Is my rabbit obese?

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Kneedles

Kneedles

Songster
7 Years
Jul 22, 2014
256
111
206
Wellington, New Zealand
I have a feeling that my rabbit is obese.
Its diet mainly consists of mixed pellets. It is also given some vegetables, and grass on occasion.
I know that trying to feel its ribs would be a better way to determine obesity, but the rabbit can't stand being touched.
I know that the photos look grainy; I don't know why. They look much better when I use my computer's photo-viewer.

 
How much are you feeding this rabbit? If you are feeding pellets free choice that may be too much feed.
 
Pellet to weight ratio is usually about 1/4 cup for every 4 pounds of weight. Hay should be offered at all times, it's good for digestion and helps reduce serious intestinal issues. Rabbits that are free fed pellets over eat and quickly become obese.
 
Kneedles said:
I don't know what free-feeding is, or how much 1/4 cup is
Click to expand...
Free feeding is always having pellets in a rabbit's dish, so that they can eat as much as they want and never run out of food. It is not usually recommended for rabbit to be free fed unless they are young (less than four months) or nursing litters.

1/4 cup of feed is about four Tablespoons, in case that makes it more understandable.
 
Last edited:
I feed my rabbit mixed pellets twice a day. I don't measure how much I put in its bowl, but I think it's within four tablespoons.

I actually wanted an answer based on the appearance of my rabbit. I didn't think that determining obesity by looking at it would be difficult.
 
junebuggena said:
Fur can hide quite a lot.
Click to expand...
Agreed

With that said, to me, it looks as though your rabbit is a little overweight, or at least in poor flesh condition. The fur may be making it more obvious than it really is, but his skin seems somewhat flabby/loose hanging, indicating lack of muscle tone and some extra weight. When you pet him, is the skin easy to manipulate/grab, or does his body feel firm?

If he is a little flabby, you could try to correct that by reducing his food a little, but also getting him to exercise more. Exercise can be accomplished many ways. You could let him run around a rabbit-safe room or other area for some time each day. Or, you could try to harness train him and get him to go over some rabbit-sized hurdles (known as Rabbit Hopping). Or, depending on his housing set-up, you could put a board in the middle of his cage/hutch so that he has to hop over it to move from one side to another. All of those things can help build muscle and increase a rabbit's fitness.
 

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