Bunnymad UK: Obesity

A guide to obesity in rabbits

Around a third of pet rabbits in the UK are overweight. Obese and overweight rabbits have a shorter lifespan and are at risk of many problems, including:

· Gut stasis.

· Fly strike (due to messy bottom from being unable to reach to eat caecotrophs or clean rear end)

· Bladder sludge.

· Urinary infection.

· Stress on joints.

· Arthritis.

· Broken bones.

· Sore feet (pododermatitis).

· Cancer.

· Heart disease.

· Liver disease.

· Heat stress.

· Anaesthetic risk.

· Difficulty getting enough exercise (compounding the problem).

· Inadequate nutrition (from being unable to reach to eat caecotrophs).

Our responsibilities

The best way to protect rabbits from becoming obese is to reduce the risk of them gaining excess weight.

A rabbit can gain excess weight for two main reasons:

· Poor diet – Our domestic rabbits’ wild ancestors have a low energy, high fibre diet. Their digestive systems have evolved to maximise the energy from this low nutrient diet, and they will naturally select the higher energy vegetation first. Our pet rabbits do the same, selecting higher energy foods first, which means that they will choose commercial foods and treats over hay or grass. So, if we feed them a diet too high in carbohydrates (from pellets and vegetables) they will become overweight from selective feeding (especially if they are fed a muesli-type mix), and soon become obese if they are also inactive. Additionally, their digestive system will suffer from not eating enough hay (it requires large amounts of digestible and undigestible fibre (hay or grass)), and they may develop dental problems.

· Inactivity – exercise is vital to maintain a healthy body weight, but many rabbits are inactive. For most, this is due to being kept in inadequate housing with insufficient space. Low activity levels can also be caused by mobility problems (such as those suffered by rabbits with arthritis, sore hocks, or a disability), or other health conditions which make them reluctant to move. However, obesity in itself can reduce a rabbit’s mobility, accentuating the problem. Exercise is also important for stimulating gut movement.

Addressing these problems is vital to reduce the risk of a rabbit becoming obese.

Here are some examples, for each of the Five Welfare Needs, to show how providing for rabbits’ welfare reduces the risk of obesity:

· Suitable environment:

o Provide suitable space to allow rabbits to exercise to keep a healthy weight (24/7 access to a minimum of 3m x 2m x 1m high).

· Suitable diet:

o Ensure that rabbits’ diet consists of at least 85% fresh hay or grass – encourage them to eat hay or grass by adding forage and decreasing the amount of pellets, treats, and greens fed.

o Feel a minimal amount of pelleted food (excessive carbohydrates and too much dry food can also increase the risk of gut stasis).

o Feed recommended quantity of pellets and greens later in the day, so rabbits fill up on hay first, rather than selecting the higher energy food.

· Enabling rabbits to exhibit normal behaviour patterns behaviours:

o Ensure that rabbits have plenty of enrichment to keep them active and fit, to maintain a healthy bodyweight.

o Scatter-feeding/hiding food helps to encourage activity by foraging.

· Providing at least one rabbit companion:

o Bonded rabbits are more active.

· Suitable health care:

o Make sure any dental problems are treated or managed, so that rabbits can eat hay or grass.

o Make sure any problems which reduce mobility (eg. sore hocks, arthritis) are treated or managed, so the rabbit can remain active.

o Make sure rabbits have regular vet checks, to spot any other health issues before they become a problem which causes them to stop eating hay or to become inactive.

Check rabbits regularly

Unfortunately, even if we provide a good diet, and suitable housing with plenty of space and enrichment, rabbits can still become overweight. It’s important to monitor our rabbits’ health and weight, observe their behaviour, and ensuring they have routine health checks:

· Weight: Know your rabbits’ healthy body weight and monitor it regularly. Ideal body weight varies with rabbit breeds (smaller breeds can weigh around 1kg, but giant breeds can weigh up to 8kg!). Even within breeds themselves weight varies, and many rabbits are cross breeds, so weight charts for breeds should only be taken as a rough guide. However, recording a rabbit’s weight is necessary, to check for any sudden gain or loss.

· Size: Recording weight is useful but not the most reliable indicator of obesity. A better technique is body condition scoring – a rabbit is scored between 1 (emaciated) and 5 (obese) depending on how easy it is to feel their ribs and pelvis, and the shape of their rump. A rabbit with ideal body condition will have a pelvis and rib that can be felt but have rounded (not sharp) edges, and a smooth curve from their neck to their tail (flat rump). The RWAF provides a useful guide.
Another useful tool is the UK Pet Food’s Rabbit Size-O-Meter.

· Other indicators: Check for other signs of obesity – eg. sore hocks; messy bottom (obesity can make it difficult for a rabbit to clean themselves, and can also make it tricky for them to position themselves to urinate without soiling themselves).

· Activity levels: Check that rabbits are moving around, especially during their most active times (dawn and dusk), and provide encouragement for exercise if necessary. Check also that they are able to perform normal behaviours, eg. hopping, grooming, reaching their rear end, stretching, lying down.

If your rabbit is overweight or inactive, consult a vet.

Treatment

Veterinary treatment includes:

· Dietary advice.

· Weight loss plan – any dietary changes must be introduced gradually.

· Treating or managing the underlying factors that may have resulted in a rabbit becoming overweight or inactive (eg. dental disease, arthritis).