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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE New adopted bunny not drinking water

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    • Amber
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        We recently adopted our first bunny. Our friend has had her since a young bunny but her kids weren’t giving her the attention she needed, so we adopted her from them. I’ve never had a bunny, but I’ve been reading and researching for a while now, hoping to make the transition easy for Clover. We’ve had her about two weeks. My friend said she mostly fed her pellets and scrap veggies. I have changed her diet according to what I’ve read. I purchased a bunch of Timothy hay, and keep her well stocked, changing it out every other day. I also give her lots of produce (mostly leafy greens with a little extra veggies and a small (teaspoon) amount of fruit) plus a small amount of pellets, about 1/8 cup twice a day. She doesn’t touch the hay, she eats the pellets quickly and then munches on the produce throughout the day.

        I’m slightly concerned about her not eating hay, but I figured that would probably be a bit of a transition since my friend said she rarely gave her hay. But I am concerned about her water consumption. She doesn’t drink any of her water. The water bottle stays the same every day….I change it every other day. The ball works and I’ve tried giving her drops off my finger, but she won’t lick it. I also tried offering her a bowl, but she doesn’t drink that either. I asked my friend if she usually drank her water and she said she usually emptied the bottle every other day! So, I’m kind of concerned that she’s not getting enough water. Any suggestions?


      • Jazlyn
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          I think it may just be because its a new environment and she isn’t used to it. You could try and make her cage look as similar as possible to her old one, though that can be tough. When my bun had a cone on and couldn’t access water very often, I gave him almost a constant supply of fresh, wet produce, mostly romaine lettuce. That may help until she starts drinking again, my rabbits just wouldn’t drink out of a bottle.
          For hay, if you haven’t tried already, you could give her some toys made out of hay to get her eating it until she starts eating it normally.
          She should stay hydrated if she has enough veggies, at least until she starts drinking out of the bottle.
          Best of luck with your bun!


        • RubyTuesday
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            I would suggest using wet veggies to get as much water as possible and offer both a bowl and bottle so she can choose which she prefers. Also for for the hay maybe only give your rabbit 1/4 pellets once a day so she eats the hay when she runs out (less often but same amount).


          • Yilina
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              Hi Amber!

              Welcome to BB!! It is really sweet to read the love you have for your new bunny and how much you are researching to give her the best possible life . As for her not drinking water, it can be the new environment, bunnies are very affected by changes. For example, my bunny was drinking very little for the first month with us and, all of sudden, he started drinking double. However, the fact that she is not drinking at all is worrisome. Did you take her for a vet check when you got her? They can detect if there is something going on with her and/or she is indeed dehydrated.

              As for pellets and hay, the advice I have read the most in BB is trying to reduce her pellets consumption. How much does she weight? A 6 pound rabbit should get between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of pellets and 2 cups of chopped veggies a day, not more. Fruit must be given only as a treat.

              As to increase hay consumption, you can try different kinds of hay -if they are available in your area. I have read that some owners crumble a few pellets on the hay to make it smell more appealing. Also, you can put hay inside a toilet roll (they tend to love chewing on that) so that she eats the hay inside “by mistake” and realises it is edible. The fact that she was seldom given hay will make things a bit harder, but with patience I am sure she will learn to love it.


            • Luna's Mom
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                Hello, I had the same issue with Luna at first. With hay she started with oxbow and would barely eat it so I ordered 2nd cut from small pets select and now she eats tons of hay. I think she likes the fact it’s soft and smells really fresh. With water I figured out she didn’t like the taste of the water from our faucet (atleast that’s what I think)so I started giving her bottled water and now she drinks a good amount out of her bowl. Luna also loves the dried flower and herb hay toppers!


              • Juicy
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                  If it gets to be kind of an emergency, try setting out a bowl of water. Maybe she doesn’t understand the bottle thing. Eventually, you’ll have to teach her though, if that’s the reason! 

                  Silly me, the “bowl” you were referring to was for water. This is a strange problem! Poor thing. Still leave out the bowl as an option, but eventually she’s going to have to drink!


                • sarahthegemini
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                    Definitely soak her veggies really well before offering them to her. If she really won’t drink though, you may have to syringe some water into her mouth. What about adding a little apple or cranberry juice to the water?


                  • Luna
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                      I agree – offer her both a bottle and a bowl. Sometimes Luna will drink out of one or the other or both; just depends on her mood. Where on the cage is the water bottle hanging? Try moving it to a different spot and see if she likes it better. Also check to make sure it isn’t hanging too high or too low – she shouldn’t stretch her neck up (too high) nor turn her head to the side (too low).


                    • Amber
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                        Sorry I didn’t respond! Bun is doing much better about drinking water. It’s really odd, but with her last owner, she drank a ton of water (the owner said she’d refill the bottle every other day) and she only drank from the bottle. I couldn’t get her to drink out of the bottle, and then it started leaking, so I just leave a bowl of water out for her and she drinks it frequently. She doesn’t drink as much water as she did with her last owner, but I think that’s because the last owner gave her mostly pellets. I give her 1/8 cup of pellets (1 tbsp in the morning and 1 tbsp at night), about a cup of greens morning & night (mostly kale and spring greens or romaine) and a little bit of veggies. She’s a little one at 4lbs, so I think that’s probably about right for her. I give her a piece of fruit every few days. She still isn’t fond of hay, I keep it in there and change it out daily. I see her munch on it a little here and there, but she doesn’t eat enough to make a dent in what I give her. I’ve tried adding cilantro (which she LOVES), tried different areas of the cage, different types, etc., but she just doesn’t care much for it, so I don’t really know what else to do. I’m hoping maybe over time she’ll start to eat more. I don’t know how else to get her to eat it.


                      • sarahthegemini
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                          You could try different types of hay – my bunnies weren’t that fond of Timothy hay so I give mine green oat readigrass which they devour.

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                      Forum DIET & CARE New adopted bunny not drinking water