can anyone tell me

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lucylocket

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hi there

can anyone tell me

if lucy had a salt lick would she drink more

its just because lately she has been getting cecil poops so we have cuther veggies out quite a bit and she doesnt seem to be weeing as much

varna xxxx
 
Hi Varna - the salt lick won't hurt.Our bunnies don't actually need salt licks if pellets are part of theirdiet because they get as much salt as they need from the pellets but itwon't hurt if she does use one.

Since she isn't drinking enough water, you sould try it but watchher. If she uses the lick and is drinking more water - thenthat's ok. BUT if she is using the lick and still notdrinking anymore, take it away because she will be getting too muchsalt for her diet and not enough water.

You can also try giving her both a bowl and a bottle to drink outof. I also give Misty multiple bowls of water all over herroom and the house so that she sees them and remembers to drink waterall the time.

__________
Nadia
& Misty
& Cookie
 
When you cut the veggiesdown, Lucy didn't get as much water content fromher veggies so she wouldn't pee as much.

Pebbles would drink more if I gave her warmwater. She also likes sometea. And watermelon will give her lots ofliquid.

Rainbows! :)
 
the cecil poop concern,
are you saying that her end poops are looking like cecils (a.k.a. wet and squishy as if she is edgeing on diarrhea)
or are you saying she is getting more cecil poops.

if it is the second thing, don't worry, thats a good thing and let her have her veggies if you still wish to give them to her.

If it is the first and you still want to give her veggies, then workthem into the diet slowly (give her an added couple more pieces dailyeach week). She needs time to adjust to the new food, butwill thank you for it.

As for drinking more, if you have a bottle to drink from, I wouldencourage a bowl instead (heavy crock so they can't flip it) because abunny isn't made to drink from a bottle and many will only drink asmuch as they HAVE to because of how hard it is to get a good drink fromit. The reduction of water intake the bottle can cause maycause certain ailments dealing in hydration. Use a bowl ifyou can, add a drop of vanilla to it if you need to encourage her more.

As for a salt lick, the introduction of high salt into a bunnieselectory diet won't be harmful as long as your bunny is completelyhealthy. The kidneys are made to filter out extra salt andwee it away (remember the magic words "if she is fullyhealthy"). I let my rabbits have a lick for something to do,but if I start seeing pee or health problems I will take itaway. The increased salt intake will make her drink more, butif she has a bottle and gives up trying to drink before she can getenough, then you are doing more harm then good because she will becomemore dehydrated with the lick then without (its the whole, don't drinkocean water because it will dehydrate you more thing again).

 
minilops wrote:
I don't understand why you would be concerned at the cecaldroppings in the first place?

Ifmemory serves mecorrectly, the issue was "excess"cecals that had a tendency to be on the softer side. This could beindicative of too much protein in the diet.
Anyway....there's a separate thread that addressed that issue..

A lot of us worry too much about our charges ....and some of us more than others. Nothing wrong with that in my book.

The question here was about salt licks increasing their water intake.
I have one bun that LOVES her salt lick, however I haven't noticed her drinking any more that the others.

Just a thought...The last time our water company added chlorine to thewater supply, my buns wouldn't drink it because of the strong odor. Iused bottled water for a few days until the tap water returned tonormal.

~Jim

 

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