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rabbits

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From one of our readers:
Can you help me? My nearly three year old rabbit had started to drinkalot. I am filling his water bottle everyday or every other day. He isstarting to get matted fur on his hocks and tail...My vet tech says ifhe isn't eatting too much it isn't diabetes. Do you have a suggestion?I have clipped the fur back on his hocks to keep him more comfortableand change his litter twice a day...What do you think is making himdrink so much. His daily diet is Rabbit chops, a lettuce leaf, abroccoli sprig and baby carrots. Thank you for your help.
Janette Aaron
 
Hi Janette,

I'd suggest you stop the diet that you've got the rabbit on.You're giving him way too many extras that are loaded with sugar:rabbit chops, carrots, etc. Some lettuces areveryharmful to a rabbit's health.

The only thing your rabbit needs for hisgood health is a goodpellet food, preferrably Purina Rabbit Chow, Heinold, Nutreena, BlueSeal or any others that are found at a feed store rather than a petstore, and an unlimited amount of Timothy Hay.I'dstop all those extras immediately. Pet ownersactually do more damage than good for theirrabbitswhengiving them additives to theirdietsuch aslettuce,carrots, etc., becausethe starch and sugars in these foods are deadlyto the GIIntestines ofa rabbit. The rabbit'ssystem will shut down or function improperly when given too much sugarand additives in their diet.

I'd do this immediately: Only feed your rabbit good pellet food andTimothy Hay. That's really all your rabbit needs to live along, healthy life. Treats should only be given to yourrabbit minimally, such as once or twice a week. Continue toprovide the fresh water and let us know in a few days how things aregoing. Temperature can sometimes have an effect on how muchthey drink aswell.

-Carolyn
 
Janette,

Normally, rabbits on a diet that includesgreens do not drink as much as a rabbit on a pellet diet.Polydipsia is the term that refers to excessive drinking. Afew of the health problemsresulting inpolydipsiainclude:

  • Kidney failure, Diabetes, Hyperactivity of thethyroid gland or pituitary gland abnormalities, Uterine infection indoes (called pyometra), Liver disease, High blood calcium, inability ofkidneys to properly absorb water.
I would have some further testing done to determineif there is a health problem. It's possible he's just boredand drinking excessively, or there may be more to this. Also,check to be sure that he's simply not playing with the bottle andletting it all leak out.

Pamela Nock ~ ARBA Registrar

http://www.geocities.com/pamnock/
 
Carolyn wrote:
Hi Janette,

I'd suggest you stop the diet that you've got the rabbit on.You're giving him way too many extras that are loaded with sugar:rabbit chops, carrots, etc. Some lettuces areveryharmful to a rabbit's health.
I agree, I feed super rabbit excel and timothy hay, when yourbun is in better health a few veggies can be fed. And if your ever haveto change the food again do it gradually over a least a week by mixinga bit of the new feed in with the old encreasing the amount of new fooddaily. Never ever feed lettuce. Rabbits cannot digest suger so anexcess of it causes tummy probs.
 

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