• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Hot weather

After the recent heatwave (FINALLY!) I expect my little Hopscotch is struggling a bit in the heat. :(
The bunnies have plenty of shelter and shade, fresh water and vegetables at all times. The thing is though, Hopscotch has a cashmere coat and I'm just a bit worried about how hot he may be getting. He seems to be okay but I know I wouldn't like to be in my wooley jumper in this weather!
I've contemplated giving his long hair a trim, but I'm not sure how effective this would be.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do to keep him nice and cool, as he definitely isn't used to the heat! :)
Thank you
 
:wave: I've never had a cashmere so hopefully some-one will come along soon ...but you could fill a pop bottle with VERY cold water with some ice in and lay it in her enclosure, if she's hot she'll lie down next to it...an old kitchen tile also works she can lie on it..also you could add ice to her water bottle in very hot weather to keep it cool......hope this helps a little :D
 
When it's hot I put frozen bottles of water in with the bunnies, which they quite often lie next to. I also keep a 'run shade' on the top of their run so they are not sitting in direct sunlight.
Another thing I do is change their water bottle twice daily, as it can get quite warm in the hot weather. The 'waiting' bottle is kept in the fridge as then it takes longer to get warm.

I hope this is some help to you :)
 
Hi, I have never had long-haired rabbits either but there was an article in the Summer edition of Rabbiting On which goes suggest that you could clip the fur of buns with long-hair when it is warmer. It suggests you might need to take him/her to a groomer or vet to do it.

I worry about my buns and they only have short fur.

I think the nights are cooling off again next week, so as long as he/she can still get snuggly at night while they get used to having less fur! :)
 
I've got a lionhead and I put some spare floor tiles in the freezer :oops: then put them down where he lies in his playhouse. I change them every couple of hours.
 
Roland lays on a slab of the patio in the shade...or in the long grass in the shade.Mrs B digs a hole and lays in that!! Just depends where the buns are at the time but Im seriously thinking of a haircut for Roland.......
 
I think I'm going to try the pop bottles filled with ice this year (though being careful not to overfill with water as realise it expands when it turns to ice). I bought an 'ice pod' a couple of years ago which is the same shape as the heated pads, and easy to slot into a freezer even it's full of food! But my bunny seemed to regard the ice pod with great distrust and I never saw her lying on it or against it, so perhaps a bottle will work better.
 
Back
Top