# Senior Bunny Losing Weight



## lilbitsmom (Jul 22, 2010)

Hi there. I have a 12 year old Netherland Dwarf who is my heart bunny. He is my first bunny that I saved from a reptile shop and back then we didn't know half as much as we know now about bunnies. I have made all the typcial mistakes with him and he has survived this long.

Everytime we found out we were doing something wrong, we corrected it right away. He's tough and has kept on going all of these years. I love him more than any other.

He is blind now in both eyes, doesn't move around alot and sleeps most the days. He won't use the litter pan anymore, so we use palace pet bedding, which really doesn't bother me at all.

My dilemma is that he is skin and bones. He can't seem to keep any weight on. He eats all of his pellets (alfafa), any treats I give him including oats, which I heard help put on weight.

Does anyone have any other tips for a senior guy who can't gain weight? I appreciate any insight you all might have!

Thanks


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## NorthernAutumn (Jul 22, 2010)

Hi There 

It would help out the infirmary mods if you could provide the information listed here: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=44529&forum_id=16

I took a look around, and found this thread about a senior rabbit losing weight - may provide some thoughts:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=55139&forum_id=48&jump_to=747514#p747514


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## Pipp (Jul 22, 2010)

Aw...

I think your best bet is something like Nutri-Cal, a high calorie supplement for cats and dogs but it works great for rabbits. 

Old rabbits do have natural 'wasting' from age, just like people. A product like Nutri-cal will help put on healthy weight, provide vitamins and naturally increase their energy and appetites in many cases. 

Give her a nose pat for me. (My heart dwarf is turning six this week). 


sas et:


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## lilbitsmom (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks so much for the information! I will continue to try to find things to feed him that might help his weight gain. I'm going to get some of the nutri cal and see what happens! Much appreciated!!!


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## Pipp (Jul 22, 2010)

Added caution: Don't try filling him up with anything too high in protein, and don't go overboard with sugars or carbs. 


sas :clover:


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## Nancy McClelland (Jul 22, 2010)

ray: we've had a few hit 10+ and had the same dilemma in that they slept all the time, were pretty much blind and lost weight compared to what they were 5 years before. Unfortunately, it might just be natural progression.


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## JBG (Jul 22, 2010)

I have a 11+ yr old bunny who is also losing weight. I tried feeding him Oxbow alfafa and Timothy hay pellets, but it didn't agree with his stomach. I tried it several times too. I was told by a local rescue agency that I could give him calf manna pellets to help him gain weight. I only give him5 pellets twice a day to be sure it agrees with his stomach. So far, so good. He thinks it's a treat and loves the pellets, as it has an anise smell. I'm gradually increasing the amount of pellets every couple of days.

Because my little guy is urinating on his condo floor and not in hislitter box, I also got him palace pet bedding. It's excellent for keeping the urine away from his body, hence his sore hocks are healing. We are also using antibiotic ointment on his feet and bag balm on his hands.


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## jamesedwardwaller (Jul 22, 2010)

*lilbitsmom wrote: *


> Hi there. I have a 12 year old Netherland Dwarf who is my heart bunny. He is my first bunny that I saved from a reptile shop and back then we didn't know half as much as we know now about bunnies. I have made all the typcial mistakes with him and he has survived this long.
> 
> Everytime we found out we were doing something wrong, we corrected it right away. He's tough and has kept on going all of these years. I love him more than any other.
> 
> ...


indeed,,12 years old,..my hat is off to you,,you have indeed been rewarded with the longevity of your bun.//.as we age--things slowly happen--at his age,,my first thought is lack of eating due to pain/have you tried any analgesic like metacam,mobic,baby asprin.dosages please-see--http://medirabbit.com ??--his diet as you also know has changed,,as the poops will change,,and the teeth become a problem.-due to lack of chewing-grasses--which allows the teeth to grow faster than normal-2-3mm per week.//.you can feed probotics--due to lack of cecotropes-(eaten)-he can eat canned pumpkin,,vegy baby food,,---keep him,warm,comfortable,dry--using a stethoscope to follow the gi tract,heart lungs,etc.---an exam by an exotic specialist-maybe in order,,due to blindness,physical-disorders,concerns,...sincerely james waller:big wink:ray:


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## tonyshuman (Jul 22, 2010)

It's never a bad idea to have a fecal done too, and I wonder if you've had blood work done lately. Bunnies past middle age should get annual blood work, at least in my book. They might be able to give you an idea of if one of his organ systems is not doing so well, but could be helped with meds.


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## Pipp (Jul 23, 2010)

JBG wrote:


> I have a 11+ yr old bunny who is also losing weight.Â  I tried feeding him Oxbow alfafa and Timothy hay pellets, but it didn't agree with his stomach.Â  I tried it several times too.Â  I was told by a local rescue agency that I could give him calf manna pellets to help him gain weight.Â  I only give himÂ 5 pellets twice a day to be sure it agrees with his stomach.Â  So far, so good.Â  He thinks it's a treat and loves the pellets, as it has an anise smell.Â  I'm gradually increasing the amount of pellets every couple of days.



These solutions like calf manna seem to be high protein ones which may be good for younger bunnies needing to gain weight or conditioning, but it can cause kidney issues in an older rabbit. I would guess that renal failure is the biggest problem to watch for, thus ease up on the protein. 

I'd guess that sunflower seeds, a few oats and things of that nature will make a better supplement.

I'd really try the Nutri-Cal first, though. And maybe increase pellet intake if you can get a good low-protein pellet.

Hopefully others will chime in here. 


sas :clover:


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## NorthernAutumn (Jul 23, 2010)

I thought this was a helpful post from before: 
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_post.php?post_id=747502


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## JBG (Jul 23, 2010)

Before starting anything, I did take my little guy to the vet. He had a checkup including full body x-ray and blood work. Caramel's been on Meticam for a couple of years because of arthritis in his spine. The x-ray showed that the arthritis got a bit worse from the year before. I was told that this can be one reason why he's not using his litter box. We even got a new litter box for him so he doesn't have to jump into it.


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