Obesity in pet rabbits*

Obesity in pet rabbits

Obesity is an emerging disease that affects not only cats and dogs but also other companion animals such as pet rabbits. Obesity is a complex multifactorial problem that involves the management of the animal and the education of the owner with regards to treatment and prevention. Prevalence of obesity in the pet rabbit population has not been well established, with only few publications available to date. In the UK rabbit population, 7.6 % have been reported to be overweight (Courcier, 2012), in comparison to a prevalence of 25 % in dogs (Courcier, 2013), but it is possible that the problem in rabbits is underestimated and not yet well understood or adequately investigated.