weight loss

[Bunny Gurl]

my rabbit Lightning won't keep any weight on. Is there anything I can do to keep weight on her. Her ribs are starting to show and its starting to worry me.

 

[Lyndsay]

Try feeding them each a pinch of black oil sunflower seeds, and a handful of non-cooked oatmeal each day It helps smooth out bunnies and gets their coats in top condition too. Try this, it's sapposed to work really well. Weetabix or plain dog biscuits (Bonios) are good for piling on the weight as well.

 

[bunnyluv17]

If she is on timothy-based pellets, slowly switch her to alfalfa-bases pellets (and increase her portion size). You can also try giving some alfalfa hay along with timothy hay. But the main thing you need to do is get her to a rabbit-savvy vet, weight loss is never good. Our female rabbit ended up losing a pound (one fourth of her body weight) before we had to put her to sleep due to cancer.

 

[Lyndsay]

Oh thats really sad! You did the right thing by not letting her suffer though.

 

[LuvMyPiggers]

You could try oxbow critical care for herbivores ((broken link removed)). That should help alot. Also I know that baby food works for guinea pigs used in a syringe. Maybe that will work? Also as Lyndsay said, dog biscuts help if you can feed enough of them.

 

[Fancy Oaks Cavy]

How old is your bunny? Sometimes rabbits just get old and lose weight. If that's the case really there's nothing you can do. You can't force her to eat. I had a Jersey Wooly once that died from old age. She just stopped eating.

Good Luck, and sorry to put it so plainly.

 

[Bunny Gurl]

OK I'll try the dog buscits and seeds. My rabbit was 6 pounds when she lived in the house, but now that shes with all the other animals she has lost 3 pounds,and dropping. Shes only 3 maybe 4 years old I don't know her exact age because I saved her from a girl that was younger than me and it was either I take her or they were going to kill her for meat. My neighbor is a vet and she already loked at her she doesn't know whats wrong. When we took her there the only thing that the vet did was look at her listened to her heart and trimed her nails. Then she charged us for 300.00 for a 20min. check up.

 

[bunnyluv17]

I would not feed her seeds, seeds can cause internal blockages in rabbits.
Why not keep her in the house again? Is she spayed? Unspayed female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine cancer; and cancer often causes weight loss. How much pellets is she getting? I would let her have unlimited pellets.

 

[Fancy Oaks Cavy]

Oatmeal might help too. I agree with Bunnyluv17, try bringing her back in the house

 

[Louise D.]

Hi Bunny Gurl,

$300 is definitely a rip-off I wouldn't go back to that vet. Did your vet even have experience with bunnies? Most vets are speciallized for cats and dogs and don't know how to treat other species.

Try to go on-line/or the yellow pages and check if you can find a local rabbit rescue organization. You can call them and find out if they can recommend you a vet with bunny experience that has reasonable prices. That's how I got my vet. I ran into a bunny rescue organization at Petco and they were very helpfull.

With your bunny loosing so much weight I would watch her very carefully. Did the doctor see if she was dehydrated? Is she drinking? It is also very hot outside nowadays. Is it possible for you to take her back inside? And give her lots of attention, maybe handfeed her?

How is she doing? Hope she is doing better.

-Louise.

 

[Bunny Gurl]

My vet is trained for rabbits she is the best one in the area she does mostly dogs and cats, but she also does rabbits, piggies,horses,cows and any kind of farm animal. I don't think she is dehydrated because I give her a handful of grass a day and that has moisture on it. Although her water dish is not getting any lower. My vet kind of ticked me off because she said that she shouldn't be fixed and then that means that I can't bring her into the house because my sister has her male rabbit in the house. If my rabbit gets any worse I ma going to drag my vet down to my house(good thing she is my neighbor)and show her that lighting is not fine.

 

[Louise D.]

Hi Bunny Gurl,

you are completely right. Your bunny is in need of the vet.
Can you tell your vet that your bunny is not drinking any water? You probably already did. I am a little scared that your bunny is going towards... You know...
Do you have some sort of cage where you can take him inside the home and keep her separate from the other bunny? Maybe your bathroom. I bet it's nice and cool in the bathroom.
Your vet is right with not getting her fixed at this point. If she is sick you don't want her to undergo surgery.
How is she doing now? Is she still looking like she is aware of her surroundings?

-Louise.

My vet is trained for rabbits she is the best one in the area she does mostly dogs and cats, but she also does rabbits, piggies,horses,cows and any kind of farm animal. I don't think she is dehydrated because I give her a handful of grass a day and that has moisture on it. Although her water dish is not getting any lower. My vet kind of ticked me off because she said that she shouldn't be fixed and then that means that I can't bring her into the house because my sister has her male rabbit in the house. If my rabbit gets any worse I ma going to drag my vet down to my house(good thing she is my neighbor)and show her that lighting is not fine.

 

[Bunny Gurl]

My Lightning is still the same and I give her fresh litle pieces of grass everyday so she eats it and gets the moisture.There is no chance that my sweet girl can come down to the house even if she stays in my room. My sister is spoiled and so is her rabbit Lightning and I are chopped liver I guess. Everyday I go in the barn she jumps on her hind legs and acts like she wants something but I check everything and she has everything she needs. Why is she jumping like that I know it takes engery from her small body because when I open the cage she jumps in the back of her cage like she doesn't want anything. she is starting to scare me more I really wish I could bring her down to the house but my mom just says shes old it happens and shes not that old yet.

 

[Louise D.]

Oh that's terrible. But don't feel like you are ground liver. I am sure your mom doesn't mean to favor your sister over you. When I was a kid (I am out of the house now and my mom can't tell me where I put my bunny anymore; you will get there,too, don't you worry!) my mom wouldn't allow me to take my cat into my room. She had to stay in the basement in a closed room. so I took my sleeping bag downstairs and slept there a couple of nights. Then my mom finally would let her come into the rest of the house.

Maybe you could sleep out there with your bunny? "If my bunny can't come inside, I am sleeping outside. She needs me! She is scared. "
The thumping means she is scared. Can other animals go in there? Like a fox or something? Are there other animals in the area with your bunny or is she all alone? I forgot what you had said earlier. I sympathisize with you. What is the explanation that you get that your sister is allowed to have her bunny inside and your has to stay outside? Or do you have a bunny inside already yourself?

-Louise.

 

[Bunny Gurl]

My rabbit Lighting is still in the barn and there atre other animals with her there are ducks and turkeys and chickens. I would love to sleep in the barn with her but the floor is so dirty and I really need to clean it. There are holes in the floor by her cage but I covered them with boards awhile ago so I could let the birds out to roam out in the grass. I can see why she is scared because the cyotes have been out in the feilds howling(according to my dad). My sister gets her rabbit in the house because Patches is a younger and has a much better behavior attitude than lighting or so my mom says? I say yeah right ok.

 

[cavyluv2]

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