# How to put weight on a bunny?



## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

My little mini lop has lost a bit of weight recently...while Saffy his companion hasn't. Apart from separating them what food stuffs can I give his to put weight on him? Bought oats today...porridge oats...this oK? And Sunflower seeds. xx


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

Porridge oats are fine hun

When i get Daisy she was underweight. I gave her a bit extra nuggets, extra veg and hay. She put weight on fine doing that

Not sure about sunflower seeds. Never tried them with mine


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

srhdufe said:


> Porridge oats are fine hun
> 
> When i get Daisy she was underweight. I gave her a bit extra nuggets, extra veg and hay. She put weight on fine doing that
> 
> Not sure about sunflower seeds. Never tried them with mine


Oh the sunflower seedsn were something i read...high in fat....thought id mis a few in. Not sure if i should bring them in while he puts on weight...only thing is Cream is in my bathroom at the mo recovering. Argh i really put myself in it!! xx


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## Pets2luv.webs.com (Nov 26, 2010)

rabbits can have sunflower seeds but only in moderation they wont help with putting on weight they should only be used as a treat and without thier shells because they wont be able to digest them.
I would just give more hay for extra weight gain.


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## srhdufe (Feb 11, 2009)

niki87 said:


> Oh the sunflower seedsn were something i read...high in fat....thought id mis a few in. Not sure if i should bring them in while he puts on weight...only thing is Cream is in my bathroom at the mo recovering. Argh i really put myself in it!! xx


I've used them to fatten up hammies. So should work for bunnies too 

Hope he bulks up hun x


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

thanks guys! xx


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## Guest (Feb 8, 2011)

I don't claim to know a lot about bunnies though...


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

jon bda said:


> I don't claim to know a lot about bunnies though...


Argh!!! You eejit!!!!! Lol. 

Well that is one way....thanks!!!


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

Barley rings are good for getting weight on buns x


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

frags said:


> Barley rings are good for getting weight on buns x


Ooh where do you get those from? xx


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

shelled seeds should never be given to rabbits, they are not able to de shell them properly on their own and can choke on the casks.
a few sunflower hearts are ok every so often, they are very high in fat and are often used to bulk up rodents

as frags said barley rings are good 
you can buy them online, or from a horse feed shop

you could also try a bit of bread soaked in soy milk, banana, apple sauce, fruit flavoured baby foods


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## Jess2308 (May 12, 2009)

You can get barley rings from horse shops, or countrywide stores. I feed them to my horse to get weight on her 

My bunny Coffee was very underweight when i got her. I just fed her double the recommended pellet food guide and as much hay and veg as she would eat  Have you had his teeth checked? If one has lost weight and the other hasnt that would be the first thing to spring to mind for me. I dont know if you can check them yourself maybe? I wouldnt be brave enough to put my hands in Coffee's mouth :lol:


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## feenan7 (Feb 1, 2011)

Barley rings are good for weight gain but should be used with caution as they can be the cause of mucoid enteropathy (sp) in young stock.

Barley is very filling so stops them eating the pellets & hay that is good for them & that keeps the gut moving - I use barley rings but sparingly - a mini lop gets 2 a month for condition or if weight gain is needed 2 a week. 

Do not use on bunnies younger than 12 weeks.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I wouldnt worry too much about a little weight loss it has been a very cold winter. I would just feed her a few extra pellets while you groom the other one.


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Lil Miss said:


> shelled seeds should never be given to rabbits, they are not able to de shell them properly on their own and can choke on the casks.
> a few sunflower hearts are ok every so often, they are very high in fat and are often used to bulk up rodents
> 
> as frags said barley rings are good
> ...


Thanks for the advice hun! I didn't know that about sunflower seeds...but I actually bought the sunflower hearts as they were the only ones I could find!! Glad they were. They were in the pet section...for birds.

Will defs look into barley rings and the other stuff!! I knew I could count on you for some good advice  Thanks!



Jess2308 said:


> You can get barley rings from horse shops, or countrywide stores. I feed them to my horse to get weight on her
> 
> My bunny Coffee was very underweight when i got her. I just fed her double the recommended pellet food guide and as much hay and veg as she would eat  Have you had his teeth checked? If one has lost weight and the other hasnt that would be the first thing to spring to mind for me. I dont know if you can check them yourself maybe? I wouldnt be brave enough to put my hands in Coffee's mouth :lol:


I will try check his teeth. I am gonna bring him in for eating to watch him! Thanks...good point!



feenan7 said:


> Barley rings are good for weight gain but should be used with caution as they can be the cause of* mucoid enteropathy *(sp) in young stock.
> 
> Barley is very filling so stops them eating the pellets & hay that is good for them & that keeps the gut moving - I use barley rings but sparingly - a mini lop gets 2 a month for condition or if weight gain is needed 2 a week.
> 
> Do not use on bunnies younger than 12 weeks.


Again thanks for some very good advice! He is 8 months(ish)...he is a rescue...but will just give him a couple a week!!



emzybabe said:


> I wouldnt worry too much about a little weight loss it has been a very cold winter. I would just feed her a few extra pellets while you groom the other one.


OK...thanks hun! I will do just that! xx


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Erm right been watching him for a bit now...the only thing he will eat is a carrot!! If his teeth were bad then he wouldn't have carrot right? He's not touching the hay or pellets. Didn't put a carrot in as wanted to watch him eat the hay etc. But just put a carrot in and he's tucking in!!!


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

hmmm tbh mine always dive straight for any food and even for fresh hay. If they wernt interested I would know something major was up straight away. It is very hard to check teeth but I would say upto a year an a half old is the period in which any teeth problems normally arise. If shes not touching any pellets I would take her in for a check up


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

emzybabe said:


> hmmm tbh mine always dive straight for any food and even for fresh hay. If they wernt interested I would know something major was up straight away. It is very hard to check teeth but I would say upto a year an a half old is the period in which any teeth problems normally arise. If shes not touching any pellets I would take her in for a check up


OK well going in on friday with Cookie so might take him in. xx


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

I gave my girl some Excel light pellets when she lost some weight... she was worryingly thin :crying: but shes put it back on now and is all lovely and squidgy  x


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

would Nuts not help (I dont know if rabbits will eat nuts) or if it well help just a suggestion

Ignore that because from researching it Nuts are bad for rabbits....


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> I gave my girl some Excel light pellets when she lost some weight... she was worryingly thin :crying: but shes put it back on now and is all lovely and squidgy  x


Do you do that gradually...or replacement of normal pellets? xx


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

niki87 said:


> Do you do that gradually...or replacement of normal pellets? xx


Well my lot were on veggies/hay/straw and then when we found my lop had lost too much weight i gave her a shot glass full of pellets to herself every other night. She had been on them before so i knew she liked them and they wouldnt cause much upset by adding them in. The weight came back and shes much better now :thumbup:

Her being 6ish i was starting to think something more evil was at work but luckly the weights staying on now so must have been a dietary thing for her x


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

i wouldnt feed excel a a conditioner, quite a few rabbit do not get on with excel and it causes excess soft poops, so to be honest i would avoid it altogether, to be honest, there are much better feeds out there


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Lil Miss said:


> i wouldnt feed excel a a conditioner, quite a few rabbit do not get on with excel and it causes excess soft poops, so to be honest i would avoid it altogether, to be honest, there are much better feeds out there


I do have to agree with some of this. When the rabbits were on it as a main feed they did have a problem with softer poos. but the little amount i give them now seems okay for them.

Could you recommend something better Lil Miss? xx


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