At the moment he has carrott, parsley and basil. One thing they love more than anything is eating sugary fruit and rabbit treats that give them a boost in energy. Please check with your veterinarian before starting this diet to make sure there are no underlying diseases that need to be treated first. Whether your rabbit is overweight or obese, it doesn't change the fact that you are worried for their health and want to help them get back to a healthy weight so that they can have a higher quality of life and live longer. The rest of the diet should be fresh vegetables, fruit, and pellets. The ration should be worked out based on the weight that the … I know most of what I need to about raising rabbits, have raised quite a few already, but I've never dealt with an overweight rabbit. For proper exercise you need to let your rabbit out of their cage for at least an hour each day. You can also add in some high quality pellets, a tablespoon for rabbits under 6,6 lbs (3.5 kg) and two for larger rabbits. But, how much is too much? Vegetables: the second most important rabbit food is fresh leafy greens such as kale, collards, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, beet tops, carrot tops and parsley. Both are used to identify rabbits that are at risk for health problems from having too much body fat. Feeding quantities adjusted to prevent them from becoming underweight/overweight. with leafy greens such as kale, herbs, carrot tops and dandelion. Rabbit's should have access to a minimum run size of 8'x4' but a larger area for extra periods Unfortunately, what we thought was a normal rabbit weight in the past has often been an overweight rabbit. rabbit's ideal weight ask your vet for advice. encouraging hay eating. One way to jump start your rabbit's weight loss is to remove all pellets for a couple of weeks and feed only a grass hay diet during that time. The goal for weight loss site please ask permission first. low in calories, they easily put on weight when given too much food high in calories like pellets. Baby Rabbit Feeding Guide. - Causes. Although rabbits find pellets and dry foods tastier, pellets should be supplied in … My rabbit is too fat (and he's not going in the pot). One thing they love more than anything is eating sugary fruit and rabbit treats that give them a boost in energy. Before making any changes to your rabbit’s diet, you should consult your rabbit savvy vet for advice. Your rabbit should be getting at least their body size in hay everyday as well as a handful of fresh vegetables in the morning and in the evening. If your rabbit doesn't currently have much or any fresh foods, you may like to introduce these as a substitute for the reduced pellets. There is no reason to give up treating your rabbit, but you may need to change what foods you are treating with. See files for Rabbits. I have noticed there seems to be an awful lot of overweight rabbits coming into rescues just now. Click to attach a photo related to your comment, My Dog Won't Feed Her Puppies - Causes and What to Do, Weight loss diet for an overweight rabbit, Why is My Rabbit Losing Fur? You must keep in mind that hay is essential to a rabbit’s health and should be the basis of their diet. Learn more about monitoring your rabbit's weight here, different varieties and these tips on If these habits change, droppings gets less/stop, or soft droppings stick to their back end, talk to your vet immediately as they could be … When caring for a domestic rabbit we need to make sure they're getting plenty of exercise. A healthy rabbit should be slim and sleek. Obesity is a problem with rabbits that eat a diet too high in calories and that don't get enough exercise. Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems. so they should not be used as target weights. When dealing with an overweight rabbit, high-quality grass hay and fresh greens such as lettuce, parsley, and carrot tops are what the diet should consist mostly of. Also make sure your rabbit is a good hay eater. Overweight rabbits have a very round rump and the ribs are difficult to feel or in obese rabbits sometimes can't be felt at all. Rabbits do not necessarily need these to flourish. Also compare the amount of fat in the rabbit pellets you buy with other rabbit pellets. The best cat food for overweight cats is rich in high-quality protein without too much fat or starch. The amount of fat should not be over 3%. An overweight or obese rabbit are both terms for having more body fat than what is considered healthy. Diet. The amount they eat and drink monitoring. I'm Tamsin, and I like rabbits, such as Scamp at the top there. It's important to remember that rabbits won't run laps for the fun of it. It's a good idea to do this gradually so you ensure your rabbits hay intake goes up and their pellet Domestic rabbits are prone to becoming overweight when their natural diet is modified and they begin eating processed food. Typically rabbits prone to obesity tend to be more than 20 to 40 percent overweight. If you would like to use the text or images on this Prevention / Treatment. If your rabbit does become obese, or if you've adopted a rabbit who is obese, and God bless people that come out and try to help a rabbit that's just really overweight, it's not an easy process because you can't make it happen quickly and people always want quick results. This can inevitably leading to all sorts of possible health issues. By sticking to a 100% natural rabbit diet and promoting