Pineapple water

[nicolekline97]

My rabbit has never been a big drinker. I have a good sized bowl she drinks from. She does drink but not much. I have given her water with pineapple juice flavoring it to encourage drinking and she drinks all of it. She is around 11lbs. And I have to assume she should be drinking more water. Would you flavor her water with juice? Or just continue to drink water for thirst when she wants?

 

[Preitler]

I wouldn't, they have a sweet tooth and juice is practicly just sugar, you're training her to not drink plain water, like with kids that grow up with pops and will just drink it for the sugar. Water consumption and need can differ a lot, depending on what is fed, weather, individual bunny etc., my rabbits drink almost nothing during summer when fed forage. Why do you think she's not drinking enough in the first place?

 

[Catlyn]

My rabbit has never been a big drinker. I have a good sized bowl she drinks from. She does drink but not much. I have given her water with pineapple juice flavoring it to encourage drinking and she drinks all of it. She is around 11lbs. And I have to assume she should be drinking more water. Would you flavor her water with juice? Or just continue to drink water for thirst when she wants?

If she's never been a big drinker, i wouldn't worry too much about it. Maybe she just gets her watery juices from her veggies or something. Personally i would never flavour their water though.

 

[nicolekline97]

I wouldn't, they have a sweet tooth and juice is practicly just sugar, you're training her to not drink plain water, like with kids that grow up with pops and will just drink it for the sugar. Water consumption and need can differ a lot, depending on what is fed, weather, individual bunny etc., my rabbits drink almost nothing during summer when fed forage. Why do you think she's not drinking enough in the first place?

Very rarely since I got her (March) has she had many days where she drank a lot. I did have the water bottle at first but when I put water in a bowl she seemed to drink more. I didn't think regularly putting pineapple in was good, as the sugar content but she seems to not drink much. I really should measure the amount and see what she is taking in a 24 hour period but it seems so little. She mainly eats timothy hay. I give her pellets but not daily. She goes through a package of romaine per week and I pull her ivy that grows in my flowers and under my deck. She seems like a happy little rabbit and goes to the bathroom.

 

[Blue eyes]

She'll drink as she needs water. I wouldn't worry about flavoring her water or she'll begin to expect it and then may refuse regular water.