by Elizabeth Armstrong-Brown

Created on: January 15, 2009

Just as with other domesticated pets like cats and dogs, obesity is a serious problem in pet rabbits. Obese pet rabbits are not able to maintain a happy lifestyle due to their large size and body fat percentage ratio.

Dwarf Rabbits and middle aged rabbits that are kept in their cages for long periods of time without any outside exercise, are at a greater risk of developing obesity that other breeds and ages of rabbits. This is mostly due to their shorter stature and inactivity.

You can determine whether or not your pet rabbit is indeed obese by taking him to a veterinarian that specializes in rabbits. Or if, when holding your rabbit, you cannot find the ribs under the layer of fat and skin, then it is probably obese. Rabbits that are more than 20% to 40% overweight for their particular breed and age are considered obese.

Obese rabbits usually also suffer from what appears to look like dandruff. This occurs because your pet rabbit is unable to clean properly under its skin folds since it is so large. An obese rabbit may also have difficulty breathing and will seem to be tired most, if not all, of the time.

The most common reason that a pet rabbit becomes obese is because they are usually confined in their cages or hutches for far too long. Another cause of pet rabbit obesity is excessive feeding habits. If you feed your pet rabbit too many treats during the day and he is being caged up most of the time so he does not get any exercise outside of his cage or hutch to burn off the treats, he will very quickly become obese.

Only an experienced rabbit veterinarian can properly diagnose obesity, as this usually will entail having to rule out whether or not your rabbit has any other medical condition which could cause it to appear obese, such as pregnancy, a tumor mass or other abdominal and intestinal masses or fluid in the abdominal cavity.

In order to both prevent and treat obesity in your pet rabbit, you will need to ensure that he is getting the proper nutrition and adequate exercise. In addition to pellets, your rabbit should be fed high-quality grass, hay and fresh greens, including lettuce, parsley and carrot tops. Try to avoid fresh fruits and other non-leafy vegetables as these can lead to other health problems in your rabbit.

Other tips include making sure that your rabbit's cage or hutch is always kept clean and that you regularly brush your rabbit's fur to help it maintain its cleanliness.

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