Broken Water Bottle

[urutopiandream]

Ok, so my rabbit, Leopold (Leo) got a new water bottle on Saturday because his was super leaky and made a mess everywhere all the time. I installed it and went on with my day. This one is much bigger and I check in the morning and at night if he has water and food. (I work and go to school so I’m gone from 630am to 1230am M-F). I noticed he had very little poop. It wasn’t until TODAY (Wednesday) that I laid down to give him kisses that I for some reason decided to try and check the balls in the nozzle. As soon as there was water on my finger he started licking it off. I realized it hasn’t been dispensing! Luckily i had a spare and I put that one in there! He was drinking water from 6am until 630am when I left. My boyfriend doesn’t get home from work until 5pm. Will my bunny be okay? He’s my world. Please tell me he’ll be okay!

[Shadow13]

I personally don’t like using bottles I think bowls are better. Rabbit drink a lot and they can’t always get enough water out of a bottle so the get frustrated. A bowl they can get tuns of water out and it mimics what they would do in the wild.

[ThorBunny]

Ak! What a scary occurrence! I agree with Shadow13 about the bowl, my bun really prefers to drink from them! Just make sure you use a heavy one with a flat bottom that is hard to tip over, or alternatively one that clips onto a cage or wall can be good.

As far as your water scare goes, dehydration can slow down a rabbit’s GI tract, it is good that he got water into him this morning. If you feed veggies he could also have been getting some water from them in the last few days. Is he pooping ok now? Eating normally? When you or your boyfriend get home, check to make sure that he has pooped and eaten! If he has, then I’d say he is ok and just make sure he gets water in the future!

If he hasn’t pooped, he should go to the emergency vet right away! GI stasis can be very dangerous and come on quick.

Sending good vibes!

[Wick & Fable]

It’s always good to give water bottles a good few whacks on the top and see if they dispense water. The whacks also dislodge any air bubbles caught in the nozzle.

Wick has two water bowls in different parts of his free roam space, just in case I don’t re-fill/freshen one in time. My vet recommends if possible, have both a water bottle and bowl, that way if one is not usable (pee/poo’d in water bowl or malfunctioning bottle), your rabbit has another source. I kind of did that method by having two bowls instead of one.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[DanaNM]

Yes, I’ve had that happen with a bottle before, it’s terrible. I offer both a bottle and a bowl, and always check that water is flowing easily when I refill it. Moose is apparently part camel and drinks a ton from both.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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