How Long Can Rabbits Go Without Drinking Water?

Rabbits are creatures of land and they are very energetic by nature. They are seldom seen sitting calmly but that energy makes them thirsty very soon. Here we will be discussing in this guide how long can you keep your rabbit alive if you do not give it water for some time.

How important is water for your pet rabbit?

Water is extremely important for pets and it is vital for rabbits. In hot summery weather, rabbits need water more than at other times of the year. You should give it the proper amount of water so it does not feel thirsty or get dehydrated by playing around.

Water keeps them energetic as it keeps them hydrated from the inside. Unless they drink enough water they will fall sick and also they can die after some time. So water is very important for the rabbits’ health. They should mandatorily drink lots of water throughout the day.

What happens if the rabbit does not drink enough water?

When the rabbit drinks less water than it should, it faces problems in urinating and defecating. Water is the medium of throwing out the toxic waste from the body and thus, it would be hampered if the water intake lessens.

When the urine or poop will not come out of the body in the natural process then it would be dangerous for its health. The bunny may suffer from blockage and that is obviously fatal for the pets. Hydration is very much necessary to stay healthy and thus, you should maintain the amount of drinking water for your pet rabbit.

Do rabbits need water to survive?

Water is a very important and essential part of the diet of the rabbit. They should always avail plenty of freshwater as that way they can stay hydrated and can become healthy. There are varieties in the intake amount of water from one rabbit to another and food habit also changes the drinking habit.

When you provide the rabbit with fresh grass, fruits and vegetables they tend to drink less water. The water content of grass and vegetables make them less thirsty and they do not need to drink so much water. But when the rabbit is provided with a good amount of hay then tends to drink more and more water.

Which container is better for the rabbits to drink water?

You should get a bowl for your pet rabbit as rabbits lap water from the bowl or a dish with their tongue. If you provide them with a bottle they would not be able to drink water successfully. As and when they would find drinking water difficult they would drink less and less. Thus you can make them drink from a bowl that is made from non-toxic material.

How long can your rabbit go without water in cold weather?

Rabbits do not stay alive or healthy if they are kept without water for more than 24 hours. In the summer they do not survive even for 24 hours without water. If the weather is cold you can take a chance for keeping the rabbit without water for a day.

But this will surely take a toll on their health. If accidentally they are kept without water for 24 hours, you need to take special care of the pet rabbit and make it drink lots of water in a slow process.

How do I know if my rabbit is dehydrated?

When rabbits drink less water for quite a few days, then they can get dehydrated slowly. There are several symptoms that can be recognized and you can become alert about the rabbit’s health.

If you find your pet rabbit is urinating less frequently, and the urine is dark-colored and smelly then you may have to check the intake of water your pet. Other than that you can also find the pet rabbit to have tight skin and wrinkles on its skin.

Sometimes the rabbit may have less appetite and they can have fever as well. With a few of these symptoms present in your rabbit, it will indicate that the pet is having some serious health issues. So you can check the water intake and try to increase the amount of water for daily drinking purposes.

Do baby rabbits need water?

Baby rabbits up to the age of 8 weeks drink milk from their mothers. Thus they may not need to drink water separately. You can put a bowl of freshwater for the mother rabbit in the shelter. As the babies will live with the mother for some days they can drink from the same bowl if they feel thirsty.

How often do the rabbits need water?

For beginner rabbit owners, this is a vital question as they are unable to understand how much water is needed by their pet rabbits and at which frequency they should drink water. Going to the vet or asking for his or her suggestion is always a great idea. Otherwise, you can do the calculation yourself by following that a rabbit usually consumes water that is around 10% of its body weight.

So accordingly you would know the bodyweight of the pet and provide it with the same amount of fresh and clear water in a bowl in its shelter. See how much is it drinking and if necessary, you should refill it on the same day.

Can rabbits go a night without water?

What would happen to your pet if you have forgotten to refill its water bowl? Are you worried about this matter? Then we can assure you that if you have given it water in good quantity in the daytime then it may be able to survive and stay healthy in the night time without getting to drink water.

However, in the summer season, you should be extra cautious and always fill the water bowl even at the night. Rabbits need to drink lots of water and they cannot go for long hours without drinking some.

How do you force your pet rabbit to drink water?

There are several pet owners who are worried about their rabbit’s water intake. We have already mentioned in this guide that if the rabbit drinks less water than is needed for their health it would be much more difficult for them to stay healthy. Their urinary system will be harmed and they can get different kinds of diseases because of this.

So you need to take some extra effort and make sure that the pet rabbit drinks as much water as is needed by it. Firstly you need to give it a good and eco-friendly bowl which will contain a good amount of water.

You should sprinkle some water on the leaves and greens that you would provide the rabbit to eat. This way the water intake will increase for the rabbit. Sometimes you can add some unsweetened fruit juice to the water of the rabbit so it gets the flavor of the particular fruit. This way it will be interested in drinking some water.

You can change the water of the water bowl as that will not get soiled from the food particles or dust. Whenever you will give the rabbit some fresh and cold water to drink it will drink more than it used to be.

Some owners have also tried to add some fragrant herbs to the water which makes the water smell nice. The rabbits can also identify and like the smell which will help them to be more interested in drinking water.

Do not give warm water to the pet rabbit as that will be harmful to the rabbit and also it will lose interest in drinking water. Also, warm water is not something great for their health and they should drink only fresh cool water.

If your rabbit does not like the taste of the regular water then you can try to give it bottled water or mineral water. These have several positive sides. The rabbit will get a good amount of minerals while drinking mineral water. Also, you can get the water anywhere as bottled water is commercially available everywhere.

Can your rabbit drink milk?

Baby rabbits drink milk from their mothers. But they are not solely dependent upon milk as the main food. So they drink the mother’s milk less frequently than other mammal babies. So you can provide them with cow milk after taking suggestions from the vet.

They need to be fed with other solid food options but you can make them healthy only if you integrate milk into their diet. Grown-up rabbits seldom drink milk but if your pet rabbit has grown this habit then it can continue to drink a spoonful or two of milk every week.

Do rabbits like to drink water?

Rabbits do not naturally like to drink water. They do not prefer to be wet and thus they avoid drinking water at normal times. But when they play vigorously outdoor, they come to drink water.  They do not like to swim or be in the water and so, if you provide them with water for a bath, make sure that the rub is half-filled. The full tub gives them anxiety and they would not like to take bath in it.