Rabbits do not go without water for more than a day. It is not hygienic for the owners to keep their pet rabbits without water for long. In the wilderness, rabbits find the source of water and drink from it. But when it is kept in the house, like an adopted one, then providing it with fresh and clean water is the responsibility of the owners.
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What happens when bunnies go without water?
Bunnies need regular hydration and that is not possible if the rabbits are not drinking water willingly. The hydration that the rabbits get from the water cannot be replaced by something else. Rabbits are not willing drinkers of water and thus, they need to be tricked or watched over to maintain the hydration level in their body.
The health of rabbits deteriorates when they do not drink ample water. Rabbits should drink a good amount of water or else they can face severe dehydration problems that can be lethal for them.
What are the signs of dehydration in rabbits?
Rabbits get dehydrated when they do not drink a good amount of water. The rabbit owners should not only keep the water bowls inside the cage but also should check if there are any symptoms of dehydration in their rabbits.
When the rabbit is urinating in a very small amount and that too is dark in color and with subsequently foul smelled then it is surely a symptom of dehydration. When the water intake is not proper in the rabbit, then the toxin of the body comes out through the small amount of water that is excreted from their system.
Along with a small quantity of urine, they will also defecate hard pellets. The water in our body helps us in different ways. Urine and stool are formed from the excess water that is consumed by us. When the water consumption decreases the toxin cannot be released from the body in a proper way.
As the urine and stool get decreased, the appetite of the rabbit also decreases. Rabbits that are dehydrated will not feel hungry much and they will start taking lesser and lesser food. Also, the digestion of the food is hampered when there is not enough water in the body of the rabbit.
The rabbit will also have sticky and thick saliva which can be observed by the owner. With less water intake the body will not be able to produce saliva, urine, or stool in the proper amount. Along with that, the rabbits’ eyes will be crusty.
Can rabbits go 2 days without water?
A healthy and mature rabbit cannot go for two days without water. Their limitation of going without water is 24 hours. After this time period, they will start to sink. The response of rabbits without water will be worse if the weather is hot. Rabbits are unable to take heat and humidity. So when it is summer season the rabbit will not be able to survive even 24 hours without water.
How do I force my rabbit to drink water?
Rabbits are not always willing to drink water. Thus the owners should take initiative and make sure that the rabbits drink water from the proper source. There should be ample water near them. A bowl of fresh and clean water should be placed near their cage. along with that, there should be some more water sources scattered in the house, if the rabbit is left in the house for roaming.
The owner can put some non-sweetened juice on the water which will attract the rabbit with the smell and it will get interested in drinking water.
Some rabbits are unwilling to drink from bowls. For them, the owners should arrange some water sipper or bottle which will be effectively used to make the rabbit drink water.
Sometimes instead of synthetic juice, the owners leave some aromatic herbs in the water which are of course non toxic. These herbs enrich the water with their scent and thus the rabbits feel like drinking water.
The smell of banana is quite a favorite of the rabbits. So rubbing a piece of banana at the water bowl sides will help the rabbit to get interested in water drinking.
What should you do if the pet rabbit is not drinking an adequate amount of water?
The owners often face the problem that their rabbits are not drinking an adequate amount of water. Thus they start worrying about the dehydration of their pets. But along with drinking water directly, rabbits also eat lots of vegetables and hay. If you can water the greens before they are eaten by the rabbits, and offer the vegetables which contain a good portion of water then the rabbits will get the required amount of water partially from their food.
What is the fastest way to rehydrate your pet rabbit?
When your rabbit is suffering from dehydration and you have just found out about it, you can use a syringe and fill it with water. Then you need to push the water into the mouth of the rabbit so it gets interested in drinking water.
Also, offer it some pieces of fruits or vegetables that contain a high amount of water. But do not give something that they have never eaten before. Rabbits come with the sensitive digestive system and when they eat something for the first time they often end up having a digestive problems. To cure their dehydration you should not encourage the digestive issue.
Is tap water good for the dehydrated bunny?
Tap water, which is safe for humans, is also safe for rabbits. When you are not sure about the tap water quality of your area and find it smelling oddly then of course you will not drink the water yourself, nor will you give the water to your pet bunny.
We have already mentioned that rabbits have a sensitive digestive systems, thus offering them water from an unknown source, and that too at the time of dehydration will surely make the rabbit sicker. But if the tap water is perfectly normal and free from germs, then you should give it to your rabbit so it gets recovered from dehydration soon.
How much water is needed by the rabbits per day?
A normal and healthy rabbit should drink at least 150 ml of water per kg of its body weight. As the rabbits usually weigh 7-8 kgs then the water intake sums up to approx 1 liter of water. This much water is not taken by the rabbits usually but the owner needs to increase the water intake of the pet rabbit when there is a high temperature around due to the summer season.
Inducing some water-based fruits and vegetables to the diet of the rabbit along with hay will be a good idea to increase the water intake of the rabbits. This will provide them with adequate nutrition and also make them well hydrated.
Why water is vital for the rabbit’s health?
Water is vital for almost all living beings. For the rabbits, water is essential due to various reasons. The cell and the internal system of the rabbit are run with the help of water. Water keeps the cells of the body working at their normal pace.
A good part of blood is water and thus the blood circulation depends a lot on ample water intake. The pet rabbit or the wild one will not be able to live without an adequate amount of water.
Gut health is also dependent upon water. Digestion as well as defecating depends upon the water intake. So when the rabbit suffers from dehydration it will not be able to digest the food, get the proper nutrition and also not remove the toxin from its body.
The excess calcium is also flushed out from the body of the rabbit with the help of water. Usually, it comes out through pooping, but when the water is less in the body the calcium starts getting deposited in the body, and thus, it leads to several illnesses.
How can you tell that your rabbit is drinking the right amount of water?
To check if the rabbit is drinking enough water you must check the water bowl or bowls that are kept around in the cage and in the various corner of the house. Make sure that the rabbit is not polluting the water by putting its paws inside it or pooping in the water. This habit is seen among a few rabbits and it can lead to the severe digestive issues.
If the water in the bowls is decreasing after some hours then also you need to make sure that the water is not spilled and only drank by the rabbit. But the most important part is, that the rabbit that is adequately hydrated will have bright liquid eyes, energetic movement, and a hunger for food.
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