Weight and General Health Issue

Question
Hi Dana
Can I seek your advise on the following questions :

1)  Is a rabbit of age 7 consider very old?  Or is just senior?

2)  Can a rabbit still is generally healthy at age 7?

3)  Do all older rabbits lose weight?  My rabbit just turn 7 and somehow I thought he look a bit different, his bottom area use to be round and his body use to look long, now, somehow, he look shorter in length and his bottom is very flat, and it is especially small when u feel it when he lie flat with his hind legs stretch out. Is there something wrong?

4)  So far, eating, drinking, pooing, movement seem ok. He dashes for his treats, chew the Jumbo willow balls in less than 5 mins. Too much timothy pellets will give some runny stools though, which has been an issue since he is age 6. He also has free access of oxbow Tim hay, orchard grass and oat hay.

5)  Is it possible that rabbit can look like they lose weight from the apperance but weigh about the same?  I am using a digital weighing machine for human, so i weigh myself first and weight with me carrying him the next round. Then I derive his estimated weight by subtracting both weights.  It varies from 2.7kg to 2.9kg. Not very accurate but about this range.  But to me, I definitely feel that he look smaller and when I pat him, his seems leaner, the side of the body is "thinner".

Is this normal generally?

If he lay flat with his hind leg stretch out, from the top view, his upper body is straight, and the belly area slightly round and the bottom area curve in, is this normal shape for a rabbit?

Vets in my country aren't experience in rabbits and they always say he is old he is old...which sometimes is not the main reason for all possible suspicious. Don't u agree?  A young person doesn't mean is definitely healthier than an older person in general..and I think by using the age factor is not a fair judgment.

I have a very strong bond with my rabbit, so I am very afraid of losing him; I want to create a good healthy life style, please give me any opinion you have and I will be very grateful.  

Answer
Dear Sia,

1)  Is a rabbit of age 7 consider very old?  Or is just senior?

He's not old.  He's sort of in middle age at this point.  Many of our bunnies are living well into their teens these days.


2)  Can a rabbit still is generally healthy at age 7?

Yes, absolutely.  They may start to have dental problems, though, so this is something to learn about:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

3)  Do all older rabbits lose weight?  My rabbit just turn 7 and somehow I thought he look a bit different, his bottom area use to be round and his body use to look long, now, somehow, he look shorter in length and his bottom is very flat, and it is especially small when u feel it when he lie flat with his hind legs stretch out. Is there something wrong?

Many things can cause a bunny to lose weight, including dental problems, lack of muscle tone from not exercising as much, and even renal disease.  

I cannot tell if he's underweight without seeing him, though.

4)  So far, eating, drinking, pooing, movement seem ok. He dashes for his treats, chew the Jumbo willow balls in less than 5 mins. Too much timothy pellets will give some runny stools though, which has been an issue since he is age 6. He also has free access of oxbow Tim hay, orchard grass and oat hay.

Sounds good!

5)  Is it possible that rabbit can look like they lose weight from the appearance but weigh about the same?  I am using a digital weighing machine for human, so i weigh myself first and weight with me carrying him the next round. Then I derive his estimated weight by subtracting both weights.  It varies from 2.7kg to 2.9kg. Not very accurate but about this range.  But to me, I definitely feel that he look smaller and when I pat him, his seems leaner, the side of the body is "thinner".

Again, I can't really tell without seeing him.  But the above is still true:  middle-aged rabbits often have dental problems that keep them from eating as much.  

If you can send some pictures (you can attach them at the question site), I can get a better idea of whether he looks unusually thin.

Hope this helps.

Dana