Rabbit obesity is common and causes serious welfare problems including inability to groom and gastrointestinal disease. Hay-based diet and adequate exercise prevent obesity in pet rabbits.
Rabbit obesity welfare is primarily a dietary management problem driven by overfeeding of pellets relative to hay. Commercial rabbit pellets marketed as complete foods encourage inappropriate overfeeding - rabbits fed primarily pellets may consume several times their appropriate caloric intake. The consequences are serious: obese rabbits cannot reach their cecotropes (soft droppings containing essential nutrients), cannot groom their hindquarters, and develop flystrike risk from accumulated fecal material. Transitioning to an unlimited hay diet with restricted pellets and fresh vegetables replicates wild rabbit nutrition, prevents obesity, and supports dental health through the hay's abrasive properties.