Rabbit Care – Page 7

Rabbit needs water beside the supply of hay, pellets, vegetables, fruits, and treats. Though they get most of the moisture from the vegetables, moreover, they need direct water. Liquid water helps rabbit maintaining their digestion, circulatory function, or other physiological and biological processes effectively. However, rabbits don’t drink a lot of water at a time. So, they always need access to water. If you use a rabbit water bottle for watering purposes like me, then you may already face the Rabbit Water Bottle Leaking problem. Today I will share my proven tips and tricks about a no-leak water bottle with you. Before going into details, let me clear you some common points. Does the rabbit need water? Well, first thing first. Like all other mammals, water is the perfect drink for the rabbit. To maintain all the internal body functions of rabbits, they need water. Without water, your bunny will surely die after a few days. Water contains 73% of the total body weight of a rabbit. The main functions of water are carried out the body wastage, temperature regulation, cushioning joint, lubricating, circulation of blood, the flow of oxygen, etc. So, you must ensure the regular supply of water for your bunny. How much do rabbits drink a day? Well, it is another question from curious people like me who are concern about the care of the bunny. Generally, a bunny whose weight is 1 kg, will drink 50-100 mg of water daily. For your rabbit, please calculate the ratio. It is entirely depending on the bodyweight of the rabbit and also on the surroundings. If your bunny Is fat and healthy enough, she/he will need much water than a smaller one. On the other hand, if the weather is so hot and humid, she will drink more than a typical day. Similarly, during the winter, she will drink less than the summer. How long can rabbits go without water? Rabbits can’t last more than 24 hours without water. If the weather is too hot and humid, it may last less than this 24 hours’ mark. However, if your rabbit suffers from a digestive problem, don’t stop the continuous supply of water. Water is much needed for the sick rabbit as well as the healthy one. Additionally, you should have explicit knowledge about the necessary amount of water that I have mentioned earlier in this article. How do I know if my rabbit is dehydrated? There are some precautions before your bunnies go into the extreme level of dehydration. You may consider the following points to understand whether your rabbits in a critical level or not. Increasing body temperature. If the temperature is more than 103 degrees centigrade, be careful.Lethargic behavior. Lack of water reduces the energy and enthusiasm of your rabbit.Loss of appetite. The consumption rate of water, as well as the other food, will decrease.Loose elasticity of the skin. The skin of your bunny will be loose. These are the general precaution for dehydration of your rabbit. If you identify these problems, you should consult a rabbit savvy vet immediately. Is water bottle good for a rabbit? To ensure a continuous water supply, we have mainly two options. Water bottlewater bowl. Both have some limits and advantages. However, the water bottle is quite safe for your bunny. You need to select the right one for your rabbit. By using a water bottle, you will get the following advantages. Advantages of a rabbit water bottle Little or no wastage of water as they directly drink from the bottle.The temperature of the water will be the same in the bottle. So, during the extreme hot or extreme cold, the bottle is the perfect solution.To feed younger rabbits bottle is more suitable than the bowl.To administrate liquid medicine into the water, a bottle is perfect.For training purposes, the bottle is effective than the water bowls. Disadvantages of rabbit water bottle Possibility of leaking.Need to clean regularly. How do I stop or fix my rabbit water bottle from leaking? From my experiences, it is a hard job to stop leaking water bottle permanently. Setting up a rabbit cage is also essential to factor for holding a water bottle correctly. Anyway, there are two reasons for leaking water from the bottle. Defect in the bottle Displace of the steel balls. You could fix the bottle by following my tricks, but I can not give you the solution of displacing the steel balls. It's painful, indeed. However, these tips and tricks may help you to get rid of this problem. So, let’s start. Remove your faulty bottle first from the metal holding clip. Pull the water bottle straight to remove it. It would be best if you closely observed where the leaks occur. It will help you to understand the problem first.Hold the water bottle that way; the metal drinking tube stands upward. Unscrew the lid of the rabbit water bottle by counterclockwise direction.In a hot waterproof pot (like the kitchen sink) mixing a necessary amount of dish soap with the hot water. Shake it until the bubble grows up. Then Wait until it becomes cold enough to touch it with hand.Then clean the inner side of the bottle with this liquid by a brush. Clean the bottle. Also, clean the metal tube by pushing a tube cleaner. After cleaning both the individual part, pour the soapy liquid into the bottle and screw the lid. Then shake the bottle vigorously for a few minutes. Now observe the bottle. Look for the tiny bubbles on the surface of the container. To see it clearly, wipe the outside surface of the bottle. A tiny bubble indicates the leak of the bottle—Mark out the leaks by using a marker.To fix the leak, empty the bottle and dry it perfectly. Then use water resistance glue to fix the tiny leak. It’s really simple.Also, check the elasticity of the rubber washer. You will find it inside the lid. If it becomes weak or rotten, change the old one with a new one.Fill the water bottle. And reinstall the bottle in the cage. It would be best if you cleaned the water bottle regularly. Regular cleaning helps to increase the durability of the rabbit water bottle. Also, you should but a quality product instead of a poor one. Final Thoughts So, the long story short, to keep the bottle leak-proof you should clean the bottle regularly. Also, you need the best quality bottle. I hope you understand the process of fixing the rabbit water bottle leaking. By following these tips, you can adjust the leaking problem of your bottle. Reference canr.msu.edu researchgate.net