Do Rabbits Drink Water?

Do Rabbits Drink Water?

If you’ve just adopted a rabbit it’s very important that you understand what basic care your rabbit basic requires. One of the most common doubts when it comes to rabbit care is about whether rabbits drink water, and above all, how much water rabbits need to be happy and healthy.

It’s incredibly important to make sure that your rabbit drinks enough water so as not to become dehydrated. For more about if rabbits drink water and what to do if a rabbit isn’t drinking, keep reading here at AnimalWised.

How much water do rabbits drink a day?

To answer our primary question, yes, rabbits drink water. In general, it’s been estimated that a rabbit’s daily water consumption should be double its food intake. If your rabbit is not drinking, this is a major cause for concern, predominately because if a rabbit becomes dehydrated it can fall victim to shock and/or kidney failure.

But, how much water does a rabbit have to drink to be healthy? Well, this depend on several factors, one of the most relevant being the rabbit’s age. In addition, we would also need to take the rabbit’s weight into consideration. Generally, a month and a half year old rabbit, weighing approximately 750 grams should consume about 120 ml of water daily. A rabbit of between 1-2 years weighing roughly 2,5 kilograms, should consume about 400 ml daily.

In addition to weight and age, one also needs to take into consideration whether a rabbit is pregnant, breastfeeding or has just given birth. In these such cases, rabbit water consumption should be roughly 3 liters per day during lactation period. For more, we recommend reading our article where we discuss everything you need to know about rabbit adoption.

Rabbit not drinking from water bottle

So, what happens if a rabbit doesn’t drink enough water? Is your rabbit not drinking water? To be sure, we recommend measuring the level of water in your rabbit’s water bottle to be sure.

Dehydration in rabbits is very serious and should be avoided at all costs. Dehydration in rabbits symptoms include:

  • Oral and teeth problems
  • High fever
  • Discomfort
  • Weight loss
  • Darker and stronger smelling urine
  • Dry skin which loses flexibility

If you believe that your rabbit is dehydrated, we recommend consulting a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Why my rabbit won’t drink water?

Some of the main reasons which could explain why your rabbit isn’t drinking water could be because it doesn’t know how to drink from its new container or the water is not clean. More often that not, rabbit’s prefer drinking from a dish than a water bottle. In addition, if a rabbit feels that they are well hydrated, they may not drink as much as usual. Have you changed your rabbit’s diet? If so, this could also spur on a lack of water intake as now your rabbit feel that it is receiving sufficient amount of water from its feed.

Rabbit not drinking water

If you notice that your rabbit is drinking more water than normal during hotter months or after exercise, don’t worry it’s normal! If, however, you notice that your rabbit’s water consumption is disproportionate, we recommend consulting a veterinarian as soon as possible as it could be a symptom of kidney disease.

For more, we recommend reading our article where we discuss the most common diseases in rabbits.

What do rabbits drink?

Now, you may be wondering, what type of water is best for your rabbit? If you’re resident tap water is safe to drink, we recommend offering your rabbit this water. However, if contains a high level of alkaline, chlorine or calcium, avoid giving your rabbit this water and rather opt for bottle mineral water.

Other options include giving your rabbit purified or filtered water. If the water is drinkable for humans, consider it drinkable for your rabbit.

How do rabbits drink water in the wild?

Rabbits, whether domestic or wild, need water for their organism to function correctly. Field rabbits generally drink water from rivers, ponds or lakes found in their habitat. In many cases, these water sources can be contaminated by various harmful substances and microorganisms, which can generate diseases among these rabbits.

Fun wild rabbit fact: wild rabbits usually form their burrows near a water source to ensure that they are always well hydrated.

If you want to read similar articles to Do Rabbits Drink Water?, we recommend you visit our Basic care category.

Bibliography
  • RWAF. The Importance of Water. Rabbit Welfare Association&Fund. Disponible en: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-diet/rabbit-diet-water/
  • Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital. Giving Fluids. Disponible en: https://azeah.com/rabbits/giving-fluids