Inside/outside temp difference - does it really matter?

[Mackers]

I think that the fact that they can choose when to go out or stay in is the crucial point here.

Exactly. I would never shut a housebunny outside when it's a bit cold - the door is always open so they can do as they please. Mine will be outdoor bunnies again in a few weeks and they'll probably stay outside all winter but it has been making me think about the 'temperature difference v respiratory problems' whilst they've been indoors.

Thank you everyone for all your thoughts.

 

[Tamsin]

Personally I'm a bit sceptical too. I agree it could cause issues in already immune compromised rabbits, or even older rabbits who may have poorer circulation. Going from cold to very hot may also cause issue (with overheating rather than resp infections). I'm not so convinced about generally though e.g. a house rabbit exploring outside for an hour with the option to come back in or vis versa.

If you think about spring, we can warm days, and then late frosts taking the temperatures down below freezing (e.g. March 24th it was 0oC in London overnight then on the 29th it was 19oC day time), so even wild rabbits would naturally experience quite a wide range in temperatures.

 

[Britannia]

My two are house buns. I change their litter tray every day no matter the weather outside, the buns usually like to come out to supervise me putting the old litter into the compost bin just to make sure I'm doing it right. In summer we'll spend a few hours outside, in winter it maybe just a few minutes. Bob will always pop out, Kizzy will sometimes just watch from behind the window.

If it's cold they'll only spend 10 - 20 minutes outside although Bob would probably spend longer if I let him. What I have noticed is that if it's cold and windy they'll only stay outside long enough for a quick high speed race around the garden then straight back in.

I think windchill factor has a big impact on buns.

 

[Rupert & Tia]

My two come in every night for a couple of hours, in all weathers, and the house is always at 16 degrees (in winter anyway, the heating set at 16), and obviously in the shed in winter its not 16 degress, and they're fine, they do look abit warm when they're running round the room like loonies but they have plenty of water and are fine.

 

[Hugo's There]

Personally I'm a bit sceptical too. I agree it could cause issues in already immune compromised rabbits, or even older rabbits who may have poorer circulation. Going from cold to very hot may also cause issue (with overheating rather than resp infections). I'm not so convinced about generally though e.g. a house rabbit exploring outside for an hour with the option to come back in or vis versa.

If you think about spring, we can warm days, and then late frosts taking the temperatures down below freezing (e.g. March 24th it was 0oC in London overnight then on the 29th it was 19oC day time), so even wild rabbits would naturally experience quite a wide range in temperatures.

I was discussing these recent extremes of temperature with our vets last week. They said they always see a surge in stasis cases when this happens. We have had four cases in two weeks all thought to be related to the temp extremes and these are outside rabbits.
I expect wild rabbits do perish due to temperature changes but there would be no way of knowing numbers.

 

[Rupert & Tia]

I was discussing these recent extremes of temperature with our vets last week. They said they always see a surge in stasis cases when this happens. We have had four cases in two weeks all thought to be related to the temp extremes and these are outside rabbits.
I expect wild rabbits do perish due to temperature changes but there would be no way of knowing numbers.

Even tho we let our two in every night, the temp difference (16 in house and whatever outside) is still not as bad as last spring when we were having minus temps over night, and reaching 20 odd through the day, I did think at this point the temp was affecting Rupert's gas problems, but since changing hay, and not letting him have grass (and the weeds within the grass) he's had no issues, even tho the weather this winter has been warm through the day and really cold through the night, so I think there may be a lot of factors, when all rolled together equal problems, rather than it simply being the temperatures. My vet always says they can handle being cold if they're dry, and they can handle being wet if they're warm, so I tend to work off that, if it is rainy and they're out, I give them extra straw and a heat pad (even in summer).