Obese bunny

[IndigosMommy]

I just adopted an adult bunny, it was dumped off at a local pet store. So I have no idea about her history. She is over weight, I cant feel her ribs at all, I can barely feel her spine. Any advice how to get her to a healthier weight?

I gave her a small amount of fresh herbs, with a little romaine, She ate some of it. She doesn't seem to eat much for such a big bunny. I'm guessing maybe she was given human foods, like cereals or crackers etc. But, I have no clue.

Should I not give her pellets at all or limit them? She has some now, but havent seen her eat any. She is eating her hay though. I dont even know how old she is, the poor thing.

I am going to make a vet appointment, but its hard to get to see him, maybe a couple week wait. So just wonder what to do in the mean time.

This is my 4th bunny, she is not the lil one in the picture

Thank you!!!

 

[Watermelons]

You're welcome to post some side on profile shots and top down shots of her to give folks an idea oh her "size"
I would still offer pellets, but no more then 1/4 cup a day to start.
Be prepared for an upset tummy/gi stasis with the total diet change from who knows what she ate at her last home.
Lots of grass hay will probably be the best for her. Few herbs and a small amount of greens to start are fine.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Excercise might help too. Maybe she spent her time previously locked in a cage. Weight may come off once she gets moving.

 

[IndigosMommy]

I was thinking that too, she might have been in a cage 24/7. She doesnt eat much, when I give her fresh veggies, she just eats a lil, then goes back later for more. where my other bunnies chow it all down fast as possible lol. My bunnies have their own room, my computer/workout room. So the new bunny takes turns out to run around. I was in tears the first time I saw her out, I counted 17 binkies in just a few minutes! She even ran too, so I am hopig the weight will come off just from her being active.

I clipped her nails last night and had her up on the kitchen counter so i was able to feel her all over really good and I was actually able to feel her ribs a little bit. Here is a pic of her from above:

Thanks guys!

 

[pani]

17 binkies!! It sounds like she's loving her new home.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Very cute. When we rescued Coal, she was a 9 pound mini rex that looked more like a blob than a bunny. All she was eating was pellet and way too much. I cut her down to a teaspoon in the morning and evening and gave her unlimited orchard grass and lost of fresh veggies. It took quite awhile to get her down to five pounds but we achieved it and she was with us for 10 years--just shy of 15 when she left for the bridge.

 

[IndigosMommy]

Wow Nancy!! Makes me feel good it can be done!!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Yep, it is doable. Like I tell everyone, "You train your bunny, don't let it train you!" They are so smart and can manipulate you so easily.

 

[missyscove]

It's possible that she was only fed pellets previously. It's not uncommon for people to just offer bowls full of pellets and not to offer hay or greens. That could explain why she's not scarfing down her hay or greens with you. (Your pellets probably aren't the brand she was used to either which could be why she isn't eating much of them either.)
I agree with the advice to limit her pellets to not more than 1/4 cup per day but offering her unlimited hay and some greens shouldn't hurt.
I often feed my rabbits their pellets out of a treat ball (my personal favorite is the petsafe slimcat which has an adjustable opening and comes in several colors!). That gets them moving around their pen and spreads meal time out over about 20 minutes rather than them just chowing down at the bowl.

 

[pani]

I recently got a treat ball for my buns and couldn't agree more with missyscove's suggestion! They eat a lot slower so there's less risk of them choking, too (I'm terrified of that), and gets them nice and active while they nom down their pellets.