Drinking Lots

[~Bracon~]

I re fill the water bottles every 2 - 3 days. Warrens is usually 3/4 full

Bracons is always 3/4 empty! Is this normal? She eats fine. She dosen't constantly drink but when she does she sits there for about 5 minutes.

:?Hope that made sence.

 

[Flashy]

That did make sense

Is it possible her bottle is leaking?

We have some buns that drink more than others, especially in the hot and humid weather (which at the moment might be what is causing it).

Boofa was a bun of ours who used to drink absolutely loads of water, and we just thought she was a thristy bunny, but then she started to get other problems (like urine around the tail area which coincided with her moving to a new hutch so we thought she had gotten confused with where to go to the loo and stuff), and then she died of suspected kidney failure (but that was unconfirmed because we didn't have a necropsy done based on the vets assumptions).

So I guess what I am saying is that it could be nothing, but equally it could be a problem starting to manifest itself, like a bladder, kidney or some sort of other problem (diabetes, if rabbits can get that, etc), so I would watch her closely for any changes, i.e. if she starts to drink more, or has a wet tail. But it could easily just be she is thirstier, or the weather, or something like that.

(oh, and I think you're supposed to change their waterat least once a dayso that they always have fresh water)

 

[rabb1tmad]

All bunnies are different. Drinking more than another bun isn't necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Keep an eye out for any changes in drinking habits and also as usual on pees and poops. Lacey drinks stacks more than Starsky, always has done and Diesel drinks even less than Starksy!

Personally, I change the water on a daily basis just to keep the water fresh and cool. On hot summer days I change it twice a day, there is nothing worse than luke warm water, eugh!

 

[~Bracon~]

In summer I change it everyday anyway. I bought a cover for the water bottles last week that keep them cold in the summer and stop them freezing over in the winter. Tiz really good

 

[rabb1tmad]

It is the Scratch & Newton one that you have? I was tempted to get one myself.

 

[~Bracon~]

Yep it sure is. I was shocked at the price, £10, but I think it's worth it. You sould get one, especialy if your buns live outside

 

[rabb1tmad]

Will have to, I've got my foster bunny outside and it will save changing the water all the time!

 

[Haley]

I have one bunny whose bottle I refill almost daily, and another I only fill about 1-2 times a week. All bunnies are different. A lot of it also depends on diet and size.

I think its fine as long as you dont notice any urinary problems (like discolored urine or straining to urinate).

 

[serenz]

Moominmoo wrote:

That did make sense

Is it possible her bottle is leaking?

We have some buns that drink more than others, especially in the hot and humid weather (which at the moment might be what is causing it).

I have the same problem as Bracon. I live in Singapore and it's like summer all year round.

Boofa was a bun of ours who used to drink absolutely loads of water, and we just thought she was a thristy bunny, but then she started to get other problems (like urine around the tail area which coincided with her moving to a new hutch so we thought she had gotten confused with where to go to the loo and stuff), and then she died of suspected kidney failure (but that was unconfirmed because we didn't have a necropsy done based on the vets assumptions).

My first bun drank alot of water and I thought she's just a thirsty bun. Then in less than a monthshe suddenly died.

So I guess what I am saying is that it could be nothing, but equally it could be a problem starting to manifest itself, like a bladder, kidney or some sort of other problem (diabetes, if rabbits can get that, etc), so I would watch her closely for any changes, i.e. if she starts to drink more, or has a wet tail. But it could easily just be she is thirstier, or the weather, or something like that.

I hope it's nothing. She's drinking more than her buddy. I refill their bottle3 or 4 times a day. I even wake up in the middle of the night to refill their bottle. :?

(oh, and I think you're supposed to change their waterat least once a dayso that they always have fresh water)

 

[maherwoman]

My girls drink a lot, too. I just responded to another thread asking kinda the same question, so I'll put my same response here.

The other thread: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=26177&forum_id=1

My reply there:

From what I gather, my girls drink a lot, comparatively.

They each have 32oz water bottles. Trixie finishes hers in about a day and a half, Flower about every two days, Maisie and SweetPea about every two and a half days.

Trixie is 9lbs, Flower 7lbs, and Maisie & SweetPea are both approximately 5lbs.

So, yeah, depends on weight...and I don't think anything's wrong with them drinking a lot. I know for a fact that my girls are healthy, and I think the vanilla we put in their water lends to them drinking more.

In fact, when we got SweetPea, her mama let us know that she drank about an eighth of her 32oz water bottle a week, and she's been drinking MUCH more than that while being with us. So, yeah, I think the vanilla has a lot to do with it.



BUT...two things...

Has their fluid intake changed recently, or is this their normal intake?

What are your buns' sizes?

 

[pamnock]

Continually sitting at the water bottle drinking excessively can indicate a health problem (such as urinary infection).

Some rabbits may drink more than others, especially those on a diet consisting only of dried pellets.

Pam

 

[serenz]

Sugar is 2.3lband Daddy is 2.2lb. I live in Singapore and it's like summer all year round. I can understand if they drink due to the warm weather but it's been raining recently and still drinking as much. Their ears are not as warm as it used to be, it's cold. Most probably because of the rain. And I was just planning to put vanilla in their water, I can't imagine how many times I have to refill. :grumpy:I'm just worried that they're drinking too much....

They get 2 tablespoons of pellet in the morning and hay through out...:?


Any one has any info on urinary infection?

 

[Bunnicula]

Bracon,

Our Gingivere is a heavy drinker :bunny17:compared to our other buns. All 3 are Holland Lops and weigh about the same. Gingivere also urinates quite a bit more than the other buns. The vet has found no indication of kidney/urinary problems.

She has just ALWAYS consumed more and urinated more than the others. What I did for about 6 months was to monitor her DAILY water intake. This involved taking the time to measure out and make ounce markings on her bottle. Each morning at about the same time I would log her consumption for the previous day and then refill the bottle.

Over the course of time I saw that she averaged about the same amount of water every day. A few days were extremely low or high...but that usually correlated to the weather and/or how much time she had out of her house to play (she seems to drink less when she is active and away from the bottle).

Our vet believed that her drinking was her individual preference/needs and not related to a health issue. And though I no longer keep a regular log of her water consumption I do keep an eye out for any unusual changes in her drinking or elimination patterns...hoping to quickly spot any signs of illness.

FYI - Our bunnies have 32 oz bottles...and Gingi can easily drink 1/2 the bottle in a 24 hour period.