Rabbits?! please help??

Question

how can i tell if my 10week doe is dehydrated?

i recently changed her drinking bowl to a deeper one and i dont think the water level has changed? im worried:(

Answer 1

Use a water bottle instead.

The rabbit would probably drink if she was dehydrated, so don't worry.

Answer 2

Rabbits actually drink more when given a bowl over a water bottle, so do not listen to that advice. It was well intended, but will not make a difference.

It is good that you are watching your rabbit's intake to make sure she is drinking enough. The best you can do is watch over the course of a day how much water she drinks. If you do not notice a change at all, you may want to call a veterinarian and consult him/her.

Also -- you mentioned the bowl is deeper? Can your rabbit easily get into the bowl?

To answer your actual question though -- how can you tell if she is dehydrated --use the skin pull test. I learned this while working in a vet's office in college.

If you grasp an animals skin behind the neck and pull it out as far as it will go, releasing it should result in the skin returning to its proper position. If the animal is actually dehydrated, this loose skin will not immediately return to its proper place. Instead, it will stay extended for a while.

Answer 3

can she reach in the bowl to drink? if its too deep she might not realise water is in there!  change back to the shallow bowl until she's grown a bit.

Answer 4

don't use a water bowl, use a water bottle, that way you can tell how much she has drinked. also, many rabbits tip over food bowls, but with the water bowl, the whole cage will be wet.

and when rabbits are dehydrated they look very tired, but if she really was thirsty she would drink

Answer 5

How long have you had this rabbit?

Many rabbits are raised on water bottles, so if she is new to you, she may not know how to use the bowl. If you think that this might be the case, I would suggest getting her a water bottle. Hang the bottle beside or over the water bowl, and see which one she prefers. If she uses the bottle and doesn't touch the bowl, it may be best to just keep her on the bottle. But with time, she may choose to use the bowl.

I have heard that rabbits will drink more when given a bowl, but I've found no evidence on that other than opinion. I have one tiny little Holland Lop doe that will drink half of a huge bottle of water daily. So I don't know that one is better than the other. Just that some rabbits drink more than others. The bottle does have certain advantages though. The water stays fresher and cleaner longer and (from experience)- the rabbit stays dry! So if the rabbit prefers the bottle, I'd just stick with that.

As far as telling if she is dehydrated- a rabbit's behavior will tell you. If she is acting normally otherwise (eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, playing, running), she's fine. But if you notice a change in behavior, something is wrong.

If she does act sick or lethargic, I'd try syringing in some water to get her hydrated again. If rabbits are without water for too long, they can fade fast, so it is important to keep on top of things.