All living organisms, including rabbits, need water to survive. Rabbits drink a lot of water to maintain their body metabolism and keep osmolality balanced. When your bunnies don’t drink water, dehydration will most likely set in. Therefore, as a keeper of these lovely creatures, it is essential to constantly observe your rabbits and know how to tell if a rabbit is dehydrated.
When your bunnies are not getting enough water, it may pose dangerous consequences. Dehydration can result in weakness, lowered growth rate, reduced feed intake, breeding difficulties, and possible death of the animal. If you own a rabbit, read on as we reveal ways to tell if your rabbits are dehydrated so you can find a solution when dehydration happens.
What Are The Benefits Of Water To Rabbits?
Rabbits require more water than most other livestock. According to the Rabbit Welfare Association (RWAF) water makes up about two third of a rabbit’s body. The average normal water intake for a 5-pound rabbit is 250-750 milliliters (mL) in one day. Water serves a lot of key purposes for rabbits. These include:
- As a vital component of blood, water keeps your rabbit’s blood flowing at an appropriate rate and viscosity. This ensures that your rabbit’s organs continue to function optimally.
- Water facilitates the movement of food through your rabbit’s guts, which ultimately results in improved digestion.
- The extra calcium in your rabbit’s blood is flushed out by water. This helps to avoid bladder stones, fluid intoxication, and other related health problems.
- Water is also necessary for other biological processes.
How To Tell If Your Rabbit Is Dehydrated
Before anything else, you should be on the watch for indications that your rabbit is dehydrated. Several obvious signs of a bunny’s dehydration include:
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Dark and foul-smelling urine
In a state of dehydration, your dear bunny’s pee will become concentrated and appear darker than usual. Concentrated and low-volume urine is a clear indication of dehydration. A distinct unpleasant smell is another obvious indicator of dehydration. If you observe such changes in a rabbit’s urine, it’s time to give your bunny some water.
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Loose skin
Another way to detect dehydration is to check whether their skin appears tight or loose. One easy way to carry out this test is to lightly pinch their skin and watch to see if the coat immediately regains its original shape. Rabbit’s fur is extremely elastic and would quickly return to its original state after being tilted. If your rabbit’s fur doesn’t return to its former state, then it’s a way to tell that your bunny is dehydrated.
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Lack of appetite
Is your pet eating well enough? Do they eagerly chow down on the treats you offer them, or do they run off? A lack of interest in eating on your rabbit’s part may indicate that they are dehydrated. Since rabbits need a lot of water to perform their bodily functions, these also include feeding. Thus, they might not be able to feed well in a state of dehydration. Keep an eye on your honey bun’s eating habits so you can react if they begin to show a loss of appetite.
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Disorientation
As cute jumping creatures, rabbits are renowned for their physical balance and constant frolicking. However, if they don’t get enough water in their system, they may become disoriented and behave strangely. They may even start to fall over on their own. This is because dehydration in a rabbit upsets its balance and results in clumsiness and exhaustion.
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High body temperature
High body temperature or fever is another indicator of dehydration. Take your bunny to the vet and give them fluids if their temperature suddenly increases or when they seem to be running a fever.
How Frequently Should A Rabbit Drink Water?
Rabbits drink a lot; they drink water up to twice as much as they do feed. Your rabbits should always have access to fresh water, even if they occasionally skip a meal. Your rabbits risk dying if you don’t provide them with water even for a single day.
How To Encourage Your Rabbit To Drink More Water
If you notice your rabbit is dehydrated or isn’t drinking enough water, here are some ways to improve the situation
- Let them decide where to get their water by providing them with multiple water vessels. Just like humans, some rabbits might be picky as to the channel of water they want to drink from.
- Always provide water in a clean bowl. You can use filtered or bottled water to ensure cleanliness.
- Another trick to improve your bunny’s water intake is by leaving some water on their daily greens. Before feeding them with veggies, ensure to rinse them properly, then you can leave extra drops of water on the greens. Through this, your rabbit gets to ingest extra water content.
- Fill their water bowl with fragrant greens. Sometimes an extra fragrance might be needed to attract your rabbits.
- Drops of unsweetened juice can also be added to make the water even more appealing. You can add a few drops of unsweetened apple, carrot, or pineapple juice.
- Water should be served lukewarm, not too hot and not too cold. Therefore take note of the water temperature.
What To Do If Your Rabbit Is Dehydrated
As soon as you discover dehydration or excessive thirst in your pet, the first logical thing to do is to administer some water to your pet. But it’s easier said than done! Even if you set a dish of water in front of a dehydrated pet, they won’t drink it if they don’t want to. Rabbits have independent minds. Thus, you may not be able to compel them to drink.
You can overcome this problem by administering water using a syringe. Take a fresh needle, fill it with water, and slowly inject small amounts of the liquid into their mouth. Give your rabbit water in little spurts and be patient; don’t drain the nozzle all at once. If you are unsuccessful in doing that, take your pet to a professional to get them checked.
Can I Give My Rabbit Pedialyte?
Pedialyte is a medication in the form of an electrolyte intended to replenish fluids and minerals (such as sodium and potassium) which might have been lost through vomiting and diarrhea. It is a great supplement for treating dehydration.
If your rabbit is dehydrated due to diarrhea, you can give it a small amount of Pedialyte by adding it to its drinking water. However, it must be the unflavoured type.
Why Is My Rabbit Not Drinking Water?
There are numerous explanations for a rabbit’s reluctance to drink. The inability of your rabbit to drink water spans several psychological and medical reasons. These are:
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The water has a bad smell
Rabbits are picky creatures. A rabbit won’t drink its water if something about it tastes or smells strange. No one likes to drink dirty water, and neither does your pet. You should empty and wash water containers properly before refilling them to avoid bad odor.
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The temperature of the water is off
Rabbits enjoy the water that is the same temperature as the surroundings. Your pet will probably refuse her water if it is too cold or too hot. To test whether the water is OK for your pet, touch the container or dip a clean finger into the water.
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Toothache
The teeth of rabbits are delicate. Eating and drinking will worsen your pet’s tooth pain if they already have a toothache. So if your rabbit isn’t drinking as it should, there is a chance it may have a toothache. If you suspect a toothache, you must get them to a vet for examination.
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The water or its container is dirty
This is another possible reason why a rabbit is not drinking water. Your pet’s water bowl or bottle must be cleaned regularly. Your rabbit won’t trust the contents of a dirty vessel. So do the needful.
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Other sources
Sometimes your rabbit might already be getting water from unexpected sources such as wet food or nearby drainage in your house, Your bunny might have discovered a leaky pipe or tap. If you feed your pet with water-containing food such as vegetables, your pet might have had enough water through her feed already. This may prevent it from drinking any more.
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Sickness
Rabbits can ultimately reject food and water because of an illness. Constantly get your pet checked to ensure they are not sick.
Conclusion
Rabbits constantly lose water through waste and perspiration. To maintain normal physiology, they must drink water in enough volume to replace what is lost. Failure to take enough water leads to dehydration which is detrimental to their health. Ensure your bunny has a constant clean water supply offered through clean containers. check up on your pet from time to time to make sure there is no case of dehydration and follow our tips on how to improve your rabbit’s water intake.