exercise, your rabbit will lose weight quickly. In addition, you must also limit sugary and fatty foods such as sunflower seeds and many other types of cereals. Rabbit's won't run laps for the fun of it, so you need to give your rabbit a reason to move about for example by providing toys, tunnels and new objects to If you That’s why we recommend Nom Nom’s Fish Feast as the overall best cat food for overweight cats. Even though wild rabbits spend more than half their time feeding, thanks to their natural diet and daily exercise, they remain lean and healthy. Think about how large your rabbit's living They are very Apply gentle pressure with your fingers to find your rabbit's ribs or hip bones. Any tips on how to safely bring her weight down? For example, you can use a Excess food coupled with no space to exercise is a combination that will see your rabbit put on a lot of weight in as little as a month or two. You must also remember that hay and vegetables are low in calories so make sure you are giving them enough. It’s moisture-rich, satisfying, and doesn’t have too much fat or plant matter, both of … This type of diet is high in fibre which aids in their digestion and dental care. Your veterinarian can help you with this process if you are not sure of it. Domestic rabbits need a diet that’s as close as possible to their natural food in the wild. This way you can avoid future medical problems and get them back to a healthy weight. If your rabbit is reluctant to eat hay try different varieties and these tips on It's a good idea to weigh your rabbit weekly to monitor their progress. accommodation is and the amount of exercise time they get. This can be serious as it will lower their quality of life and bring more health issues. They eat hay, grass and root vegetables. Should your rabbit need to lose weight or develop an intolerance to pellets (symptoms include excessive cecal pellets or chronic diarrhea), please contact the House Rabbit Resource Network for a copy of a special diet for your rabbit. Proper nutrition is ensuring you stick to the rabbit’s recommended diet. At the moment he has limited pellets, as much hay as he wants and some veggies. As rabbits generally consider dry food very tasty, it's an excellent way to incentivise exercise - they'll work hard to get it. Although certain breeds of rabbit, including the dwarf rabbit, are more at risk for obesity due to their shorter stature and inactivity, it occurs most often among middle-aged rabbits that are caged, and is independent of their gender. However, measuring the … If you have a hard time finding it or cannot find it with your fingers, your rabbit is overweight. If your rabbit is under a year old, they should be given alfalfa hay, which is high in protein, but it is important that they transition to timothy hay when they're older. The best diet for overweight rabbits. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. As rabbits are 'designed' for eating grass which is The house rabbit should have a diet high in fibre and fairly low in calories (especially fats and starches). As with humans, weight loss is best achieved with a combination of a healthier diet and increased activity. Remember to introduce new foods gradually. Rabbits are always chewing on hay or leafy vegetables. Rabbits require unlimited hay supply, some pelleted foods, green veggies and treats including fruits. Being overweight is just as dangerous to a rabbit’s health as it is for any other pet, so Trixie’s caregivers limited her food intake and cut down on excess sugar in her diet. Obesity in rabbits is a medical condition that occurs when a rabbit carries excess weight or body fat that might affect their health. There are a number of risk factors such as inappropriate diets or readily available food, limited exercise space or opportunities, and underlying health conditions such as arthritis. If rabbits are fed incorrectly, many health issues can arise, including obesity, flystrike and various dental problems. Your vet will be able to help you determine the ideal weight of your rabbit, and they will be … As well as writing a blog and book about rabbits, I run a site that promotes UK rabbit rescues (which incidentally is how I ended up with Scamp). In addition, after weight loss the rabbit’s maintenance diet can also include more leafy green vegetables. Ensure it eats over 80% grassy hay (and reduce on alfalfa and other legume hay) and some leafy greens such as lettuce, kales, watercress, cucumber leaves, cilantro and so on. Obesity & flystrike An overweight rabbit cannot groom itself properly, which in turn can lead to life-threatening conditions such as fly strike. Diet is one of the most important factors affecting a rabbit’s health. Luckily there are many healthy options that rabbit's love the taste of. Diet and Exercise. Here are some ideas on how rabbits exercise: For more information or help, consult with your veterinarian who will be able to examine your rabbit and provide you with a specific plan to get them back to a healthy weight. in rabbits is a slow steady decrease not a sudden drop. Your rabbits’ daily diet should be: Their own body size in feeding hay and grass; A small handful of fresh greens; A tablespoon of commercial rabbit pellets (if necessary) Never muesli style diets. If you want to read similar articles to What to Feed My Overweight Rabbit, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category. 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