Very old rabbit, very skinny, help?

[Bramwell191]

Hi there,

My 9 year old rabbit Sandy is looking extremely weak and thin, to the point where i can feel and see her hip bones, is there anything I can give her to help her put on some weight in her old age? She has been extremely well looked after throughout her life, eats hay (her teeth are fine) and has a very good appetite for her age, however, I fear the worst is around the corner, but would still like to try and help her if i can. 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Philip

[Bam]

You can try oats. Rolled oats or whole oats. It’s well tolerated by buns and often given to buns housed outside during winter, for extra energy. Start slow, of course.

Pumpkin seeds can also be given, start very slow, like with one seed/day and watch closely so she doesn’t get sticky poop.

A probiotic can sometimes help a bun make better use of the food she gets. Benebac is one type, but there are others – just make sure you get one that’s suitable for buns, those for cats and dogs tend to be flavored with meat- or liver flavor and that might not be to her liking.

[tobyluv]

You can also try giving her small quantities of hulled, plain (not salted) sunflower seeds.

[sarahthegemini]

What about alfalfa hay? Would that be suitable? (asking for clarification!)

[LittlePuffyTail]

My senior (almost 10) has a hard time keeping weight on and my vet suggested I supplement his diet with Oxbow Critical Care. He gets about 3 servings of 1 TBSP each daily. Works pretty good but gets expensive. I tried the oats but his tummy is too sensitive, unfortunately.

[Bam]

Sarah, some elderly buns benefit from alfalfa hay, but the high calcium levels can be a problem. You’d need to monitor the pee closely.

I just remembered one member told us she/he fed junior pellets to an elderly/poorly bun that needed to gain weight. I don’t remember the details though :/

[deadneonflies]

I find I am having the same problem. My bun is only 8, but the vet said she is underweight and a bit on the skinny side too. I wish she’d pass that onto me (haha). I am still trying out different things myself, but I have been doing mashed banana with oats mixed in (she won’t eat the oats by themselves). I’m afraid this is giving her too much sugar though, so I only do it once a day and very little banana (so she doesn’t get GI statis). I have also seen other buns get cheerios too. Has anyone had experience with that? I also give her unlimited pellets, however my other bun is taking advantage of that and is getting a little plump herself.

I hope you find the right trick and my girl can benefit from it as well.

[Bam]

Gina:Jenny used barley rings to fatten her two strays up.

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