Very Thin Rabbit

kirstin · Jan 9, 2012

I have a 2 year old Holland Lop doe who is quite thin. At a glance you wouldn't think so because she's a fuzzy, but when you run your hand along her spine, it's quite boney and bumpy. She's not real interested in her pellets and will just flip the dish over. She eats most of her hay and seems to drink fine. Kaira (the doe) has never been an amazing eater, but it seems to be getting out of hand, and I'm pretty worried about her. I moved from Colorado to Tennessee about 2 weeks ago so perhaps the change of location is stressful? She doesn't seem very stressed; she's mostly mellow. I'm actually trying to sell her because I've developed hay allergies and can no longer keep her. Regardless, I'm worried about her and I'm not sure how to help increase her appetite.

Any advice?

I_heart_Fraggles · Jan 10, 2012

You might wanna try mixing some alfalfa in with her regular hay. You can also give her some oats (not instant) You should really say a vet though.

oryctolaguslady · Jan 10, 2012

How are her poops - are they normal? Stress from a move can cause weight loss, as can various physical conditions. Although rabbits synthesize their own vitamin C, sometimes adding a little vitamin C to a rabbit's diet can reduce stress from a move. Adding probiotics to a rabbit's diet may aid digestibility of nutrients and help with appetite and weight gain. Also mixing a little alfalfa hay in with grass hay can help with weight gain.

Flopsyrabbit · Jan 10, 2012

Have you tried hay cubes they do the same as hay but they are in a cube people with allergies say that they help.

Korr_and_Sophie · Jan 10, 2012

Has she been checked for worms or other parasites? These can cause problems and make it hard for a rabbit to maintain weight. You can take a fresh poop sample to a vet and they can test it, some vets may require an exam for a new rabbit to make sure it is otherwise healthy and to get a weight for any medication.

What pellets are you feeding? If they are stale, she might not want to eat them. Some rabbits also don't like some brands. Try to find a different pellet and get it as fresh as you can. Since she is thin, an alfalfa based pellet could be better.