pineapple juice

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Sabine

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How much pineapple juice would be recommended to be mixed into water for a slightly dehydrated rabbit? Should I have used it anyhow? I can't even remember where I read the recommendation.
 
I wouldn't do it personally because of the high sugar content. Others might disagree. Maybe 5-10mL?
 
If your bun is dehydrated, it would be better to give electrolytes. If you have Pedialyte, or something similar where you are, then that is the best thing to use. It's an electolyte drink for children, and you would want the plain unflavored kind. If you don't have this available, you can mix up your own, but it's not as good as the pedialyte. You can also sometimes get electrolyte mixes used for livestock, at farm or feed supply stores.

You should only use this homemade mix if really necessary, because sugar isn't the best thing for rabbits, and can upset their digestive flora. If your rabbit is eating, and just isn't drinking enough, then syringing plain water is just fine. If your rabbit is severely dehydrated, it would be better to see the vet and get sub q fluids given.

Home Made Lactated Ringers
Electrolyte solution for re-hydration

Mix the following in a jar:
8 oz. of warm water
½ Tablespoon of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
Still well, and refrigerate. This solution is good for 2-3 days when mixed
 
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I have stuff with electrolytes to add to the water. I use it in the water I syringe and use the rest of the water to make up the food. I just thought the taste may be more agreeable but she acted rather funny after having been given the stuff (in high dilution).
So there is no particular quality to pineapple juice?
 
There is some thought that pineapple juice contains enzymes that can break down hair. This is probably not true but is a topic of hot debate. I personally don't think the enzymes are there and if they are they are not beneficial, because I doubt they would survive transit through the stomach to the intestines where the presumed hair blockage is, and I also don't think "hair" is the most common cause of blockage/stasis in rabbits.

It also contains sugar, unlike many pediatric electrolyte solutions. They contain fake sugars like sorbitol or aspartame that are sweet but are not sugar itself. Sugar is usually bad for a rabbit in stasis or not eating because it promotes the growth of bad intestinal bacteria, which is usually a big part of stasis. However, in a rabbit that is very ill and has low blood sugar, limited amounts of sugar given orally may help them "perk up" and gain energy. A rabbit with extremely low blood sugar is in dire straits, but these rabbits will usually also be depressed and/or lethargic, not responsive, etc. In those situations the bunny probably needs IV fluids and potentially IV nutrition of some sort.
 
It also contains sugar, unlike many pediatric electrolyte solutions. They contain fake sugars like sorbitol or aspartame that are sweet but are not sugar itself.

actually, I believe the unflavored stuff doesn't contain artificial sweeteners either, since unflavored pedialyte is recommended/safe for sugar gliders and anything with artificial sweeteners in it is a HUGE no-no for them.

the point of the pineapple juice is really just to flavor the water and encourage them to drink more of it - beyond that, it doesn't do anything for dehydration that regular water wouldn't. pedialyte or some sort of electrolyte solution is definitely the healthier way to go.

I actually got this stuff called "ultima replenisher" to put in the pre-made first aid kits I sell for gliders instead of pedialyte - it's flavored but has no artificial sugars (or artificial anything else) in it, which makes it even better than pedialyte.
 
That is probably true, because I assume the unflavored stuff is also not sweet. The ones that are fruity are sweet, and make the buns more likely to drink them on their own, just like adding pineapple juice to water to make it more palatable. It's not the greatest to give bunnies artificial sugars either--the unflavored, unsugared one would be better, but it will often make them drink on their own which is much preferred compared to having to syringe feed. If you have both flavored and unflavored, and you have to syringe feed, the unflavored is probably best. If I put out a bowl of the flavored kind, it will be gone within a few hours, unless my buns are feeling really unwell. I get these little packets of powder you mix into water to make pedialyte since the big bottles usually just go to waste once I've opened them and the powder makes a single serving. That Ultima stuff, it has stevia leaf extract as sweetener. Are you sure that's safe for sugar gliders? Just because it is derived from a plant instead of manufactured doesn't necessarily mean it's safe. The chemical components of stevia that make it sweet without adding calories are similar in structure to some of the artificial sugars.
 
ooh, I didn't even notice the stevia... ugh... thanks for catching that, I need to look into it before I sell any first aid kits containing the ultima stuff!
 

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