AboutLee Meyer (Mr.) Expertise I have 5+ years of experience with House Rabbits, rescue groups, and working with shelter rabbits. I do educational talks about house rabbits. I advise potential adopters, supervise bunny 'dates', fundraising/educational rabbit events, and help rabbit owners with their rabbits. I will answer questions about: general behaviors, body language, housing, toys, bunny-proofing, diet, spaying/neutering issues, nail clips, preventative measures, diet, and health questions. I will not discuss: anything that deals with rabbits for fur, food, factory-style breeding, deliberate or casual breeding by pet owners, or experimentation.
My focus is solely on rabbits as loved pets. It's why I'm a House Rabbit Society member rather than an ARBA member. If you don't view your rabbit the same way you would a pet dog or cat, please ask another expert your question.
I am not a veterinarian and cannot conclusively diagnose your rabbit. My advice does not take the place of a good rabbit vet. IF YOU THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM, DON'T WAIT FOR A REPLY, GET TO A VET IMMEDIATELY!!! Sometimes what appears to be a small problem is life-threatening.
The House Rabbit Society has references on their site for vets they have researched. There are US and international links here for vets all over the world with rabbit experience: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html
I recommend the following resources to all rabbit owners:
House Rabbit Society - online rabbit info (www.rabbit.org)
Book: Rabbit Health in the 21st Century 2nd Ed. by Kathy Smith
Book: House Rabbit Handbook 4th Ed. by Marinell Harriman
Experience House Rabbit Member since 2004
Discover Your House Rabbit organizer - 2006
Rabbit Adopter since 2004
HAWS Board of Education member (rabbits) since 2005
HAWS Rabbit Volunteer since 2004
Organizations National House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), Education Board Member for Rabbits, Friends of HAWS
Education/Credentials BSEE, MSEE (Electrical/Computer Engineering), Marquette University
Question i have three rabbits one netherland dwarf and a dutch dwarf and one with long ears lol ( i dunno wa type she is) but my netherland darf has to fight to eat her food cuz sweet pea(floppy eared one) eats fast but i think shes gettin big...is this bad or good
Answer Hi Kao,
thanks for the questions.
"Can my rabbits eat carrots,lettuce an strawberries everyday?" The answer if she is healthy and likes them and they produce no adverse effects on her (ie diarrhea) then yes, limited, small quantities.
Rabbit diets, in order to remain healthy and prevent obesity should be as follows:
1. Hay (timothy hay, orchard grass), should be there for them 24 hours a day, and it should make up 75-80% of their food. They are designed to eat this and get nutrition from it. Hay is critical to rabbits' health as it helps push through hay they ingest from grooming and normally make up 95% of the material in their hard waste pellets. It's excellent fiber. Rabbits can live without pellets, greens, and treats if they are given good quality hay. Rabbits will not live well or long if they are given everything but hay.
2. Good quality rabbit timohty-hay pellets without extra fat/sugar junk in it (like oxbow Bunny Basics - T) can be given at 1/4 cup per 5 pounds body weight. If smaller than 5 pounds an 1/8 cup or 3/16 cup can be given.
3. Good-quality greens in more limited quantities. It is recommended no more than 1/2 cup per 4-5 pounds body weight, and further, some greens may give them gas which can lead into bigger stomach problems that could kill them if not treated by a vet. Greens are optional and not necessary like hay is. Always introduce new greens in very small amounts and very slowly into their diets (you should always do this slowly and in small amounts for ANYTHING you are adding to their diets). Not every rabbit handles each type of greens as well as others. Never give iceberg lettuce - always romaine, green leaf types.
4. Higher carb veggies, fruits and treats - very limited quantities. Too much of these cause unhealthy weight gain and again, stomach problems that can kill them. I would give them carrots, and fruits like bananas sparingly. Maybe a few small (1/8 inch thick) pieces, or a few baby carrots a day. Max.
5. Rabbits diets work best on consistency and regularity. Once you introduce them to something new over a one-two week ramp up period, you can't just all of a sudden stop giving it to them, you need to start reducing portions over a week or two to allow their gut bacteria balances to adjust without causing them problems. So do not introduce more than one new thing at a time, and be sure that you can give it to them regularly once they are used to it. Make sure you will be able to 'ease' them off of it if whatever it is goes out of season or you can't get it anymore.
As per you question about one of your buns eating another's portion or partial portion of food, there are several things you can do. One thing woudl be to physically separate them at mealtime and feed them separately, so the one can't eat the others' food. The other thing you can do if the overeater rabbit is not very aggressive is try to feed them in the same place, but with their own separate dishes. If the overeater attacks the others' food and pushes them away from their own dish, I'd physically separate them and feed the other one away from the overeater.
As for the lop getting 'big' if you mean overweight, then yes this is bad. If she is still growing and is just in the process of growing and she doesn't appear like a sausage-shape when she is laying down resting, then it's probably okay. The way you phrase it makes me believe you believe she is getting overweight. I would separate them while feeding, and because she has gained extra weight, I would greatly reduce any snacks/treats she gets, and reduce her greens and pellets, and give her more hay to eat. When she is hungry she will eat hay, which is the best thing for her and reducing the higher-calorie items will help her lose the extra weight.
Your vet should examine her (the overweight one) and confirm for you she is overweight, and give you a target weight that she should slim down to over the next 6 months or so. Rabbits need to lose weight gradually, and it does work - I have had to put several of my rabbits on diets. It does work.
If you don't have a good rabbit vet, go to the House Rabbit Society web site and look for a recommended rabbit vet in your area. If there is one near you I'd strongly urge you to go to them, they are far more experienced with rabbits than vets who primarily see cats and dogs:
