I'm worried about Bam-Bam ]:

[Shayna345]

When I first got him I wasn't sure what he drank water out of, a bowl or water bottle, so I gave him both but he just spilled the water bowl everywhere and so I thought he didn't drink out of it and was worried he'd get wet and his hay would get wet, so I just gave him the water bottle, the water seemed to be going down everyday so I thought he was drinking it, but someone recently noticed his skin and thought he may be dehydrated and then I started think I haven't actually heard the noise you'd usually here when an animal drinks from a water bottle so I'm not sure he's been drinking out of the bottle so I quickly put him in his cage and gave him a bowl of water (and made sure he couldn't spill it all over himself and his hay this time) and he drank it right away when I put it near him but not a lot like he was dying of thirst just a little drink, I don't know what to do I'm not sure he'll drink out of the bottle and I don't know if he drinks out of the bowl or if the bowl is even safe or hygienic but that was the first time I've actually witnessed him drink since I got him but he's had fresh water everyday in the bottle I'm worried he's not drinking. Also he's pretty skinny he was when I first got him but I thought that was because they found him on a road and I got him not long after he got into the shelter but I'm still kinda worried, he has unlimited hay everyday and I have slowly been giving him some greens, you can feel his bones pretty well like his ribs and spine, but he seems to have a good round tummy, does this mean he's too skinny? I've only had him for a few days so I know it's not because he's not eating here so he must have not had any food before he got to the shelter, is there something else I should do besides supply him with unlimited Timothy hay to help him gain weight? He is eating a lot of hay everyday so I know he's eating at least. Thank you and sorry it's so long I'm just really worried

 

[ZRabbits]

I know other here prefer a bottle, but I only use bowls. Yes they can be messy. Always had youngins stepping in it. But they learned as they got older Maybe your baby just doesn't know about a bottle, so I would stick with a bowl. When I first got Dobby and Kreacher, I was like a Mother Hen for the first two weeks. I watched and made sure they were drinking. That's the only way I got to know my bunnies drinking habits. Maybe when Bam-Bam gets a little older, you could try the bottle again. But I suggest a bowl for right now.

And for weight, is Bam-Bam on Alfalfa pellets? The alfalfa pellets will give his body a little more to help with weight and bones and muscle. Oxbow Essentials for Young Rabbits makes a good alfalfa pellet. Neville and Luna eats them. But if the shelter has got Bam-Bam on a timothy pellet, don't fret, you can feed him alfalfa. I got a bag of alfalfa hay and fed Kreacher that with the timothy pellet to put on weight. He did real well with that combo.

It was a bit unnerving when I got my first bunnies too. Just relax. Just keep observing like you are doing. Hope this helps.

K

 

[Shayna345]

ZRabbits wrote:

I know other here prefer a bottle, but I only use bowls. Yes they can be messy. Always had youngins stepping in it. But they learned as they got older Maybe your baby just doesn't know about a bottle, so I would stick with a bowl. When I first got Dobby and Kreacher, I was like a Mother Hen for the first two weeks. I watched and made sure they were drinking. That's the only way I got to know my bunnies drinking habits. Maybe when Bam-Bam gets a little older, you could try the bottle again. But I suggest a bowl for right now.

And for weight, is Bam-Bam on Alfalfa pellets? The alfalfa pellets will give his body a little more to help with weight and bones and muscle. Oxbow Essentials for Young Rabbits makes a good alfalfa pellet. Neville and Luna eats them. But if the shelter has got Bam-Bam on a timothy pellet, don't fret, you can feed him alfalfa. I got a bag of alfalfa hay and fed Kreacher that with the timothy pellet to put on weight. He did real well with that combo.

It was a bit unnerving when I got my first bunnies too. Just relax. Just keep observing like you are doing. Hope this helps.

K

Thank you very much I'll try the Alfalfa pellets and give him a bowl of water for now on. I've either been playing with him out of his cage (but to where he can get into his cage and eat and drink if he needs to) grooming him on a chair on my lap or I've been sitting next to his cage and talking to him just so he could get to know me and so I could make sure everything is going good and I feel so stupid that I haven't thought he might not be drinking since I've been with him so much and haven't actually even seen him drink, I guess I thought the water was going down he must be drinking at night or when I'm not around, I feel like a bad bun mom at the moment thank you very much for your help