Skinny conti cross

[yankeedoodle]

I've had my conti crosses since they were about 8 or 9 weeks old they were growing very fast but the last couple weeks my rew has fallen behind. Theyre about 9 and 8 months old now. He's very skinny like I can feel all his bones and some show. I'm not sure what's caused him to lose weight I've tried feeding him extra but it doesn't seem like he's putting on weight. What can I do to make him put on some weight.

 

[Alaska Satin]

I've had my conti crosses since they were about 8 or 9 weeks old they were growing very fast but the last couple weeks my rew has fallen behind. Theyre about 9 and 8 months old now. He's very skinny like I can feel all his bones and some show. I'm not sure what's caused him to lose weight I've tried feeding him extra but it doesn't seem like he's putting on weight. What can I do to make him put on some weight.

If you can see/feel his bones, you'd probably better act pretty quickly. He may have an upset gut due to any number of reasons, and you want to make sure he doesn't stop eating. Starting him on some pro-biotics (e.g. Benebac) wouldn't hurt. Offering him Critical Care Herbivore Support also might be helpful; mix it up pretty stiff as most rabbits don't like sloppy wet food. If he doesn't eat it voluntarily, you can just smear it into his mouth and on his face and the inside of his legs, where he will clean it off.

When I have a rabbit that is in rough condition without showing any other particular symptoms, I give it SafeGuard (fenbedazole). For medium-sized rabbits like my Satins, it's a pea-sized blob into their mouth (it's apple-flavored and they usually love it). For a conti you might give them a bit more than that - a bigger pea.

Fenbendazole was recommended to me by Eric Stewart, a judge and Executive Director of the ARBA, who told me he wouldn't give his rabbits anything he wouldn't be willing to eat himself. It is a safe drug for rabbits and would be unlikely to have overdose problems. Being a pinworm wormer for horses, I'm not sure exactly what it does for rabbits, but it has produced several near-miraculous turn-arounds in my barn.

There's a chance it's coccidiosis, as well, but rabbits I've seen with hepatic coccidiosis are skinny with huge bellies due to the liver enlargement. There is also intestinal coccidiosis, but I've not dealt with that. Both tend to be hygeine-related, so if you keep your rabbits enclosures clean and dry it's less likely to be the problem.

 

[yankeedoodle]

He's still eating hay and pellets he's just skinny, I have safeguard so I'll try that and I'll get him some probiotics next time I get a ride to town. Thank you

 

[yankeedoodle]

If it was coccidiosis wouldn't the kits sharing a wire wall with him be sick too? Or my dogs going under the pens be sick

 

[Alaska Satin]

If it was coccidiosis wouldn't the kits sharing a wire wall with him be sick too? Or my dogs going under the pens be sick

If it's coccidiosis, the kits next door may or may not get sick. As far as I know it's not an airborne disease, rather animals pick it up by ingesting fouled food or litter. So, if he has been living in a clean, dry environment, I would doubt it's coccidiosis - probably not, from what you described, but it's common enough to merit mention.

There are cocci organisms all over, it just seems to be that at a certain level of exposure, the sheer number of bacteria overwhelms the animal's immune system to produce symptoms.

Coccidia are supposed to be species-specific, so rabbits, dogs and chickens aren't believed to pass it to each other. That may be true, but with an understanding of bacterial biology, I would not discount the possibility that some strain could make the jump from one species to another.

 

[yankeedoodle]

Yukon is slowly putting on weight! Thank you so much

 

[yankeedoodle]

 

[Preitler]

Yeah, doesn't look skinny at all.

When my herd buck was a half checkered giant the kits used to first grow in lengh, build up bones, and then start to fill out.

 

[yankeedoodle]

Yeah, doesn't look skinny at all.

When my herd buck was a half checkered giant the kits used to first grow in lengh, build up bones, and then start to fill out.

I got a scale finally to weigh them. The rew is 7lbs at 10 months... I feel like that's way too small for his size but what do you think

 

[Preitler]

That rabbit on the picture? Only 3.2kg?

At 10 months for a big breed that really doesn't sound like much. One thing I noticed with my mixes is that there sometimes are rather huge variations within one litter. Butchered the last two doelings from last year, about 5 months, one was small but very fat, the other bigger, 1/3 more meat, barely any fat...

 

[yankeedoodle]

That rabbit on the picture? Only 3.2kg?

At 10 months for a big breed that really doesn't sound like much. One thing I noticed with my mixes is that there sometimes are rather huge variations within one litter. Butchered the last two doelings from last year, about 5 months, one was small but very fat, the other bigger, 1/3 more meat, barely any fat...

Yes the one in the picture

 

[Alaska Satin]

I'm surprised, like @Preitler, that the rabbit in the photo is only 7lbs. He looks pretty big to me. How much does the black rabbit in the hutch weigh?

Since Yukon is a crossbreed, your REW may just naturally be a smaller (relative term!) individual than your others. I agree that 7lbs at 10 months isn't very heavy. My Satins weigh more than that at 4-5 months. But it looks like a very healthy rabbit; it surely does NOT look bony! I'd be less concerned about his weight than his body condition. If he's healthy but weighs less than you want your rabbits to weigh, maybe just don't use him for breeding.

And as @Preitler also says, the bigger breeds can go through a lanky period before filling in. My friend's Flemish Giants grow for about 2 years before attaining their full size.

 

[yankeedoodle]

I'm surprised, like @Preitler, that the rabbit in the photo is only 7lbs. He looks pretty big to me. How much does the black rabbit in the hutch weigh?

Since Yukon is a crossbreed, your REW may just naturally be a smaller (relative term!) individual than your others. I agree that 7lbs at 10 months isn't very heavy. My Satins weigh more than that at 5 months. But it looks like a very healthy rabbit; it surely does NOT look bony! I'd be less concerned about his weight than his body condition. If he's healthy but weighs less than you want your rabbits to weigh, maybe just don't use him for breeding.

And as @Preitler also says, the bigger breeds can go through a lanky period before filling in. My friend's Flemish Giants grow for about 2 years before attaining their full size.

They're the same cross but she's f1 from his grandparents and he's f2. She weighs 9 lbs and is 9 months. My 10week silver fox kits weigh nearly as much as he does so i was a bit concerned. I've only had rabbits for a year tho so I trust you guys if he looks healthy I won't worry about it and just make sure he keeps meat on his bones. He's had no interest in breeding so far. These 2 I got mostly for fun so I can separate myself from the meat babies.

 

[yankeedoodle]

Here's the vm black doe and him together. They were in that hutch for easy access so my mamaw could snap me some pics. Thank you 2 for your help it's appreciated