Rabbit weight loss

[RunnyBabbitRabbitry]

I have a HL doe that is very small. She was very small when I got her. She is almost 4 years old and in the past few months she has become very skinny. I have been giving her oats and hay. She eats her pellets everyday but still doesn't seem to put on weight. I have wormed her and taken other procautions. I wonder if anyone has any ideas on how to get her to put some weight on. Thanks !

 

[Pipp]

Unfortunately, you can't treat the weight loss without finding out why it's happening, it could be serious.

She could be having tooth issues and not chewing her food properly and thus not getting the proper nutrition, if she's not spayed, at that age she could have uterineissues, and there's a host of other things that could be causing it.

Best to get her checked out.

Hope she's okay, please keep us updated!



sas :clover:

 

[RunnyBabbitRabbitry]

I check her teeth when I cut her nails. They line up correctly and are not chipped or anything.

 

[BlueGiants]

You can only see her front teeth. Her chewing molars are further back in her mouth and you really can't see them. A vet needs to check them to make sure she doesn't have spurs or other issues that would prevent her from chewing and digesting her food properly.

But that is only one issue to be checked. Your vet can check her for cancer, abcesses, teeth problems, etc. You won't know or be able to help her if you don't diagnose the problem.


Edited to finish my last sentence... (duh!)

 

[TK Bunnies]

When I first saw this I thought wroms, but as you got her dewormed I'm not sure. Does she have any other abnormal symptoms like discharge in her eyes and nose?

You should take her to the vet. They'll know what you should do.

Get well soon,

-TK

 

[RunnyBabbitRabbitry]

She has been to the vet and they say there is nothing wrong with her. She weights what a HL should weigh but she look skinny and feels skinny. The vet says that she is healthy and didn't know anyway to put weight on her. That is why I asked here I though maybe someone had an idea of how to put some weight on a rabbit.

 

[Pipp]

I think the concern is 'the past few months' comment. And unless the vet took head xrays, molar spurs and tooth root issues are very hard to spot.

Ditto with some internal organ issues, manyrequire blood tests.

For the immediate future, your best bet is Nutri-Cal, a hi-calorie vitamin supplement made for cats and dogs, but it's great for rabbits, too.

You can also use some black oil sunflower seeds (many people give them to theiroutdoor bunstogive them a layer of fat to protect them from the cold).

And you can go for a higher protein count on your pellets - 16 to 18% - if you're using a lower count now. A little alfalfa hay (as opposed to timothy) might help as well.

Let us know how it goes!



sas :clover:

 

[BlueGiants]

If she's already been checked by the vet, what kind of oats are you feeding? Is it rolled oats (like oatmeal?) Any fruits? Banana's are known to add on the lbs. (just watch the sugar).

I can tell you what's worked for me, (and not everyone will agree with me)... I use a sweet feed sometimes during the winter to keep weight on my Flemish. It's a molasses based pellet with oats in it. (I get the Mare and Foal feed). You can't feed it straight, I mix it with their pellets (1/4 sweet feed + 3/4 pellets). They love it and it doesn't last long in their dish. But again, watch the sugar... keep an eye on her droppings and make sure she's eating normally.

Again, that's just what has worked for me. Someone else may have other ideas.

Just as another idea, was she checked for coccidiosis? Some wormers don't work on Coccidia and being infected with them can make them skinny and underweight.

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

Just wondering...what part of NC are you located?I am in NC also...might be able to help you in person.

As others have said, it is important to determine why we have weight loss. Obviously parasites are one of the first thoughts. What did you treat with? Not all parasites will respond to all medications. And most of the stuff you buy at pet stores or the farm supply are mostly useless and in some cases can be harmful. It helps to know if there are parasites there and what they are. You also have to treat parasites depending on their life cycle so you not only get the adults, but any that havedeveloped since the last treatment....we usually treat at least 3 rounds.Dental issues are also something that has to be looked at carefully....many times with x-rays and even possible sedation to get a good look. And....if she isn't spayed...hormones can also do that. As others have mentioned...I think the proper line of treatment here is to find the root cause of the concern.

Randy

 

[RunnyBabbitRabbitry]

I have spoken with some other people who raise and show rabbit in my area, like me. They have given me some great ideas and one even came out yesterday to look at her. I am giving her some supplements to gain weight and it should work. I will let you know if it did work.

The vets here do not know much about rabbits at all. I have a rabbit here that they said only had a 20% chance to live with surgery and she has now healed up and is in awesome condition.



Thanks for all you help and I will keep you updated on her progress.