Is my rabbit fat? Bunnies are active animals that when they live in freedom, run and jump naturally, alternating those moments with those of tranquility and rest. However, this animal has become a highly valued pet by many families, causing it to spend a lot of time in cages.
If rabbits are not exercised correctly, they could become overweight. In addition, their diet also greatly influences this aspect. What should be done in those cases? We talk about it.
Overweight in rabbits
Being overweight is a serious problem that not only affects rabbits, but all pets that live in homes can suffer from it.
Mainly, being overweight in rabbits is due to a poor diet and lack of exercise.
An excess of weight in the animal is something quite harmful to its health. Among other consequences, the joints of the same will be effected to move normally and to clean themselves. And, by not grooming, hygienic difficulties can arise that affect their good health.
Signs that may indicate that my rabbit is fat
Each breed of rabbit has particular characteristics of size and weight. Therefore, if you do not know if your rabbit is fat or not, the idea is that you consult your veterinarian to confirm it according to the particular characteristics of your pet.
Still, there are certain signs that can give you a clue as to whether your rabbit is overweight.
- The animal has difficulty grooming itself, so its hair can look dirty and dull.
- It has folded in the skin around the anal area and there are remains of feces and urine in them.
- There is a visible change in the body shape of the rabbit.
- Loses agility.
- Sometimes it is hard to breathe or move.
- You have difficulty urinating because you cannot get into the correct position to urinate.
- He is unable to eat or drink well because his double chin is so large.
Although these signs are usually related to being overweight, it may be that my rabbit is not fat, but has some other health problem.
If that is the case with your pet, go to a veterinary center so that the professional examines him and confirms what is wrong with him.
What do I do if my rabbit is fat?
When we confirm that our rabbit has extra kilos, we will have to get to work so that the animal recovers in that regard.
To do this, special attention will have to be paid to several fundamental factors.
The hay and herbs you eat
Within the diet of rabbits, most of their diet is made up of hay and specific feed for this animal. To that will be added other fresh foods, such as other herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Hay and herbs are very healthy for them, as they are low in calories. However, if you give him other types of food, you will have to be careful with the quantities.
If you eat foods with a very high caloric intake, your weight will go up and that is precisely what we want to avoid.
He thinks
The choice of a bad feed may be causing the rabbit to suffer overweight. Mainly, for two reasons:
- The quality. When choosing a feed for rabbits, check the nutritional information on the label. Poor quality feed will not contain the necessary nutrients, will not use optimal ingredients, and is quite likely to be high in protein, but very low in fiber. If so, discard it!
- The amount. Another big problem related to feeding the animal is the amount of food that is offered to the rabbit. If you give it more than it should, the rabbit will tend to be overweight. Consult with a professional about how much I think your particular pet needs.
Fruits and vegetables
As we said, fresh food is important in the rabbit’s diet. What’s more, they are also essential if my rabbit is fat and needs to lose weight.
Since most of the fresh foods they eat are high in water, the calorie count is very small.
Of course, what is not so positive is the amount of sugar that these foods may contain. Therefore, if the rabbit is fat, it is better to offer green leafy vegetables (such as kale).
The awards
The awards for rabbits are great allies when you are educating the animal or when, for good behavior, want to give a whim.
However, abusing the treats can lead to the rabbit becoming overweight. This can happen whether it is commercial or natural treats, because, as we have seen, fruits and vegetables with a lot of sugars are not good in excess.
The exercise
A sedentary lifestyle is very harmful to any pet. Therefore, counteracting it with exercise will be key for your rabbit to lose weight.
Your rabbit needs to get out of the cage every day for several hours so that it can move around a wide area. Plus, you need incentives to keep you active.
Therefore, in addition to leaving him free for a long stay free of dangers, it is also necessary to provide him with toys suitable for him with which he can interact.
In addition to exercising, these moments can be used to educate the rabbit. Because yes, they are very intelligent animals that can learn a lot!
Finally, we want to emphasize that weight loss in the animal must occur progressively. Doing it very radically, for example, by cutting out much of your diet, could lead to serious health problems.
Therefore, the ideal will always be that if you put your pet on a diet, it is supervised by a veterinary professional specialized in exotics.
