my rabbit won't drink from his bottle

hi
i'm a bit concerned about my bun peter i have had him 3 weeks and he doesnt seem be drinking much i would say he probably drinks around 100mls a day is that enough for a 11 week old dwarf. if it isnt how can i encourage him to drink more

some bunnies drink more than others,as long as he is weeing and pooing ok then he's probably having enough,if you're giving him veg then he will be getting some water from this.Try him with a bowl of water as some buns prefer this but I dont think you've got too much to worry about.

My pair don't tend to drink much out of their bottle, but they both love drinking out of an ice-cream tub. In fact, they now stand beside it in the morning waiting for it to be filled.

Have you checked the bottle to make sure its not sticking?

Most bottles that are marketed for rabbits I find hardly give out any water so the rabbits have to try really hard to get enough out, plus the damn things sometimes stick so nothing comes out at all.. try a heavy bowl [like a ceramic dog bowl or I use a pyrex dish] instead - much easier to have a quick glug!

raine said:

Have you checked the bottle to make sure its not sticking?

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I think they like a bowl because it is less effort to get a drink.

My two drink out of ceramic bowls - they have 3 placed around the hutch and run so if they are chilling out they don't have far to go for a drink!

Iv always used bottles, and my buns have always varied with how much they drink. on a typical day one of my buns could drink 200-300ml, while another bun about the same size drank 100-150ml.

I have another bun who was used to a bowl, but i always leave a bottle with her too, and she sometimes drinks from it, and seems to drink about the same from the bottle as she does the bowl.

My current older bun doesnt use a bowl- i did try switching over to bowls after someone suggested it may be better to leave my bowl drinking bun with a bowl rather than swap her over, but she refused.

My male who was kept with my female who uses the bowl started using the bowl by copying her, but after a few days went back to his bottle even thoguh there was a bowl there.

I personally use bottles as i feel they are much more hygenic and can hold more (the bunny with the bowl gets bedding, lots of fur, the ocassional pellet, iv seen poo once or twice in her bowl, its not very nice! And shes tood in it, knocked it over once...)

So i wouldnt worry about your bun drinking that much, as Daisylop said, aslong as poos and wees are fine, and he seems to drink from it ok with no struggle, then i personally wouldnt swap over to a bowl either (but it is upto you, it may be worth seeing if he prefers the bowl, and if not keep the bottle)

Mine seem to prefer bottles. I have a bowl in there with them but haven't seen them use it.