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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Suggestions for Weight Gain

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    • JRBunBun
      Participant
      79 posts Send Private Message

        Hi all, Rocky is slowly recovering from head tilt, but the medicines (I assume) have caused him to lose his appetite and thereby he’s lost quite a bit of weight. He will eat hay and fresh veggies & fruits, in small amounts. I have never in his life given him treats with nuts or seeds, I’ve never even given him a raisin but I hear that buns love them… I have always been afraid of those sorts of things causing stasis, so I’m looking for some advice for high fat, high calorie treats that I can give him to help him gain some of the weight back and the assurance that they won’t clog him up.

        Do any of you have suggestions? I have been giving him alfalfa hay in small amounts in the hopes that it will help, and I plan to go buy some alfalfa-based pellets tomorrow to offer as well, but he hasn’t been interested in his regular Timothy based pellets. He’ll maybe eat 1 or 2 a day!  I stopped giving critical care about 5 days ago in the hopes that he would be hungry and eat on his own, which he has been – but he’s way too thin and I think I’m going to resume the critical care again. I hate it because it stresses him out, but I don’t know what else to do.

        I did read about putting his pellets in some water/juice and microwaving for 15 seconds, fluffing it up and serving it once cooled, but I tried it and he turned his nose up at it.

        Ooh – important side note – he doesn’t have his incisors – he’s been without them for at least 6 or 7 years, so he’s very good at picking up food, but he doesn’t have the ability to shred anything – I have to shred his lettuce for him, and offer up herbs like dill or parsley that he can easily pick up and chew like a long blade of straw.

        Any suggestions for treats I can buy at a pet store would be welcome, or any other tricks… I’ve tried canned pumpkin, mashed banana, apple, etc., and he’ll take it – but only a little bit before he is no longer interested. I think offering him something new will get him excited and hopefully get him back to a healthy weight. I read something about Ensure – what do you guys think about that?

        Thanks! JR & Rocky BunBun


      • Luna
        Participant
        2219 posts Send Private Message

          When Luna lost weight after her ear infection I bought her alfalfa hay cubes and she loved them! A single cube is big, but the cubes are layered so you can peel them apart, and then from there you can break them off into even smaller pieces. Would he be able to eat the smaller pieces without his incisors? I think I’ve read too that oats can help with weight gain? I definitely agree that offering him something new* should help as buns are naturally curious.

          *Agree with LPT – “new” shouldn’t include Ensure


        • LittlePuffyTail
          Moderator
          18092 posts Send Private Message

            I can’t imagine that Ensure would be good for a bunny.

            Will he eat Critical Care off a plate mixed with water? I have a special needs, elder bun and my vet suggested to give him several TBSP of Critical Care daily to keep his weight up. He loves his Critical Care and gobbles it up. What kind do you have? Bindi loves the Apple Banana but hates the Anise kind.


          • JRBunBun
            Participant
            79 posts Send Private Message

              Yeah, Ensure seemed odd to me, too. He isn’t a fan of the critical care, I’ve given him the plain and the apple banana – I guess I could try it on a plate, but I do’t think it will work. Worth a try!

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          Forum DIET & CARE Suggestions for Weight Gain