Loose skin

[Bville]

Is it normal for a some breeds or cross breeds of rabbits to have loose skin? My lop Pepper (actual breed or mix unknown because she was from the SPCA) has really loose skin. When she is running around jumping and doing binkys she also does this thing where she shakes like a dog and her skin flops back and forth like a Shar Pei or something. I got her when she was 6 months old and I have wondered if she was overweight at some point and now just has a lot of loose skin or if this is just normal for some types of rabbits.

She is about 8 months old now and has gained 5 ounces since I got her. I just weighed her because I thought she might be losing weight, but she has actually gained. The way she acts so hungry all the time had me wondering if I was feeding her enough! I have been limiting her to a heaping 1/2 cup of pellets to encourage eating hay, which she doesn't like so much, and she gets about 1-1/2 cups of veggies a day.

 

[Bville]

Here are some more pics of her. My avatar shows her big dewlap which makes her look fat, but overall she doesn't seem overweight to me. It's just the loose skin I am wondering about.

 

[JBun]

It might be possible she just has flabby skin, if you are sure it isn't a weight issue. I have two lops and one does have a little bit of loose skin around his head area. He has some flabby neck skin and the skin around his eyes is a bit droopy. If your bun has plump bulges of skin around her legs, then it's also possible she's just a bit overweight.

 

[Bville]

I don't think she has plump bulges around her legs, but I'm not totally sure what I'm looking for. She could be a little overweight. She has gained weight since I got her and I thought she just might still be growing since she 8 months old, but maybe she's just getting fatter! I was going to switch her over to adult pellets at 9 months old because that's what the food I give her says to do. Maybe that will help stabilize her weight.

 

[Imbrium]

All but the giant breeds can be switched to an adult diet by around 7 months old, so you'd be fine to switch her to adult pellets at this point

 

[Bville]

It might be possible she just has flabby skin, if you are sure it isn't a weight issue. I have two lops and one does have a little bit of loose skin around his head area. He has some flabby neck skin and the skin around his eyes is a bit droopy. If your bun has plump bulges of skin around her legs, then it's also possible she's just a bit overweight.

JBun, you can tell me if you think my Pepper is fat. I won't be offended. I got her as a rescue in October and she was that way when I got her.