Excessive drinking/playing with water bottle

I am after some advice about a mini lop I have staying with me at the moment. Clover is just over a year old, is spayed, has Excel dwarf pellets, eats copious amounts of hay and tucks into her veggies with gusto. She is out in a run all day and housed in a hutch overnight.

She has been to stay with us on numerous occasions before and is a little softy. She has been with us for just over three weeks and all has been fine until two days ago when she started to drink constantly. I say drink, but I'm not sure that she is actually swallowing a huge amount of water, she just seems to be playing with the water bottle spout! Most of the water seems to end up on the hutch floor/grass (and I have changed the bottle in case she had one with a faulty valve). I realise it has been particularly hot this week and it may simply be that she feels thirsty, but she has never been like this before. I have put a bowl of water in her run with her today, as well as the bottle, but so far she hasn't shown much interest in it. She is with me for another week before she returns home. Is this something I/her owners should be concerned about. Any ideas most welcome.

It has been hot, so might just be that.

However excessive drinking can be associated with EC....gosh, everything can be associated with that!! Maybe get her on the Panacur, but best wait until the owners get back incase she has had it recently.

:wave: probably bun just being bored!! probably just thinking " i want to be at home with all my home comforts!"..maybe give her a toy?

whats EC

rabbitmum said:

:wave: probably bun just being bored!! probably just thinking " i want to be at home with all my home comforts!"..maybe give her a toy?

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She has plenty!! She's got a tunnel, wc roll stuffed with hay, ball, treat ball - i.e. she's one very spoilt bunny and with my girls off for the summer she's also getting plenty of attention! Despite being in the shade of a very large tree I'm hoping that it's just the warmer weather that has triggered Clover to drink more, but I will mention it to her owners next week.

whats ec? my bun is drinking and weeing loads

EC is "e-cunicili", a parasite that can cause bunnies to have all sorts of problems, excessive drinking/weeing being just one of them. Treatment is usually by a long dose of Panacur. Try searching the forum for e-cunicili and you will get loads of information.