Bobby's PDSA Weight Loss Journey

This week Bobby comes to the end of her PDSA fit club regime and looking back it's easy to see how far she's come along.

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Earlier this year Bobby lived in an indoor cage with guinea pig friend, Huey, and had visibly piled on the pounds in her four years of age.  I was concerned greatly about her fitness, or rather her lack of being able to move as a rabbit normally should, and her weight related problems were affecting her in her daily activities.  Grooming was made difficult because of her enlarged dew lap and when she would attempt to run she would drag her feet erratically.

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When Bobby was selected for Pet Fit Club I was over the moon and I was shortly going to be surprised at the news that Bobby was actually a mini lop and not the larger dwarf variety as I'd previously thought.  Her 2.4kg weight was too much for a mini, and we were told that Bobby would need to get down to her recommended target weight in the region of 1.6kg.

The plan included the provision of diet food by Burgess who sent us several bags of Excel Light nuggets to get Bobby's weight loss under way.  The change over from regular nuggets to the diet nuggets made a huge difference and the fact she was now only eating her own smaller sized portion, the overeating issue was eradicated.  We took the steps to finally split Bobby and Huey up and moved Bobby into a large penned area allowing Huey to live in peace in the cage on his own with guinea pig neighbours.  Bobby's pen was a marked difference in size.  Before, the most Bobby could attempt was to hop on and off her bedroom and over to the bowls.  Now, she had ample space to hop several times, even run laps around toys and accessories.

When Bobby moved onto the floor in her pen she gained a bunny neighbour; rival Lucy, the lionhead lop who lived free range of the floor.  Both girls, they'd previously clashed less than two years earlier.  Lucy would chase Bobby and attack her, leaving Bobby petrified and afraid.  At first Bobby was dubious with seeing Lucy so often and within such close proximity of her new home, but they grew to acknowledge each other, eventually sitting close to one another on either side of the pen.

Over the weekend I decided to move things up a notch and brought Bobby and Lucy downstairs into the living room and sat them side by side on the sofa.  No grunting.  No attacking.  Just amicable sitting and cosying up.  Things were looking good!

As it stands, they're play time buddies, having spent already 11 hours together on the floor just today.  When they're not cuddled up close, nuzzling and grooming each other they're tearing around the room, binkying high into the air.  I'd never seen Bobby binky in my life so it was endearing to watch her so happy and content.  Last night we did try to move them in together which didn't go quite as successfully (I'm thinking territory is the issue) but we'll work on it and in time I know they'll be permanent floor mates.

At the last count, Bobby weighed 1.8kg, so very close to her 1.6kg target.  Later this week we'll find out what Bobby officially reached for the record.  Fingers crossed!

Becky x