Hi I'm new on here I have a 6 month old lop for a few days she has being off her water, she has being eating her pellets and I hve being giving her cucumber tonight when getting her into the cage her eyes look Red just on the rims :-( and when picking her up she seems a bit thinner so I brought her In and syringed some water into her I've put a bowl of water in with a bowl of pellet and a plate of cumcber and apple none had being touched, she seems ok still energetic! Just hoping someone has some advice got a vets appointment tomorrow aft so scared she's going to die during the night it's my little boys rabbit she's a much loved family pet :-(
Help rabbit not drinking water and eyes are red :-(
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rabbits4me
Active Member
Sometimes rabbits are like that. I had a problem with one of my rabbits. When I first got her she didn't drink either I gave her water and after a day or two she got so thirsty she started drinking. I went on a dangerous approach but I didn't want to stress her out more by taking her to the vet. I don't really suggest doing what I did, but vets can be really ignorant about rabbits so I don't like using them often.
So she likes her pellets but not the water. It's probably different than the water she is used to. City water often had chlorine, floride or other chemicals in it and, well water can have all sorts of minerals that rabbits can taste. Try buying some bottled water, or using a water filter like Brita or Pur. If that doesn't work, put about a TBS of her pellets in a quart of hot water, let it cool then strain it to make a rabbit pellet tea for her. See if that gets her drinking. She does need water.
If you can't get her drinking in a couple of days, consult a vet, there may be a heath reason she isn't drinking. Also if she stops eating pellets, consult a vet right away or, if she isn't pooping.
If you can't get her drinking in a couple of days, consult a vet, there may be a heath reason she isn't drinking. Also if she stops eating pellets, consult a vet right away or, if she isn't pooping.
Hi thanks for the replys, yeah she's being eating her foot I mix her between pellets ad the mix, she also has cabbage, apple, carrot and (cucumber now recommended by the local pet shop yesterday) I have tried bottled water and a new bottle just don't understand what's wrong as she can normally drink a whole bottle in a day, she's still pooing a lot they look normal dark brown and hard, maybe she's just having a few off day but still can't help but worry, my son was poorly last yr still is now and this rabbit was a surprise for him he named her princess snowy he loves her so much and takes her everywhere with him and if anything was wrong his heart would break :-(
Cabbage, apple and, cucumber all have a lot of water in them, if she is eating those she may simply be getting enough form those things. Still if nothing gets her drinking in a couple fo day or she stops pooping or eating, get to a vet.
Is your son ill at all, or feeling poorly? Animals pick up on those things. It may be a sympathy reaction as well.
Is your son ill at all, or feeling poorly? Animals pick up on those things. It may be a sympathy reaction as well.
Mariah
Well-Known Member
I had the same issue with two of my buns. We are on a well (live in the country), & they refused to touch that water. They drink bottled water now- the Costco brand. They are picky & refuse to drink certain types of bottled water as well. Only the Costco brand for my two. The baby that I have will drink anything! I guess that what's happens when you were born or dumped outside.
Maybe try bottled water?
Maybe try bottled water?
Has her eating changed at all as well- dropping food from her mouth, not eating things she would normally eat, not eating as much as usual? Is her poop smaller than it used to be? Is she drinking at all from the water dish? One thing that can cause a rabbit to stop/reduce it's eating and/or drinking, is dental problems. They can get sharp points on their molars that then cause ulceration in their mouths, or they can also get an infected tooth. These things will cause them pain when they eat and drink, so rabbits then become reluctant to eat/drink. All of this can lead to GI stasis, so it's important to get it treated right away. Since you have tried a different bottle, a water dish, and different water, and if she's still not drinking or not much, I would suspect something like this is going on.
Hopefully the vet you are seeing is a good rabbit vet, cause this is important in rabbits getting the proper treatment(not all rabbit vets are created equal). You will want the vet to do a thorough check of her teeth, and it would be good to get some metacam for pain relief, as this will help her with drinking again on her own. Sometimes when a conscious dental exam is done, the vet can't really get the best look at the teeth, so if the vet doesn't find spurs, and she still won't drink, you may have to have a dental exam done under GA, so the vet can get a really good look at them. You may even need xrays to check for infection as a cause.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html
You do need to be careful about feeding too many sugary foods like carrot and apple, especially if she isn't used to them. They should only be fed in very small amounts. Better veggies to help hydrate would be dark leafy greens like parsley, cilantro, and dark leafy lettuces. But even then you have to be careful about how much you feed if she isn't used to eating them, as new foods introduced too quickly can sometimes cause digestive upset. Be careful with the cabbage if she isn't used to it. It can cause gas for some rabbits, which can then lead to them not eating.
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
Since she's not acting lethargic and her behavior seems normal, aside from not drinking, as long as you help keep her hydrated she should be fine until you can get her to the vet. You can try soaking her pellets in warm water(then let cool) and see if she will eat that, as that will help her get more fluids. And if you need to, keep syringing water. Just make sure to do it slowly, giving her time to swallow, so none of it is aspirated.
Best of luck at the vets.
Hopefully the vet you are seeing is a good rabbit vet, cause this is important in rabbits getting the proper treatment(not all rabbit vets are created equal). You will want the vet to do a thorough check of her teeth, and it would be good to get some metacam for pain relief, as this will help her with drinking again on her own. Sometimes when a conscious dental exam is done, the vet can't really get the best look at the teeth, so if the vet doesn't find spurs, and she still won't drink, you may have to have a dental exam done under GA, so the vet can get a really good look at them. You may even need xrays to check for infection as a cause.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html
You do need to be careful about feeding too many sugary foods like carrot and apple, especially if she isn't used to them. They should only be fed in very small amounts. Better veggies to help hydrate would be dark leafy greens like parsley, cilantro, and dark leafy lettuces. But even then you have to be careful about how much you feed if she isn't used to eating them, as new foods introduced too quickly can sometimes cause digestive upset. Be careful with the cabbage if she isn't used to it. It can cause gas for some rabbits, which can then lead to them not eating.
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
Since she's not acting lethargic and her behavior seems normal, aside from not drinking, as long as you help keep her hydrated she should be fine until you can get her to the vet. You can try soaking her pellets in warm water(then let cool) and see if she will eat that, as that will help her get more fluids. And if you need to, keep syringing water. Just make sure to do it slowly, giving her time to swallow, so none of it is aspirated.
Best of luck at the vets.
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Definitely follow through with that vet appointment tomorrow. There is a lot of information on the forum in the library section that might help you in the mean time. I think the cucumber will help get some water into her, but carrot and apple are high in sugar and should only be given to rabbits in small amounts, like 1 tbs a day. The cabbage should also be given in moderation. You could try some dark green leafy vegetables still wet from rinsing. Also, you could add a little fruit juice to the water to entice her to drink it, just temporarily until you can get to the vet.
