Is your rabbit too fat?

Wild rabbits have to forage for food; breed; flee to their burrow whenever danger
looms; and keep warm in inclement weather. This uses up every scrap of energy
from their food, especially in winter. On the other hand the average pet rabbit is
neutered, indulged with a multitude of treats, is not routinely fleeing from danger
and often not keen on exercise. The result? An awful lot of fat rabbits!
Recent surveys have shown that excess weight and obesity are serious and
increasing problems within the UKs pet population, with rabbits suffering just as
much as cats and dogs.
Excess weight puts a strain on the cardiovascular system and worsens arthritis,
which is common in older rabbits. Fat rabbits are unable to groom themselves
properly or reach their anus to re-ingest caecal pellets. The resulting mucky
bottom is dangerous in the warmer weather : fly eggs laid in the caked faeces
hatch rapidly into maggots. 'Flystrike' is a largely avoidable, nasty condition to
afflict rabbits and sadly often fatal.

So, how do you decide if your rabbit is the correct weight?
Domestic rabbits vary immensely in body shape just like dogs do: think of the
difference between a greyhound and a Labrador and you start getting the picture!
Deciding if your rabbit is too thin is relatively easy. If you stroke him and his
backbone sticks up in a ridge then (unless he's very old) then he's probably too
thin. Similarly, it is unusual to feel the hip bones easily except in very slender
breeds like Belgian Hares or Polish. A thick winter coat can hide a thin body, or
may make an average sized rabbit look fat, so it is important to feel them, rather
than just look at them. It can be more difficult to decide if your rabbit is too fat.
Ask your vet or vet nurse the next time you take your rabbit in.
If he's a purebred then you can look up the correct weight for the breed and see
how far off he is; although there are always weight ranges within breeds.
A few general rules: - Rabbits with round heads often have chunky bodies, but
no rabbit should have little head perched on a huge body. A male rabbit with a
dewlap, or a female rabbit with a huge dewlap is very likely too fat (although the
oversize dewlap will often persist after weight is lost). Obese rabbits may have
fatty pads on their shoulders, legs and groins. Internal fat is more difficult to see
but large pot bellies indicate a problem. If you pet your rabbit very firmly, you
should be able to feel his ribs under a firm layer of muscle. If he looks wider than
he is long he is seriously fat! If he can't keep his bottom clean, you need to act
quickly. Keep his bottom clean for him, and get your vet/vet nurse to devise a
weight loss programme.
Vets will use a Body Condition score to assess your rabbits weight and to
determine how overweight they are and how much they need to lose. The ideal
score is a 3 out of 5 and would indicate the rabbit was at its optimum weight.
Body condition score 1 = Emaciated
The pelvis and ribs are very easily palpated and very sharp. Ribs feel like a pocket
full of rulers! Concave rump area
Body condition score 2 = Lean/underweight
The pelvis and ribs are easily palpated and feel sharp. Rump area is flat.
Body condition score 3 = Ideal weight
Pelvis and ribs are easily palpated but have rounded edges. Ribs feel like a pocket
full of pens! Rump area is flat.
Body condition score 4 = overweight/fat
Firm palpation required to feel the ribs. The rump is round to the touch.
Body condition score 5 = obese
Hard to palpate the ribs or ribs cannot be felt. The rump area is convex.

Sadly, many rabbits fall into a 4 or 5 category and very often owners are not
aware that the rabbit is overweight and the implications this may cause or already
be causing.
Bunny weightwatchers?
Overweight rabbits need a weight loss programme designed for them. It is
important that this is done carefully, as any dramatic and rapid weight loss in
rabbits can be dangerous.
Most overweight rabbits are being fed far too much concentrated food. A
neutered, healthy, adult rabbit only needs around 1 tablespoon per kg of
bodyweight per day of concentrated food. The ration should be worked out based
on the weight that the rabbit should be and not the weight that they are! This is
often much less than most rabbits are fed. It is best to cut the rabbits dried food
down gradually over a week or so, otherwise they may suddenly feel deprived.
All treats need to be totally removed from the diet. The odd piece of apple or pear
can be used as treat (no more than once a week). High fat treats such as barley
rings are extremely calorie dense, and should never be fed to pet rabbits.
The basic diet should consist of a small amount of a good quality, extruded
nugget, ad-lib amounts of good quality hay and access to grass, and a large pile of
greens each day.

Low calorie concentrated rabbit foods
There are several brands of low calorie concentrated foods available. You could
consider using one of these.

Encourage them to exercise
Fat rabbits are often lazy which makes the whole situation worse. Encourage
them to move around more. Scatter their dried food and greens so they have to
forage around. Purchase a dog treat ball, and place their daily concentrated ration
in their. They will need to roll the ball around to get the food out. Not only does
this provide mental simulation, but also gets them moving.
Allow them greater access to exercise, either inside the house or in a safe and
secure garden/large run.
Dieting one of a bonded pair
This shouldnt cause a problem even if the other rabbit isnt particularly
overweight. You may need to feed them their concentrated ration separately or
monitor them as they are eating it, so one isnt eating more than the other, but
since this should be eaten within half an hour, then this doesnt normally cause an
issue.

Weight loss rate
The very maximum rate of weight loss should be 1-2% loss per week. Anymore
than this can cause serious health problems. It is always advised that you diet
your rabbit having consulted your vet/vet nurse first and weigh them every week
to assess their weight loss.

Once your rabbit has achieved their target weight, they will be healthier, fitter
and happier! You can slightly increase their concentrated food ration so that no
further weight loss is achieved. Continue to monitor their weight to ensure that
the weight doesnt begin to creep back on again!

By Linda Dykes MBBS (Hons). First published in Rabbiting On, the journal of the British Houserabbit Association, Winter 1997. Revised and
updated by Claire Speight RVN, December 2012. Reviewed by Richard Saunders BSc BVSc CBiol MSB CertZooMed DZooMed (Mammalian)
MRCVSin Feb 2013.