exercsie

Question
Hi, ive got two girls who are a black rex and a english/dwarf cross, they have just gone 12 mths and been for there check up.The vet advised the rex is overweight as she is 3.2 kilos, they are not over fed and are in the garden 10-12 hours a day how do i make her lose weight????

Answer
Exercise is always a good idea, however it can be difficult to convince a rabbit who has a pretty free run that they need more of it. lol.

However if she has access to outside foods (plants, grass, etc from the garden) you may be able to slowly reduce the amount of pellets you are feeding her (as she is getting most of her stuff from outside) OR go to your local feed store and find a pellet that has less fat in it and more fiber.  Alot of pellet feeds while okay feeds,can have a lot of fat in them. if you have  bun that runs on the heavy side, this can cause the rabbit to gain weight even if you are feeding appropriate amounts.  I suggest looking for a feed with Crude fiber: 20-25% * Crude protein: 13-15% * Crude fat: < 2%.

If however  your feed is in the appropriate amounts then I would try giving more hay, less pellets.  Hay is a more natural part of their diet anyway and helps more with wearing down teeth and keeping digestive tracks on track.  The key here is slowly.  Slowly work your rabbit down to a smaller amount of food, also cut out any treats that you are giving her, I know that is hard, but treats can be very high in fat, which can lead to overweight rabbits.

Also try inventing new games to get her to running around, try a cat toy ( the little bobble on the end of a stick) and see if she will chase it, you can also see if she will chase an old sock (my rabbits seem to love the old sock thing being drug along the floor)  

You can also ask your vet for suggestions on what things to try to help your bun loose weight.

Good Luck
Amy