Sometimes you may find it hard to realize what your pet rabbit is feeling. As the rabbits can not communicate well, you should know how to help them in crucial situations. The rabbit can respond to the temperature of its surroundings with ease.
Rabbits enjoy living in cool places. They can stay in an air conditioning room that is between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. It is better no to keep them in the straight path of air. Placing the rabbits in warm surroundings is not a good idea. Rabbits will suffer from severe problems when they are in temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and above.
You should give your best to understand the signals of your pet’s pain. It is better to know how to respond to these indications. Here are a few tips using which you can know if your pet is feeling hot or not. Also, there are many methods you can use to cool down the rabbit.
Contents
Indications That Your Rabbit Is Feeling Hot
If your pet feels uncomfortable, it will try to express it in many ways. All these ways are the natural behaviors of the pet to remain cooler by itself.
One best and easy method to know whether the rabbit is feeling hot or not is by looking at its ears. Rabbits manage their body heat through their ears. The rabbit ears will function as a tube for heat and feels warmer than your ears.
If your pet’s ears are emitting too much heat, it means that they are feeling hot. You have to help them to remain cooler.
When your rabbit is inhaling shallow and quick breathes, you do not have to worry. It is a sign which means that the rabbit is attempting to stay cooler. Remember, the above method and panting are two different things. When your pet looks normal and is taking this kind of shallow breathing, leave it alone. It is a good idea because the rabbit is cooling down without your help.
If the rabbit has a moist or wet nose, it is a positive sign. This sign tells that the pet is handling heat and is attempting to stay cooler. Also, you should follow a few methods to cool down your pet.
Here is another effective way to check the temperature of the rabbit. Your pet will be different during its daily routine. If needed, it is better to give a snack and get it out of its pen to roam around. If your rabbit is not in its usual self during these activities, your pet might be feeling uncomfortable. At this point, you should do your best to keep your pet cool.
Potential Heat Stroke Signs In Rabbits
Rabbits suffering from heatstroke and feeling too hot are two different things. Heatstroke causes fatal harm to your pet, and immediate treatment is crucial. When you are aware of the heatstroke symptoms, you can take quick action. This method also helps you to keep your rabbit safe and healthy.
First of all, the easiest and early symptom is the rabbit’s ear color. When the rabbits’ ears are turning red, it indicates that the pet is undergoing heatstroke. At this moment, do your best and try every method to make the rabbit cool.
The shallow and quick breathing are signs of your pet cooling down itself. But, when your rabbit is trying hard to breathe or panting, the situation calls for immediate action. You may find it hard to recognize whether the rabbit is panting or not. So, to make it easy, panting in simple words is the shortness of breath.
Rabbit salivating is also a quick indication that it is getting heatstroke. The rabbit prefers to have a strategy for cooling itself, and salivation is a practical method. Your pet attempts to salivate to stay cold, but you should not leave the rabbit alone in this step. The rabbit seeks your help to escape the heat.
The rabbit will stop its normal behavior when it feels too hot. If the rabbit is suffering from heatstroke, it will stop moving and roaming around. Rabbits, being active animals, will act less energetic when there is something terrible. If the rabbit is outdoors and the temperature is high, consider keeping it in a shady area and cool it down as soon as possible.
At last, the rabbits will start shaking or trembling when they get heatstroke. These seizures are harmful, and you may have to take the pet to the veterinarian. The vet will deal with the rabbit if it is shivering.
What Should I Do If I Do Not Have Air Conditioning?
There are plenty of ways to make the rabbit cooler during the hectic days of the summer months. Having air conditioning is a remarkable strategy for keeping your rabbit cool, and your pets will feel happy and comfortable. It is not mandatory to have an AC. Here are a few alternatives you can use when you do not have air conditioning in your home.
Ceramic and marble tiles are the perfect methods for keeping the rabbit’s temperature down. In general, they carry an icy surface, and also you can keep it in the fridge to make it cold.
Another effective method is using frozen water bottles. It is better to keep them inside the rabbit’s pen and cover it with a thin sheet of cloth. Your rabbits can rest against these bottles when they are hot and will feel comfortable.
You can not forget the crucial body part, which is the rabbit’s ears, as they control their whole temperature. If possible, you can moisten their ears with a damp towel or by spraying water. Your rabbits might feel irritating when their ears are wet, but you do this to keep them cool.
It is not difficult to develop air conditioning in your home by yourself. All you need is one portable fan and a moist cotton cloth. Cover the rabbit’s pen with this cloth and place the fan outside their pen. When you turn on the fan, the natural cooler air will circulate the cell, and your pets can feel happy.
Providing enough cool water is another extraordinary method to prevent heat. The rabbits must remain hydrated, and this cool water enables them to stay cold.
Here is the last method. If the rabbit is still hot even after trying all the above methods, consider moving its location. It is better to put your pet in a shady and cold place. The rabbits might be staying in an area that attracts too much heat, and all it needs to cool them down is changing their spot. A few decent spaces to bring the rabbit are the basement room and bathroom.
You can find several above methods in the above video, and it has a few other ways for keeping the rabbit cooler. Also, you may understand better with the visual representation.