Overweight Rabbit

Question
Hello,
I have a rabbit that is about 6 months old. She has an
automatic feeder, so she gets constant supply of pellets.
She also has hay for bedding that she likes to nibble also.
She is almost 100% dutch so her breed is on the smaller
side. She is very "puffy/fluffy" so to speak. It is very
hard to find her ribs and count them. She has quite a thick
layer of fat covering them. I would like to know how i could
reduce her weight. I am willing to buy special food to help
her or find a different feeding method. I know the automatic
feeder should probably go but i would like to know how much
she should be getting a day for food. If you can help me out
with some information, that would be great! Thanks! P.S I
ordered a scale online and it should be coming in the mail
in a few days.  

Answer
Hi,

several things to need to do, she is not getting the proper foods she needs in the right amounts.

1. Hay is the thing she needs most.  Timothy Hay, Orchard grass hay, I recommend hay from Oxbow.  This is what she should be eating the most of.  They are designed to eat hay, their teeth and gut need lots of hay to work right.  This will also cut her weight down.  She can eat all the hay she wants and not gain weight.

2. No automatic feeder.  Measure out her pellets she gets each da with a small measuring cup.  Guidelines for rabbits are 1/4 cup pellets per day, per 5 pounds of body weight.  

3. Exercise.  She needs at least 3 hours out of her cage per day to run and play and move around.  More is better.

4. I would take her to a good rabbit vet for an exam and get the vet's opinion about her weight.  You can also ask the vet how big they think she should get the next 6 months as she will still be growing until she's a year old.

To find a good rabbit vet go here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

to find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.