How can I help my rabbit withstand hot weather?

[BinkyLouie]

Hey guys, so it’s been getting pretty hot now in California and my boy isn’t shaking or bobbing his head but I want him to feel comfortable and not hot. I’ve been wetting a napkin and putting it into the freezer and taking I out when its frozen so I can put it on his body. Is this fine to do? And I also fed him a cold blue berry so he can have a cold little snack. Any other things I could do?

 

[JBun]

Large marble or ceramic tiles. You can also rotate them out of the freezer to keep them extra cool. Freeze a 2L coke bottle(filled with water) and put that out. If you set it on one portion of the tile, the frozen bottle will help keep the tile cool longer.

https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-health/recognizing-heat-stroke-in-your-pet-rabbit/

 

[BinkyLouie]

Large marble or ceramic tiles. You can also rotate them out of the freezer to keep them extra cool. Freeze a 2L coke bottle(filled with water) and put that out. If you set it on one portion of the tile, the frozen bottle will help keep the tile cool longer.

https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-health/recognizing-heat-stroke-in-your-pet-rabbit/

He likes to lay on the kitchen tiles. He was there mostly all day until I took him outside. He has his little hut so he can be in one spot meanwhile the air hits him.

 

[Roo1234]

I use frozen bottles of water

 

[Preitler]

I made a flat foam box and put a slab of stone on it, and a freeze pack inside - keeps the stone cool for most of the day. It's crude but works. Have seen much prettier versions with tiles, and I recommend to cover the sides with wood, some rabbits like to chew the foam.

 

[BinkyLouie]

I made a flat foam box and put a slab of stone on it, and a freeze pack inside - keeps the stone cool for most of the day. It's crude but works. Have seen much prettier versions with tiles, and I recommend to cover the sides with wood, some rabbits like to chew the foam.

Pretty damn creative.

 

[Blue eyes]

He likes to lay on the kitchen tiles. He was there mostly all day until I took him outside. He has his little hut so he can be in one spot meanwhile the air hits him.

If he's normally indoors, don't take him outside when it is hot.

 

[BinkyLouie]

If he's normally indoors, don't take him outside when it is hot.

If it’s hotter inside than it is outside I’m gonna take him outside. I wouldn’t want him to feel hot. Imagine how we feel when it’s hot? They feel it worse. That’s why I’ve been having him outside so that he doesn’t get a heatstroke in 90 degree weather.

 

[Preitler]

If your floors are cool that helps more than the actual air temperture at human height level. My rabbits quite often spend the day in the house (I cut a hole in the door for them). Outside they dig shallow pits to get to damp, cool soil to cool their bellies.

 

[BinkyLouie]

If your floors are cool that helps more than the actual air temperture at human height level. My rabbits quite often spend the day in the house (I cut a hole in the door for them). Outside they dig shallow pits to get to damp, cool soil to cool their bellies.

WOW. He is so cute What type of breed is your rabbit? Looks chonk. Honestly, I get what you’re saying but it was super hot all day yesterday like too hot to be inside and I would look over at him and he was shaking already and bobbing his head even being on the tiles so I took him outside. Being in that hut encourages him to eat more hay because that’s all I put in there. I put his hay and water and then a chew toy(a ball) so that he can have something to do

 

[JBun]

If he's hot enough to be shaking, you need to provide more effective ways for your bun to cool down. He needs safe ice packs to lay on or against,, like what I suggested or Preitler, to bring that body temp down. A sustained raised body temp can lead to heat stroke and permanent neurological and organ damage, if it doesn't prove fatal. So it's essential to keep your rabbit cool, ,whether that is indoors or out(shade only, no sun).

 

[Preitler]

well, granted, my house is rather cool, the old core has 70cm stone walls...

I just let them chose where they want to spend the day.

 

[BinkyLouie]

If he's hot enough to be shaking, you need to provide more effective ways for your bun to cool down. He needs safe ice packs to lay on or against,, like what I suggested or Preitler, to bring that body temp down. A sustained raised body temp can lead to heat stroke and permanent neurological and organ damage, if it doesn't prove fatal. So it's essential to keep your rabbit cool, ,whether that is indoors or out(shade only, no sun).

Yeah that’s why I take him outside.. it’s too hot inside. I wouldn’t take him out if there was no shade. I make sure I provide him water(cool) so that he can be refreshed. The air hits him and it’s cool outside so that’s why I see it better to take him outside than keep him inside. There’s no point in keeping him inside when it’s super hot. The most effective way for him is to be outside in the shaded area with cool air.

 

[Blue eyes]

Do you not have air conditioning? What temp do you keep the thermostat?

 

[BinkyLouie]

Do you not have air conditioning? What temp do you keep the thermostat?

Unfortunately I do not have an AC.