Bunny ears Hot or Cold?

Mrsmcarey

Mama Doe

• Feb 15, 2015

• #1

Rosie Dutch Cross who lives inside under the stairs free 24/7 has cold ears always cold

Pie Nethie who lives in the kitchen at the moment also has cold ears

The Boys Stu and Casserole mongrels who live in the Summer house and Double Hutch via Runnaround tunels and run 24/7 always have warm ears, even when it's freezing outside

Anyone know why it's just one of those rabbit things that confuses me

 

Barn Yard Bunnies

Moderator

Staff member

• Feb 15, 2015

• #2

My indoor bunny always has cold ears. The two outside are cold as well. Maybe they may get warm if they are grooming each other.

 

Den

Mama Doe

• Feb 15, 2015

• #3

I have no idea (r) but will be interested in the answer. Nancys ears are sometimes freezing but her squishy bit at the bottom of her ears is always warm. Other times (even when it's cold) her ears are warm. Nancy is an outdoor bun. You'd think your buns would be the other way round. :?

 

BeatrixPotter

Mama Doe

• Feb 15, 2015

• #4

Molly's ears are always lovely and warm, she is an indoor bun. I feel all over her ears daily checking that the abscess hasn't come back. When they are hot it's the first sign that something is not quite right.

 

smudgiebun

Alpha Buck

• Feb 15, 2015

• #5

Our rabbits ears can be either hot or cold, I don't really know why though?!

I love warm bunny ears, they're nice to smoosh your face into

 

Fee

Wise Old Thumper

• Feb 15, 2015

• #6

Willows ears are cosy.. The boys are cold...

 

Jolysium

Mama Doe

• Feb 15, 2015

• #7

I've always assumed that their ears are their temperature controls so if they are warm then their ears are warm and if it's chilly their ears are colder.

 

Mrsmcarey

Mama Doe

• Feb 16, 2015

• #8

When I went out to feed the boys at 7 ish their ears were warm again and they had both been sitting in the run :roll:

The soft bit just on their heads wad quite warm too I love that bit it's really soft like velvet

 

FondueKid

Alpha Buck

• Feb 16, 2015

• #9

I've not heard specific bunny lore on this but with horses hot ears means a hot / cosy horse, cool ears (for about the top two thirds from the tip down) is normal and a cold base of the ear (properly cold, like someone's hand that's been out in the cold) means a horse that needs warmed up right now. We used the same for lambs to check if they were keeping warm enough. So I assume bunnies are the same. There is individual variation though too as the normal temperature for our lots ears varies from quite cool to cosy.

 

keletkezes

Wise Old Thumper

• Feb 16, 2015

• #10

FondueKid said:

So I assume bunnies are the same. There is individual variation though too as the normal temperature for our lots ears varies from quite cool to cosy.

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I'd think this too: Lopsy's were proper hot the other day so I was a bit worried about him, but he was fine otherwise and they'd cooled to just warm a bit later. I've never felt him with cold-cold ears

 

I

icklepxy

Alpha Buck

• Feb 16, 2015

• #11

I thought it was to do with temperature regulation. If a bun is too warm the blood vessels in their ears open up to help them get rid of heat through their ears and cool off, but when they're chilly the blood vessels in their ears close so the blood keeps it's heat and the bunny stays warm. But that obviously doesn't work for outdoor buns if their ears are always warm and I have no idea where I got that idea from so maybe it's total nonsense!

 

Den

Mama Doe

• Feb 16, 2015

• #12

icklepxy said:

I thought it was to do with temperature regulation. If a bun is too warm the blood vessels in their ears open up to help them get rid of heat through their ears and cool off, but when they're chilly the blood vessels in their ears close so the blood keeps it's heat and the bunny stays warm. But that obviously doesn't work for outdoor buns if their ears are always warm and I have no idea where I got that idea from so maybe it's total nonsense!

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I was told something similar to this. (But it was my 18 year old son who'd been Googling after one of our buns died) I've always to believe that as long as the base 9 their ear/neck (I prefer to call it the lovely soft squishy bit)is warm then the rabbit is warm.