Critical care rabbits in summer: Many of us try to give our rabbits a bath in the summer, thinking it will help them relax in the heat. However, this is not the case.
Rabbits are lovely and hairy animals. Their hair keeps them warm, preventing outside air from reaching their bodies. When overheated, your rabbit can die from a hit attack. Hit attack is one of the leading causes of rabbit death, caused by overheating.
If you are a rabbit lover, you may find that 40 to 50 percent of your rabbits die from hit attacks caused by overheating. Ensuring proper critical care rabbit practices can prevent this.
Let’s find out how to take care of your rabbit during the onset of heat.
Give enough water:
Many of us have a misconception that rabbits don’t seem to drink water. While this may be true for some breeds of rabbits, it is not the case for most. Therefore, it’s essential to provide your rabbit with water regularly. You can offer cold water to help them stay hydrated.
If possible, add lemon juice to the water twice a week to relieve your rabbit from the heat.
Spray water:
You may see your rabbit lying down and panting in the heat when it gets too hot. At this time, you can spray water on your rabbit’s body to calm them down, but ensure that the water does not fall directly on the rabbit’s body. Spray water from a distance using a spray machine, making it look like the fog has fallen on the rabbit.
But be careful when spraying water; ensure it doesn’t enter the rabbit’s ears. If water enters the ears by mistake, the rabbit could die anytime. As part of your critical care rabbit routine, avoid spraying water directly near or into the rabbit’s ears.
Timing of meals:
Because rabbits don’t tolerate heat well, and afternoons are typically hotter than mornings and evenings, rabbits may not feel inclined to eat during the afternoon. Therefore, it is recommended that you feed your rabbit more in the morning and at night, allowing them to skip lunch.
Feed them more, especially at night, so that they can digest the food in a colder environment. If you feed them more in the afternoon, they may pant and become sick in the heat.
What kind of food should be eaten in summer:
They should be given very little dry food, especially during the hot season. If they need to eat dry food, it should be given at night. During the day, they should be given foods that keep their stomachs cool, such as watermelon, gourd, cucumber, etc. These foods are high in water content, which helps prevent them from getting sick in the heat.
Based on my two years of experience breeding rabbits, I am giving you this advice.
Keep them in an ample space:
Another common mistake we make when raising rabbits is keeping them in cages. Two or three rabbits are sometimes kept in the same cage, leading to overheating. If you must keep rabbits in a cage alone, ensure that the cage is sufficiently large and has enough space for air circulation. However, ensure the cage is not exposed to direct sunlight, which can cause rabbits to sneeze and potentially suffer heat-related health issues, leading to death.
If possible, try to leave the rabbits alone during the summer to provide them with some relief.
Provide fans:
If possible, arrange a fan in your rabbit’s room, but ensure that the airflow from the fan doesn’t blow directly onto the rabbit.
Wipe out:
When it’s scorching and your rabbits are panting, you can wipe them with a wet cloth to help them feel better.
critical care rabbit in summer,
A big mistake can cause the rabbit to die.
It would be best not to bathe your rabbit during the breeding season. If the rabbit is dirty, gently wipe its body with a wet cloth. Again, avoid washing your rabbit in the summer or winter, as it may harm your pet.
If you follow these rules, your rabbits will hopefully be healthier over the summer and will not get sick or die.
