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A small rabbit (full grown) was being cared for by a ...


Sent to Pet Experts March 10, 2006 8:18 p.m.

A small rabbit (full grown) was being cared for by a neighbor as an outdoor pet. Sunday she came to me with the rabbit covered in feces and very lethargic. After immediate EM care and meds for diahrrea, "Lucky" became my house pet. Diahrrea cleared up other than plop stool overnight (normal I hear)but I cannot get any weight back on him. He is eagerly eating a diet of timothy and recommended pellets with a few baby carrots throughout the day. He is drinking normally from a water bottle and a dish and goes outside for exercise. He does seem restricted in his hopping but will hop for carrots strewn about. I really never had hands on him before Sunday to know how heavy he was, but I really want to fatten him uip as his spine isn't even covered. The neighbor said that Lucky was eating the food she put out for a stray dog as well as a few carrots she would leave out for him. Vet stool check Monday was negative for all parasites, giarrdia and cocycidia(forgive the spelling)

CAN YOU HELP WITH THE WEIGHT ISSUE?
BETTIE

Optional Information:
Female; Breed: RABBIT

Already Tried:
GOOD DIET
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status: Closed   Value: $10   
Answer
March 11, 2006 7:33 a.m. (11 hours and 15 minutes later)
ACCEPTED Check Mark

Hi Bettie,

First, Lucky is lucky you rescued her.

When you say she is a small rabbit, would you say she's a dwarf rabbit? If you go to http://www.arba.net/photo.htm you can see pictures of different types of rabbits so you can get an idea what type Lucky is.

Knowing what type of rabbit Lucky is is helpful in knowing how much she should weigh. When you took Lucky to the vet, did they comment on her weight?

A healthy diet for rabbits is lots of timothy hay, available all the time. She should get pellets (Oxbow Bunny Basics are the best) in the morning, and the amount depends on her size and age. Probably a quarter of a cup is adequate.

For dinner she can have fresh produce. It's important to avoid any produce containing high amounts of calcium, as this can lead to sludge in the urine or bladder stones. Bunnies should not eat spinach, parsley, and dandelion greens. Safe greens for them to have are romaine, leafy green and red, bok choy, and endive/chicory.

Rabbits should not have anything high in starches such as bread, crackers, cereal, or oatmeal. Treats high in sugar should be fed sparingly: carrots, apples. They should have no dried fruits, such as raisins.

I'm concerned about one thing you mentioned at the beginning of your question, that Lucky has plop stool overnight. Does she have stool sticking to her bottom in the morning? Is there just some that's not in the liter box? I want to make sure I understand what you mean by this since this can be something serious.

If you can let me know her weight and what type of rabbit you think she is, that would help too.

PictureSusan Kollgaard  -- Guinea Pig and Rabbit Rescue -- 100% Positive Feedback on 220 Pet Accepts
I work with Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue and the House Rabbit Society and House Rabbit Sanctuary.

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