# Drinking too much water



## serenz (Apr 24, 2009)

Ok. I've asked this question a long time ago when they were babies and the answer I got was, it's preference. 

But... I filled a 1.5li bottle 2 days ago and within 6 hrs, he drank 1/3 of the water and now there's about 50ml left.

Now they're 2yo. Sugar takes a 7 - 10 days to finish a 1.5li bottle but daddy's bottle have to be filled about every 3 to 4 days. I can understand if it's warm in the afternoon but the room is air conditioned when we're home from work till morning. 

Is there something that I should be worried about?? :nerves1


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## Maureen Las (Apr 24, 2009)

My rabbit with dental issues seems to drink more when his teeth are bothering him but I have no idea why?
Drinking a lot of water can happen also if an animal has kidney problems. the Kidneys may not work efficiently and a lot of non concentrated urine is excreted also. The animal attempts to compensate for this by drinking more water.

if the problems begins to get serious the animal will lose weight also. 

You may want to get a blood panel done to see if his kidneys are working OK. 
Also get his teeth looked at. (including the molars) which may require anesthesia 

it doesn'"t seem normal to me but let's hope thathe just has a drinking habit .


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## Amy27 (Apr 25, 2009)

My buns have so many water bottles and bowls and they drink in different parts of the house when they are out of their cage I really have no idea how much they drink. 

Here are some websites that talk about how much a rabbit should drink. Not sure how reliable they are though.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/Water-1.htm

http://carrotcafe.com/f/water.html This one said boredom or habit can be the cause. 

Here is some info from Quissenberry Rabbit Medicine book: 'Compared with other animals, rabbits have a high water intake. A rabbit's average daily water intake is 50-150 ml/kg of body weight, and a 2 kg rabbit drinks about as much water daily as a 10 kg dog. This was taken from the link below. There is more information on the site if you want to read it. 

http://www.forum.ontariorabbits.org/viewtopic.php?t=3650

From reading those websites it also states you want to make sure they are eliminating what they are taking in. So if she is drinking a lot but not urinating a lot that could be a sign of a problem. 

Hope that helps.


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## luvthempigs (Apr 26, 2009)

One of my rabbits drinks what I consider a lot of water (atleast more than my other rabbits) and his litter box gets wet fast. I have to fill his water dish every day and sometimes I top it off in the evening with fresh water.

Any of my rabbits or guinea pigs with water bottles get dumped and refilled with fresh water after two days (some need refilled every day) I think they are more apt to drink if the water is fresh.

They are all different and in time you will learn what is normal and what isn't for your own bunny.


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## serenz (Apr 27, 2009)

Luckily I keep track of their weight. 
He does pee alot and his weight seems fine... I'll keep an eye on him for now.

Thanks angieluv Amy27


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## DazyDaizee (Apr 27, 2009)

Have you tried switching the water bottles to be sure one is not leaking?

I was recently concerned about our guinea pig who seemed to drink a ton. We had a water dish available at all times, but his water bottle didn't get filled regularly (since he always had access to fresh water). We made sure to fill it consistently and it turns out he must have been holding out for the water bottle, because he would initially drink a whole bottle in just a few hours, but when we kept it full he reduced his drinking to a bottle over 3 days or so. 

So if I were you I'd first rule out a leaky bottle by switching it with your other buns' bottle. Then perhaps offer a dish and see if maybe he prefers the dish and has trouble actually getting the water from the bottle, or plays with the bottle causing it to leak. If he still seems to drink much more than the others, consider blood work for kidney issues, thyroid issues (if rabbits can get that? I know it's often seen in other animals). Or it could just be him.

One test the vet could run fairly easily is a urine specific gravity. This would tell how concentrated the urine is. If he is drinking TOO much, the urine would be dilute, which can indicate a problem. You could just collect a small sample of urine for this, it only takes a drop. A comprehensive urinalysis would be another step along with blood work if you're concerned or want to rule anything out. Sometimes urinary problems can cause animals to drink a lot.


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## DazyDaizee (Apr 27, 2009)

Another thing I thought of.. does your rabbit eat fresh veggies daily? Rabbits often don't drink a lot because they get a good amount of their moisture through their food. If your bun doesn't eat enough fresh veggies, it could account for the increased water consumption. And I guess it would make sense that if this rabbit is a big dry food (pellet/hay) eater, he may require more water than buns who eat more veggies and less dry food.


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