This is from Carolyn and Pam:
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I thought I'd create a whole new post just sothat people who missed it, could see it.Pamnock hasonce again given us great information. Iadded somehints/signs as to what you should watch out for.
Rabbits do not take the heat well, and caution to be taken not to let them play in the sun on warm/humid days.
Heat should keep it in the forefront of our minds each day.The weather here went from 79 degrees on Monday to 92 degrees onTuesday. I check the weather daily to be sure thatas the day progresses and I'm not there, the rabbits are able to staycool.
Obviously you don't want your rabbit or his/her cage to be in the sunas you can lose them quickly if exposed to it more than a minute ortwo.
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Here's info on keeping rabbits cool:
Air movement is required for proper cooling in very humid areas ormoisture cannot evaporate. While many say to never blow a fan directlyon the rabbit, I recommend it when it's extremely hot and humid. Placethe fan a distance from the rabbit and have it gently blowing over thehot bunn. A little water can be placed on the ears, which serves tocool as it evaporates.
Understanding how the rabbit cools itself helps us to provide the most comfortable environment for our rabbits:
The rabbit is cooled by 3 primary factors: Respiration, Ears and Nasal Mucosa.
80% of heat dissipation in rabbits occurs through the evaporation ofmoisture during respiration (breathing). Fans help this cooling processby speeding evaporation.
Cooling also occurs through nasal mucosa (by air passing over mucous membranes).
The ears are also important for cooling as the blood moves to the farthest (coolest) points away from the body core.
The rabbit will also stretch it�s body out as far as possible to coolthrough radiation/convection. Rabbits do not have functional sweatglands, and only loose a small amount of moisture through the skin dueto perspiration. The rabbit�s fur further inhibits the process of therabbit being able to cool itself by evaporation of moisture from theskin.
Since the rabbit cools primarily through respiration, we want toprovide air movement throughout the cage to evaporate the moisture fromthe rabbit's breath. In a serious situation of heat stress, you willnotice moisture around the rabbits face (especially around the mouthand nose) because the moisture is not evaporating.
A frozen bottle may be of only limited help without the proper air movement and evaporation.
Pam Nock
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Tips for prevention of Heat Stroke:
Heatstroke can kill a rabbit very quickly. Some things thatyou can do to prevent such an untimely and unnecessary death for yourlagamorph are listed below.
1) Be sure to provide your rabbit shade. Rabbits can getsun/heat stroke just by having their cage in the sun. Best tobe sure the location of the cage is away from where the sun rays willbeam in.
2) Don't subject your rabbit to extreme temperatures: hot or airconditioning. Air conditioning can be used, butit's best to have your rabbit in a separate room so that the roomdoesn't get too cold or the air isn't blowing on the rabbit.
3) Be sure they have a lot of water; they tend to drink more in the summer to stay cool.
4) You can use a fan. I like toaimthefanso that the air will reach part of the cage, but if therabbit feels it's too much,s/he can move out of theway. If you're going to keep your fan on all day, best tokeep it on low.
5) If the rabbit is indoors, on really hot days Iclose the shades to keep out as muchheat as possible.
6) If the rabbit is outside, you may want to mist the ears a bit in the heat of the afternoon.
7) Some people fill old milk cartons or soda bottles with cold waterand put them in the cage with their rabbit so that s/he can lean upagainst it if it gets very cool.
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80 degrees fahrenheit or above is dangerous for a rabbit.
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SYMPTOMS/SIGNS OF DANGER OF HEAT STROKE:
1) Rabbit is laying stretched out
2) Panting or heavy breathing
3) Sometimes there's foaming at the mouth
4) Muzzle is wet
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WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
1) Get the rabbit to a cool area. Get a fan, and put it on him/her with a speed of medium or low.
2) You can dip your rabbit in a Lukewarm bath if it is almostlifeless. Dip up to the ears. Never immerse the rabbit completely inthe water. You have to work on bringing its temperature downslowly. Putting it in a cold bath or directly applying ice to it's earsis not recommended or good for the rabbit. That couldlead into other problems of stress and shock to its system and youcould lose the rabbit that way.
3) Put a cold washcloth on the rabbit's ears. You could wrap ice cubesin a washcloth and apply to the inside and outside of the ears. Theblood from the rest of the body will circulate into the rabbit's systemonce cooled.
4)Keep him/her hydrated, even if you have to put some waterin a syringe to keep the fluids in his system up. The rabbit may haveto get an intravenous tube.
5) Try to keep calm so that the rabbit doesn't get stressed.
6) Put an old milk carton or soda bottle in the cage filled with cold water so that the rabbit can lean up against it.
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Happy Summer!
-Carolyn
! My camera's battery went out :grumpy:
