Senior Rabbit?

Question
Hi Lee
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".

Hi Lee
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".

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.

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
Hi,

I will try to answer your questions.

1. Technically he is considered an older rabbit.  Vets usually consider rabbits age 6 or more to be older.  This however is based on years of rabbit owners that have kept rabbits not as indoor house rabbits, or had the great drugs we now use today and better surgical success rates by more experienced rabbit vets than 20-25 years ago.  Indoor house rabbits can live 10-12 years or more with care.  So it really depends on the owner, the vet care and the conditions the rabbit is kept in, that make the real difference.  A six year old rabbit in poor conditions may be 'older' than a ten year old indoor house rabbit with a diligent owner and a good rabbit vet.

2. Definitely. Yes.  They are otherwise healthy unless: 1) you see an obvious problem; 2) they can't move or move properly; 3) lose interest in food and especially treats; 4) not eating or drinking; 5) you aren't seeing any urine and/or fecal pellets in normal amounts.

3. Unexplained weight loss can indicate a problem.  Rabbits can lose weight as they get older, yes.  Now if you feel him when you pet him and find a big lump somewhere it could mean a physical problem.  If he isn't eating as much as before he could lose weight, but now you need to know why he is eating less.  If he isn't exercising as much as before he could lose weight.  There are many reasons why he could lose weight.  But if he appears otherwise healthy and normal and you can't find anything unusual in his behavior, and he's still eating and drinking okay, then he's probably okay.

4. Watch the pellets as you say too much cause problems.  Encourage good hay eating, make sure to refill his hay several times a day.  You want him eating hay more than anything else, that is what will keep him doing really good as he gets older - to avoid teeth problems, gut problems, and fur blockage problems.

5.  With rabbits being so small and fur really making them appear bigger than they are, it can be hard to tell when they gain too much weight, or lose a little weight.  It is easier to tell when they've gotten thinner than heavier, in my experience.  But they weigh differently throughout the day.  When they drop a lot of fecal pellets their weight goes down a couple ounces.  When trying to figure out weight loss weigh them around the same time of day, so that you will get a more consistent weight.  Your digital scale probably is not accurate enough, but for a decent-sized rabbit as yours a 5-ounce (.2 kg) difference in weight could be one or two really good fecal pellet drops.  If you can get your hands on a baby scale, or a postal scale that you can put a platform on for him to sit, you'd get more accurate readings.  But if he is normally around 2.7-2.9 kg and that consistent, for his weight that 5-ounce difference isn't alarming, as long as he is eating and drinking normally.

6. The shape you describe him in laying down is normal.  Their gut will be slightly round while the rest of them may appear flat.  It's because of their cecum, and the fact 25% of their body weight is their digestive system.  And if he wasn't feeling right, or was in pain, your rabbit would not lay down that way.  That is a position only a rabbit that is relaxed and not in pain, uses.  They won't lay that way if they are in pain or hurting.

7. My previous answer about them being 'old' applies.  Less experienced rabbit vets will fall back on 'he's old'.  It is a factor to consider when dealing with surgeries, and things like that, and being 'older' for a rabbit you will begin to see things that are more 'old age' problems - for example older rabbits can develop arthritis or develop eye problems - but rabbits will compensate for some of this and you can give them things to help them too.  Being 'old' isn't a diagnosis, it's just a fact.  We don't tell old people 'well you're just old' and not do anything for them.  Same with older pets.