Is it the waterbowl or me?

[moonmoonmoon]

hello,

i have a 6 month year old bunny and i adopted him since he was 2 weeks old with guidance and proper care from youtube and this bunny forum too, so as i know that a bowl is much more suitable than a water bottle for him, i quickly disagreed with my mother to get one but with monthly supervision on him, my father and i figured out he isn’t drinking much water, I’ve tried making him drink more by adding water with his greens and adding some flowers (butterfly pea) to interest him in drinking water but i am getting scared it’ll be unhealthy for him. My father now is suggesting for me to change it to a water bottle instead of using a bowl but i am trying my best to figure out the problem so he will not use a water bottle. Any advice on what to do? The current bowl he is drinking from is wide, flat and the edge is curvy, I want to experiment if the bowls are the problem but my mom will kill me if she finds out that i am spending money on tons of bowls for him^^

 

+ i am new here and do not know if this is the right place to submit my topic but if it is please give me some advice and if it isn’t, moderators you can delete this, i’m sorry ^^

[Bam]

Hi and welcome to the BB forums! This is the right section for your question.

A rabbit should drink 50 -150 ml water per kilo body weight and day. A bun that gets fresh greens will drink considerably less than a rabbit that eats only hay and pellets, because greens consist mainly of water. If the weather is hot, the bun might drink more.

It’s generally better to serve water in a bowl than in a bottle. Clean the bowl daily with a brush or sponge under running water (you dont need to use detergent) to prevent bacterial growth which otherwise can happen in a day or so if the weather is hot. You can complement a water bowl with a water bottle and let the bun choose between them himself. Some buns like drinking from a bottle, but lapping from a bowl is a more natural way of drinking for a rabbit.

What makes you think your rabbit drinks too little? Is his appetite good? How do his poops look? Does he have good energy?

I general, rabbits that have access to fresh water dont drink too little unless they are ill, or have been ill so they’ve also eaten very little.

 

 

[moonmoonmoon]

Hi!!! Thank you so much for replying,, and yes he is eating well with hay, pellets and greens and pooping alright (he recently got digestive snacks from the vet), he hasnt been as energetic as he was when i first adopted him but he is still doing fine,, he always have mustard greens for his veggies and we occasionally give him barley flakes or flowers with his greens only in the morning,, i always make sure his bowl is clean and water is fresh daily but he seems to always drink atleast a half a cup every time i change the water,, since its my first time taking care of a bunny i am not sure either if it is good as there is no guidance from other bunny owners in my area,, i too recently thought of changing the current water bowl to those water bowl that usually for cats and dogs from daiso but dont have the time to go buy it, but my dad asked me to search up some advice before impulsively buying it and end up with the same thing as before^^

 

[Bam]

Since his appetite is good, poop is good and he seems all healthy, I dont think he is drinking too little. He probably gets quite a bit of fluids in him from his greens.

The cat-and dog bowls with running water are nice but the filters are rather expensive and need to be exchanged often. They’re especially good for cats because cat notoriously drink too little and get constipated as a result.

[moonmoonmoon]

All right!! Thank you so much for the advice, I’ll really keep in heart!!!

[DanaNM]

My buns usually like to get a drink right after I change the water too. 🙂 You could always refresh it twice a day if you’re worried. I don’t think you need to get a fancy fountain, but there is no harm in offering both a bowl and a bottle. I have a bottle and a bowl, just in case mine knock over the bowl while I’m not home.

Does he eat plenty of hay? Usually water drinking is linked to hay eating, most buns will right after they eat hay.

This isn’t really related to water drinking, but just wanted to mention that mustard greens are very high in calcium. That isn’t always a bad thing , but some bunnies have issues with excessive calcium and develop bladder sludge (which is made worse if the bun doesn’t drink enough water). You may want to incorporate another green into his diet that is lower in calcium (such as romaine lettuce).

 

. . . 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.  

[moonmoonmoon]

Yeah he loves hay haha,, loves chasing me when i grab the hay bag but yes thank you so much for your advice!! I’ll definitely keep it in heart,, although mustard greens are cheaper than romaine in my area, i will try my best to look for other greens that can be incorporated in his diet,, i do usually add in some coriander or mint or any other herbs that are safe in his greens when i have it,,

[DanaNM]

That’s good! He sounds very healthy. 🙂  And it’s just something to keep in mind (especially if you start noticing excessive white deposits in his urine).

Coriander is a really good one to add in. Other leaf lettuces are good too if those are easier to come by (just not iceberg). Endive/chicory is another great low-calcium staple veggie that might be available.

. . . 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.  

[moonmoonmoon]

All right!!

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ̀ˋ  Thank you!!

[LBJ10]

Some bunnies prefer a water bottle. I would suggest providing both to see which one is preferred. Also, as Dana said, it isn’t a bad idea to have a backup.

[moonmoonmoon]

so sorry for the late respond but alright!! thank you so much for the advice i will try experimenting which is better for him!!

[Author]

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