Hi chefcv!  Welcome to Binky Bunny!  That is an excessive amount of water Norma Jean is drinking.  Is there a salt lick in the cage and has she seen a vet for this? A salt lick/mineral lick is unnecessary for rabbits and they will make them drink a lot of water.  Second, there could be a medical condition causing this, like diabetes. Was Norma Jean an abused rabbit, what was her past like?  Some abused rabbits who did not know when or where they would get food or water again will drink excessively because that is how they survived before.  Here is a discussion that we have had in the past:

Drinking Excessive Water:

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=18413#20099

I hope this helps and let me know about your answers to the questions I had.  Hopefully we can solve this mystery!

I can beat you on water drinking!  Edson drinks 48 oz a day!  I change his litter daily.  8 oz a day is not that out of line – the average is 4-6 oz./day.  I use the wood stove pellets for litter and they work well.  You can imagine how much pee I’m dealing with!  Edson is absolutely normal in every other way.  I had ALL the blood tests done, xrays the works and they could not find a cause.  Some rabbits drink for psychological reasons, maybe they did not get enough water in their past and they are afraid to run out.  That’s one theory (and the one that I’m holding on to) or it could be diabetes insipidus (which there is no cure).  In your case I would not worry about it.  But if you are worried see a vet.  They will do all sorts of blood tests and possibly an xray to look for a kidney stone.  It’s a lot of stress for the rabbit.

I did not see the link above before I posted.  But that link Scarlet Rose has referred you to is about Edson. A lot of good info there.

Yep it sure is about poor Edson and the entire ordeal. Poor guy. Anyway knowitons, I added it under the FAQ’s section too so you can find it easily.

Thanks Scarlet Rose – I had forgotten how LONG that post was!

No problem! Yep it is a tale of epic proportions! But, we all learned a heck of a lot from it too!

You probably have a 32oz bottle.  I think that’s about the biggest I’ve seen.  Yeah that’s getting up there in water consumption.  Maybe you should see the vet then.  It could be psychological and then again it could be something else.  I spent about $800 in tests and office visits.  I actually started tracking it to see what he was really drinking.  If you haven’t been to a vet yet anyway you should for a check up.  Make sure it’s a rabbit savvy one.  Good luck.

The stove pellets are cheap too. $8.00 for 40 pounds.

Has Norma Jean done this since you got her? Or has this been recent. Though it could be psychological, I would have a vet check her out.

If she was an outdoor rabbit before then she will drink alot more than an indoor rabbit – that’s what one of my vets told me. I think it’s from being out in the heat and elements they need more hydration. Of course there is always a medical problem to consider.

Thank you for rescuing her too.

I got Edson in November and he has been drinking like this since then.  It has not tapered off at all.  I now wonder what will happen when it starts to get hot!  I can’t imagine him drinking even more but I bet he could.  Some people have so many marking, chewing, digging problems and I have none of those.  My only problem is changing the litter daily so I feel lucky in a lot of ways.  I know you are worried and I hope for your sake it is psychological.  I’m not 100% sure Edson’s is but since he has shown no other symptoms in months I have to assume it is. I think I would take your bun to the vet and they may discover something right away.  It could be as simple as a bladder infection. Good luck!

chefcv3 – IF this is due to psychological issues it really depends on each rabbit. Some stop after a few months, while others stop after a couple of years.

It’s better to double check though with a vet to make sure it’s not due to an infection or some other under lying illness first.

BTW, I’m not sure if insurance will help cover the bill at all but you may want to look at VPI at http://www.petinsurance.com. If they can shave off $200 from the exams or tests, it more than pays for itself for that year.

Just don’t include the excessive drinking as a pre-existing condition.

Poor little thing … sounds like a psychological issue … but have bunny checked out if it is worrying you, but after four years could well be just a habit she has attained.

My first bunny, Sprinkles, was an outdoor bunny left in a hutch … she would drink her own urine and still does to this day.  She was neglected. I guess some days Sprinkles did not have enough water to drink.

Some issues are ingrained into them … and cannot be cured.

Dawn

OH wait, four years?  Dawn, I think  their other bunny has been with them awhile, but Norma Jean has only been with them since this past fall.  Unless, I am misreading the original post.??