Oh noooo, overgrooming :( and 3 underweight rabbits.

[Azusanga]

So I was playing with Mocho and I noticed he had a bald spot about 3 inches long and roughly an inch thick on his back, right near his spine. After a full body examine, I noticed another spot about the size of a dime on the back of his neck. Concerned, I checked out the girls, and one of them had a 3 inch stripe roughly a centimeter thick next to the stripe down their backs. It turns out that Latte has been overgrooming the other two, as she had no bald patches on her, and she's definetly the most adventurous and smart of the three, who needs the most mental stimulation.

We can't let them free-roam the basement, since they're chewers and we have computers downstairs... wayyyy too many chords to cover to even attempt it. If we could section off that part of the basement, my dad would give them free roam 3-4 hours a day, but that's not possible right now :< they're getting about half an hour in my sister's room, which is a nice change for them, going from their cage to the room. In their cage for toys, we have a cardboard box with a nickel-sized hole cut in it, and it has yummies inside.. they love trying to figure out how to open it. They also have rattles and little pillows and shreds of cloth, as well as transporting cardboard (it's hard, they love to chew on it and it keeps their teeth down). What other in-cage stimulations can we provide that don't take up much room? Cause between their hutch, litterbox (which they use <3), and their cardboard toy, they can't have too much more sq. footage taken from them. I have their rattle and hard-cardboard on top of their hutch, and during the summer we're setting up an outdoor pen for them to run around in while my dad is outside.


Ok, so they're all very, very skinny. When petting Mocho, you can literally count his vertebrae without applying any pressure. They have unlimited access to food, and it was the highest fat food we could find at the store. It's a 50 pound bag xD they eat about 4 cups of food a day, in total, between the three of them. No one is bullied out of food, and when they're out of food they'll pick up the food bowl and move it across the cage, to the corner nearest the stairs. It's a dog food dish too, it holds about 2 cups of food and is kept full at all times (except when my dad is at work or sleeping). They're all super skinny like Mocho is, though I don't know exact weights.. more likely then not, the girls are about 3.5 lbs and Mocho is under 3 lbs. Is there anything I can add to the food to get some weight on them? They run around a lot and everything, and I know that fat pets are an epidemic, but I really hate that they're so skinny!

It's so cute to watch them, cause when they sleep they all sleep in the hutch together at the same time, I've walked into the basement and saw how they slept cause they didn't bother getting up. Mocho was lying with his head on Decaf's flank, Decaf had her head on Latte's flank, and Latte had her head on Mocho's flank. Everyone was comfy and warm ^.^ I sooo don't regret buying a pair of girls for Mocho, cause it definetly wouldn't have been the same with a pair vs. a trio. Plus there wouldn't be re-decorating wars when I put blankets in the hutch smile As soon as I stop being lazy, I'll get you guys pics and vids, I swear! it's really cute cause the girls are much bigger then he is, so if he tries to mount them, they have to actually lay down so he can get on them. Otherwise they just sit there cause he can't even reach their midback x3

SUMMARY OF POST CAUSE I TYPE TOO MUCH:
Latte is super bored, need toys that take up minimal sq. footage
All 3 are seriously underweight, can I add something to the food for higher fat content?
They're uber cute smile  

[Akiska]

Calf manna
Rolled oats
whole oats
crushed corn

All of those have been used by rabbit breeders with great success for putting on weight. Coat loss can also be related to dietary stuff, but knowing you the feed is probably top notch along with the hay. Overgrooming in rabbits is a common sign of bullying, your dominant doe might need seperated out for a bit.


Look for nutri-cal like this http://www.bullwrinkle.com/ShoppingPages/nutrical_nutri-cal.htm#nutrical

I know... For dogs and cats but it is sold at ARBA sanctioned shows for rabbit use. And I've used it in the past. Looks kinda like tar molasses and smells slightly sweet. The rabbits loved it and all they had to do was smell the tube opening and they'd go nuts waiting for me to put it on their front teeth.  

[Vanilla eXee]

For stimulation you could hang treats somewhere it's harder to get at them.  

[Azusanga]

Thank you both smile I have high doubts that the problems are dietary related, since I added an experimental toy (a soda carton with treats in a corner with paper towel surrounding it so it's harder to get to), and it looks like Mocho's bald patches are growing back in. I told my dad to buy some rolled oats in bulk when he next goes to the store, so I'm thinking of mixing it into the food as a high-cal sorta thing. I'll look into the nutri-cal smile

Nilla: I was thinking about that, and since their cage is in the basement... lots of pipes to hang stuff from. Perfect. Thanks love <3  

[Dante_Sonata]

My rabbits always liked climbing on things. I built this sort-of table thing for them (basically it was a plank with stubby little legs, short enough that they could get up on it, but wouldn't hurt themselves if they fell) that they would climb up on and hide underneath. Plus, that adds to your square-footage -- you now have two levels to work with. You can dangle bits of cloth and such from beneath it.

I remember at one time having two young rabbits, both from the same litter, that would climb on top of the nesting box in their hutch, into the little space near the top of the hutch where I couldn't see them. And as soon as I reached a hand in, or another rabbit came out of the nesting box, they'd pounce. The two became known as "Death From Above Bunny" (D-FAB) and "Death From Above and Slightly to the Left" (D-FAB II).  

[Kipluck]

I am sure you have this anyway, but just in case, do they also have loose hay? I way JUST reading an journal about access to loose hay eliminating barbering in rabbits. Check it out! I used it in my review of my chinchilla's hay dispenser in the Examiner last week.  

[Azusanga]

@Kip: Of course smile You so doubt me D: They have lots of hay (and I've had to chase Latte out of the hay rack a few times, it's one of her favorite napping spots) available at all times.

Dante_Sonata: I'm looking into ways to possibly connect more cages together, though adding a level is definitely a good idea, I'll see if I'll have enough room to do it (they have a 1 1/2 foot tall fence), so that they can't get out but it's not like, so tall that I can't reach, yah know.