Rabbit less active

[CaitlinT00]

Hi, so about a week ago I got my rabbit spayed (shes almost 5 months), and she seems to be recovering alright (good appetite, drinking water, etc). But lately I've noticed that shes been less active, not running much at all. I've also started her on a new diet consisting of mostly greens (handful twice a day), unlimited mix of alfafa and timothy hay and 1/3 cup of pellets, and shes been given different fruits and veggies to try every couple of days (mainly blueberries and carrots). I've noticed that she hasn't been very active and only really been moving if given food, if i call her or if she wants to cuddle. Now I'm not sure if her lack of exercise is still from the spaying recovery, the new diet or if she's just being lazy- so I just wanted to see if anyone has had this issue or if I might be doing something wrong (first time rabbit owner here). Also, her poops have been normal and aside from her pee being a tad orange from the red lettuce- it also seems normal.

 

[Imbrium]

Has her appetite been normal (and is she getting lots of hay)? Also, what have your indoor temperatures been like lately? I ask because if you've started running the heater recently when things had been cooling off, she might've been preparing a winter coat and is now a little warm - rabbits are always more lethargic when it's hot for them.

 

[CaitlinT00]

Has her appetite been normal (and is she getting lots of hay)? Also, what have your indoor temperatures been like lately? I ask because if you've started running the heater recently when things had been cooling off, she might've been preparing a winter coat and is now a little warm - rabbits are always more lethargic when it's hot for them.

I think she has a lot of hay, i have it placed in 4 different areas and in different formats (stuffed in toilet paper roll, litterbox, hay rack, etc)- but shes also really picky on what hay piece she'll eat and she'll dig around for specific pieces. Her appetite seems normal, she is eating mostly all her greens and pellets, and for hay she seems to be eating a lot of it too. My house has been a bit on the warmer side lately, besides lowering the heat- do you have any suggestions on how to help cool her off?

 

[Watermelons]

Why are you trying to let her run 1 week post surgery?
As a now spayed rabbit she is basicly an adult and should be transitioned off of alfalfa based items and alfalfa hay. She does not need it.
Same with carrots and blueberries, those are high in sugar and only a teeny tiny amount should be given.
And pellets should be cut back to 1/4cup per 5lbs of body weight max per day.
The same time as a major surgery is a terrible time to change a diet. A few weeks before or after, sure. But not at the same time.

 

[CaitlinT00]

Why are you trying to let her run 1 week post surgery?
As a now spayed rabbit she is basicly an adult and should be transitioned off of alfalfa based items and alfalfa hay. She does not need it.
Same with carrots and blueberries, those are high in sugar and only a teeny tiny amount should be given.
And pellets should be cut back to 1/4cup per 5lbs of body weight max per day.
The same time as a major surgery is a terrible time to change a diet. A few weeks before or after, sure. But not at the same time.

1) I am transitioning her from alfafa to timothy hay because my vet has told me to start her on it- she is almost done the transition.
2) i have only given her blueberries twice (one at a time) and a small piece of carrot (less than 1") and that was to encourage her to eat post spaying (she went over 24hours without eating so my vet said to feed her anything)
3) The pellets I have been trying to figure out on how much exactly to feed her (some say 1/3 and some say 1/4- and shes 2 lbs so it was a bit confusing to me) but thank you for the 1/4 cup advice, ill use it in the future.
4) I only began to change her diet because at first eating the greens were encouraging her to eat (which was a major priority for me for post spaying) and I realized that I didn't provide her with any consistency or daily schedule so I thought I'd start implementing one and see how it goes- and I haven't started this diet the second she got out of surgery but I slowly built it up and she has officially started it one week after surgery and she seems fine. @Imbrium comment seemed to help solve the problem, as after I cooled her off, she began playing. Thank you btw
Like I said in my original comment, I am new at this and I am not trying to mess my bunny up (I've down lots of research prior to getting her), and I just want her to be as healthy as possible-- and I am NOT trying to push her to run around, but a few days after her surgery she already showed signs of excess energy and wanting to run, so when her stitches healed (they're basically disolved, a light scar is all that remains), i opened her enclosed area and she seemed to be doing very well (running, binkeying, etc). Thats why i was questioning her lack of activity because she seemed to be less active and engaged as she was a few days back. Thank you for your criticism and advice though

 

[Watermelons]

A spay is an invasive abdominal surgery. Sutures take more then a month to fully disolve and there are internal sutures you cannot see. You don't want anything ripping. She should be kept quiet and be prevented from running and jumping for about 2 weeks. Minimum.
It is our job to find them othet things to do to keep that busy so they don't hurt themselves while they heal.

She very well could have pulled something inside her and that is why she isnt acting herself.

Rabbits dont NEED pellets. So 1/4 cup is plenty. If she gets veggies/leafy greens and eats lots of grass hay she should be getting a nice balanced diet.

 

[A & B]

Even 1/4 cup of pellets seems like a lot for a 2 pound rabbit. I feed my 3.5 and 4.5 pound bunnies 1/8 cup daily and that's enough for them.

 

[Imbrium]

At 5 mos old, they can technically still have unlimited pellets... though by that age, I usually recommend limiting somewhat (around 2x what their pellet ration will be as an adult, based on expected adult weight). HRS suggests limiting pellets starting at 7 mos to 1/2 c per 6 lbs. There's technically nothing wrong with a 2 lb, 5 month old rabbit getting 1/3 cup. That said, as long as she maintains a healthy weight (and especially now that she's spayed, not to mention tiny breeds hit 'adulthood' earlier than large breeds), it probably IS a good idea to cut her back to 1/4 c or less at this point.

 

[Leo the Lop]

The breeder I got my first rabbit from said she’s never limited her rabbits pellets, and that it’s very rare for a rabbit to become overweight, and instructed me to feed unlimited pellets and hay.

 

[Imbrium]

Breeders tend to feed unlimited pellets... but rabbits who are unaltered aren't nearly as prone to obesity as spayed/neutered house rabbits (and have higher caloric needs, especially pregnant or lactating does). The advice that works well for breeders isn't always what's best for pet rabbit owners .