# Why do my rabbit suddenly drinks alot of water?



## slapshock (Sep 9, 2011)

Hi guys,

I am new here, i am from JB and used to own 2 Lionhead but recently loss one as she passed away on 6th of September this year which is just recently, she is just 6 months old. I am still grieving over her loss but i realize i need to pay attention to my another rabbit.

Now i have a question.

1. Ive been keeping them since their age 1month old and recently 1 died, can the another rabbit survive without accompany? Or i should get a replacement asap?

2. My rabbit is drinking too much, usually he didnt do this. She's always seem to be munching the grass too (been using timothy hay western from oxbow all this while)

3. My rabbit now is very tame, whenever we hold her, she didnt struggle..she just keep quite even when we put her on the floor..she didnt move which sometime thought that she's dead. But she still active, do follow me and welcome me when im near her cage..just that she often get too comfy when we hold her, no?

ps: my rabbit is domestic live in her cage and often we let her roam at her big playpen.

please inform. and if happen anyone in JB, can pkease reccomend me rabbit savvy vet?


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## hillrise (Sep 9, 2011)

1. Rabbits do just fine by themselves. Getting another rabbit would require you to work on bonding them, and bonding doesn't always work out.

2. I've noticed rabbits may drink very little one day, and almost deplete their bottle the next day. Sometimes it can indicate a kidney or urinary problem when they drink so much extra, so keep an eye on her waste. If she's not pooping and peeing like normal, it might be a good idea to take her to a vet to rule that out.

3. Bunnies will often play "dead bunny". Gives all of us heart attacks, but then they pop back up and try to play innocent like they "didn't mean" to scare us. It's actually a good sign that she will be so relaxed around you--it means she trusts you well enough to let her guard down.


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## slapshock (Sep 9, 2011)

hi. thank you for your reply, if thats the case than i might not getting a new bunny though i really miss having two bunnies.

my previous rabbit die.because i gave her vegetables, now im paranoid giving her veges. i am sticking to bunny basic t oxbow.pellets, oxbow health timothy hay and water.. for the rest of her life. is that acceptable?


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## hillrise (Sep 9, 2011)

I would say that that's an okay diet. I only give my rabbits pellets and water regularly. Hay and fresh vegs are only offered as treats pretty much, here.

The key with adding vegetables to the diet is that you can only add one at a time, starting with a small amount of it and working your way to larger amounts over the course of a week or two. If at any time during that increase the rabbit's poops become soft or they start overproducing cecals, get snuffly, or otherwise aren't themselves, stop giving the new veg and just assume that the rabbit's tummy doesn't like that one kind. One major problem is that a lot of "safe vegetable" lists list some that not all rabbits can handle, like cabbage and broccoli. I also won't feed my rabbits tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, or peppers. I like to stick with spinach (one of those that can't be given in large amounts), lettuce, carrots (and tops), beets (and tops), berries and fruits (some will say that fruits, and carrots need to be given only in small amounts). I've also heard of good success feeding cilantro and parsley.

Rabbits certainly don't need vegetables to stay healthy if the pellets you provide have all the right nutrients, which I understand Oxbow is just fine, especially when fed with hay.


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## Pipp (Sep 9, 2011)

Sorry, but there is some bad advice here. 

Rabbits are very social animals and they very very much prefer to be with other rabbits, and if not another rabbit, a human (or other friend) 24 hours a day. So unless your rabbit is with you all the time, I'd find a companion.

When you do, best to put both of them together in a new spot while they get to know each other without anybody protecting their territory. 

Rabbits are like humans, they may or may not like each other, although they will almost always eventually get along. Just don't put them in a cage or small area together at first, let them have lots of space so they can slowly get to know each other. 

And at least bits of veggies should be fed from the time they are old enough to eat solid food, but if this doesn't happen, it can cause problems later on. They tend to eat what their mothers eat so rabbits from breeders only feeding pellets will have challenges later on, but rabbits given a wide variety of vegetation -- grass, hay, vegetables, weeds, etc -- from babyhood as well as pellets will be healthier, have a better selection of nutrients and adjust easier to new food. 

And small amounts of cabbage, broccoli, etc, are also fine, spinach should be limited, although from my experience most rabbits won't eat a lot of it anyway (unless there's not much else). 

The key is variety. They shouldn't eat a lot of any one thing all at once. Also, the list of vegetables provided isn't really relevant to your area. Water spinach is different from our spinach, and it is good for them, so are things like mulberry, beet root and sweet potato vines. 

Here's a list from India, I thought we had a Malaysian one, but I can't find it. 

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=54628&forum_id=17

If your rabbit who passed away was only a month old when you got her, she likely had an under-developed digestive tract and/or immune system. They do better staying with their moms and siblings until they're 8 weeks. What did she eat before she died? I assume she had diarrhea? So sorry for your loss. 

Here's the Vet list for Malaysia: 

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53935&forum_id=9

We have a few very knowledgeable members in Malaysia, they can direct you to the best vets. Try sending a message to Somebunny, The Fluffies and Jyrenze. If you don't hear from them soon, send me a message and I will contact them.

Hope this helps! 

EDIT: Oh, and drinking water at that age usually depends on what they're eating. The more hay and dry food mine eat, the more they drink. 

And while it's great that you're buying the Oxbow hay (probably at great expense!), the local grasses they feed to horses will be fine. 

Here's a post that covers some of that info: 

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=67270&forum_id=26


sas :bunnydance:


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## slapshock (Sep 10, 2011)

my bunny that died is 6 months old, the night before he got diarrhoe i fed her romaine letuce, some vege look like bak choy, green peppers and tomato without seeds.

the next day, one of my rabbit got diarrhoe, i fed her water and a few hour later she start to eat hay, a little tho. in evening she looks okay, when i fed her straw with pineapple juice she bite and pull the straw. the nx day she didnt have diarrhoe but didnt check her stool.

she is not active on the nx day, quiet and eat a little. in the evening at 6 she was alive..tho slow movement, at 8, i saw her dead in her timothy hay bowl. not sure why her dead, but can see she died while eating and her body is already stiff.

tho 5 days had passed, im still in grivance, blaming myself for not giving my utmost attention like i always did on the day she died.

i miss her, she is a very active and smart rabbit. sigh.

anw my rabbit is 6 months old, now im thinking of buying minihaven for her.

now i left with her sister, alone...maybe missing her sister too...

anw i always go klinik wondercare at tmn molek johor, but got bad experience where they cut open my rabbit and said that she haven developed yet to neuter them. but the vet already operate her!!


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