# Bunnys Need A Diet!!!



## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Hi everyone!

Been to the vet for my bunnys vaccinations and they said Bebe had put alot of weight on 

Hunny and Sunny were ok but Bebes a podgy thing!

Why do vets not bother giving you a feeding routine or diet for your rabbit?!
They send you away with food but never really tell you how much is too much! or not enough!!

Anyway.. Whats your rabbits weight? How much do they eat and what do they eat?

I wana get bebe healthy! x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

My rabbits weigh between 2kg and 2.5kg. I have fed them slightly more over the winter because they are outdoors and need the extra fat to keep warm. Once the weather warms up, I'll reduce their food.

I feed mine about 10g of Science Selective pellet food, and hay 24/7. 

What are you feeding your rabbits?


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

My rabbits get alot of fresh hay and straw..

Hunny and Sunny (netherland dwarfs) have half a bowl of excel light nuggets and half a carrot and hand full of spinich..

Bebe large lop has half a bowl of excel light nuggets and a whole carrot and a hand full of spinich..

Since the vet they have about the same but less nuggets just under 1/4 of a bowl.

I need help because no ones told me how much to feed them and when i ask they say see a nurse and when i ask a nurse they say oo u need to see the vet.....?  x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> My rabbits get alot of fresh hay and straw..
> 
> Hunny and Sunny (netherland dwarfs) have half a bowl of excel light nuggets and half a carrot and hand full of spinich..
> 
> ...


I would reduce the nuggets to just cover the bottom of the bowl for all of them, and reduce the carrot. Carrots should only be given every other day as they are full of sugar and could be due to the weight gain. I would also give them a 1/3 each of carrot instead of a 1/2 or a whole one.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Okie cokie 

Thank you ill do that! They didnt tell me this  Is the spinich ok to give them? and how much? x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Okie cokie
> 
> Thank you ill do that! They didnt tell me this  Is the spinich ok to give them? and how much? x


I'm not sure about spinach, although as it's greens, it probably isn't adding to weight gain so I would just give the same amount of spinach as you are now.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

The vet said spinich was ok so i think thats alrite but then again she didnt say anything about the amount of carrot i was giving them 

Ill cut down the amount of carrot and nuggets and keep giving them greens 

Any more greens which are ok to give them? x


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> The vet said spinich was ok so i think thats alrite but then again she didnt say anything about the amount of carrot i was giving them
> 
> Ill cut down the amount of carrot and nuggets and keep giving them greens
> 
> Any more greens which are ok to give them? x


curly kale, flat-leaf parsley, basil etc. just not iceberg letucce.


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## kacey (Dec 23, 2009)

we have a giant x female bunny she gets 2 egg cups of excel light nuggets and the smaller ones get one egg cup each once a day and ad lib hay with a few greens may be im under feeding but they are all healthy weight


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

kacey said:


> we have a giant x female bunny she gets 2 egg cups of excel light nuggets and the smaller ones get one egg cup each once a day and ad lib hay with a few greens may be im under feeding but they are all healthy weight


that seems fine to me. pellets should just be an add-on to the diet, not a huge part of it. hay should be the main part, I feed about 90% hay and 10% pellets, and my rabbits have a goregous healthy thick winter coat and they are a healthy weight for their size.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Thank you 

They never tell u these things  x


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

My Mffy gets a shot glass of pellets a day (a little more at the mo coz of the cold) She then gets give 4 different bits of veg, normally a broccoli floret, a few inchs of celery, an inch of carrot and then a bit of something leafy. Loads of fresh long stranded hay that smells sweet. and a pinch of redi grass. shes about 1.8kg on a good day.

Carrots are defiantly treat only items, i went away for a week and came back to find Miffy looking porky, my house mate had been giving her a carrot a day!

The pellets are high in protein which although a vital part of the diet unless your rabbits exercise loads they wont use more than a small handful of it up and it will turn to fat. 

now isnt a good time to be putting outside rabbits on a diet. I would for the time being give each a handful/a thin bowel layer a day and then in the spring reduce it down a little more. you may also want to make sure they have a bowel each as they can get a bit touchy when it comes to food cut backs.

also over feeding of pellets can results in rabbits not eating enough hay which keeps their teeth well ground. teeth grinding bills can be pricey and they normally have to put them under general anesthetic which can be a bit risky too.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Thank you 

Luckly my rabbits are ok teeth wise  Ill give them a shot glass of pellets and lots of greens n a small piece of carrot  They always have hay and straw  

broccoli and celery? They can have them? If so ill get them eating them too  x


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Thank you
> 
> Luckly my rabbits are ok teeth wise  Ill give them a shot glass of pellets and lots of greens n a small piece of carrot  They always have hay and straw
> 
> broccoli and celery? They can have them? If so ill get them eating them too  x


Broccili is fine. Celery not sure on, I'd imagine it'd be too watery for the amount of goodness they'd get out of it so prob not worth giving.

Good luck with the diet, mine are both on one too and its so hard not to give in when they put the eyes on and act like they're being starved! lol


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

celery is fine for bunnies I normally only give them the nasty leafy middles tho


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

Thats handy to know, I always end up throwing away celery!


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Thanks everyone!

They are on spinich and a shot glass of pellets at the moment.. im going to give them a small carrot for sunday lunch  then ill defo give them brocolli and maybe some celery  x


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Been to the vet again to have there second lot of jabs! They have been on this diet for 2 weeks now and Bebe has lost 150g!!  

Vet said it was a good start to her diet and to keep it up 

Shes on a shot glass of pellets and lots of hay,straw and spinich! Just bought some celery and brocolli for tonight tea and hopefully shell like it lol  x


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

thats a good amount to weight to loose. has the vet given you a goal weight?


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Thank you
> 
> Luckly my rabbits are ok teeth wise  Ill give them a shot glass of pellets and lots of greens n a small piece of carrot  They always have hay and straw
> 
> broccoli and celery? They can have them? If so ill get them eating them too  x


My vet told me to give Dolly 2 to 3 oz of pellet per 6 oz of her body weight, she eats what she wants really and isn't really a pig with it because it's always there, she munches on excel forage arn dried grass 24/7 though, ocasionally an apple, which she likes to eat like a human whilst i hold it, or a peice of brocoly or carrot. Cant remeber her weight last time but apparently it's just right xx


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## big_bear (Oct 5, 2009)

i got told today tht clover need to lose bit of weight and they told me to cover bottom of bowl with nuggets and thats it then limit carrots and any greens to once or twice a week but only very small amounts and then give her opportunities for exercise


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

depending on your bowel size I might give less than this, she looks like she should be a very small pert bunny. I would just give an inch of greens a day. no carrots as there so sweet. I would feed veg little and often so as not to upset her tummy rather than once or twice a week. plenty of good quality hay, alfalfa if you can find it as it has more fiber. try the hay experts online, twice a day.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Thanks Everyone! 

Im so pleased with Bebe! Were going to keep going and hopefully she'll be normal in 6 months when she goes back for her jab  Just to make sure i might take her again in 3 months for a weight check and see how were doing 

I now feed:

*Monday - Saturday*
A shot glass of pellets (just about covers the bottom of the bowl)

Big handful of fresh hay
Big handful of fresh straw

Handful of spinich
or
Chopped celery (just introducing)
or
a couple pieces of brocolli (just introducing)

*Sunday*
A piece of all the above plus half a carrot as part of there sunday lunch  x


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