Rabbit is like a little toddler who makes a lot of mess. From cleaning the rabbit’s cage and litter box to cleaning its food utensils and changing the water daily, you need to take care of each and everything of your little pet. So, if you are a new rabbit owner and don’t have any idea regarding how often should you change rabbit’s water, we are here to help you out.
You should change the water of your little bunny at least one time daily. In general, rabbits empty their water container by the end of the day. At that time you can change or refill clean and fresh water. You should also check from time to time that the water is clean and drinkable or not. Otherwise, your rabbit will have to drink dirty water and their delicate body can get an infection.
Now that you have got an overview of the article, continue reading it to understand this topic in detail.
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How Often And When Should You Change Your Rabbit’s Water?
We have already told you that you should change your rabbit’s water once per day. Rabbits are active creatures and like to play a lot. This is the reason why they need plenty of water every day. If you’ll not take care of your bunny’s water needs and leave it without access to water, especially in summer, then you are putting your rabbit at risk to suffer from heatstroke.
So, keeping the water needs of the rabbit in mind, let’s discuss when should you change your rabbit’s water:
- When the water in the container is low. You should always keep a check on your bun’s water supply. The amount of water that a rabbit drinks depends on the temperature. So, keep the water utensil in check and whenever the water level is low, refill it.
- When you notice any dirt in the water. Rabbits don’t even touch the water which is dirty or have some unpleasant smell, until and unless they don’t have any other choice. Additionally, rabbits are sensitive creatures who can get sick quickly. Drinking dirty water can make them prone to infections. So, if you yourself don’t want to drink the water that you are serving your pet, it is too dirty for your rabbit too. So, always change the water if it seems dirty to you.
- Once every day. The best way to ensure that your rabbit is drinking clean water is to change the rabbit’s water at least once every day. Throw the water present already in the utensil, clean the utensil or water bottle of your bun, and refill fresh water.
How To Extend The Time Between Refills?
Imagine a situation in which you go on a short trip without your rabbit. Now, how will you take care of your rabbit’s water supply? How you can extend the time between refills? You have the following options in that case:
- You can buy a larger water bowl or water bottle than the usual one.
- Another option is to get a standalone nipple drinker. Buy the one which can be attached to the bottle of any size. Then, attach it to a big size water bottle and leave your rabbit with plenty of water in the bottle.
What Will Happen If You Don’t Change You Rabbit’s Water Daily?
If you have a pet in your house, like a rabbit, it is your responsibility to take care of each of its needs. Making available fresh and clean drinking water at all times is one of such essential responsibilities.
If you don’t change your rabbit’s water daily, you are putting it under the following risks:
Diarrhea
If you make your rabbit drink dirty water, then it can lead to diarrhea. A parasite known as coccidian sporulation develops in dirty water which results in diarrhea. Also, in the case of rabbits, diarrhea is highly fatal and can even lead to their deaths.
Heatstroke
If you are living in a hot and humid place, your rabbit will require more water than usual. If you don’t provide clean water daily, then your rabbit is at the risk of dying because of heatstroke.
Dehydration
If you are away on a short trip, make proper arrangements of water for your rabbit. Leaving your rabbit for more than 24 hours without water can result in dehydration, especially when the temperature is really high.
Impaction
Rabbits have a sensitive stomach. Due to the lack of water in the body, stomach functioning can get hampered as there will not be sufficient moisture. This can lead to blockages in the intestine or impaction.
Moist Dermatitis
Overweight rabbits are prone to the risk of dermatitis if they drink dirty water.
Urinary Stones
Rabbit’s body requires calcium, but not a large amount of it. Excess calcium is thrown out of the body by normal digestive functions. But if there will be a lack of water in the body, there will be difficulty in flushing out excess calcium. In such a case, rabbits can develop urinary stones.
Wrapping Up
I hope, you now have the answer to your question: how often should you change rabbit’s water? You should change your bunny’s water every day at least once. During hot summer days, the water intake of rabbits is higher to prevent the issues like dehydration and heatstroke.
Additionally, we have also covered all the related questions regarding the topic too. We now know, when we should change the water. Along with changing the water regularly, we should also keep a check whether the water is clean or not. If the rabbit’s water seems dirty, change it immediately to avoid any infections.
To extend the refill time, you can make use of a standalone nipple drinker attached to a large-sized bottle. It will make sure that your rabbit gets a continuous water supply, even if you are away for some time.
Changing the rabbit’s water daily is essential. Not taking care of it can make your rabbit prone to various health complications like diarrhea, heatstroke, dehydration, dermatitis, etc.
Hence, be a responsible rabbit owner and take care of your rabbit’s water needs to keep your pet healthy and fit.