Continental Giant dehydration issues

Hi Folks
My Continental Giant is very anti drinking. It seems to lead to stasis issues. We know the signs, but it is happening more often. Vegetables soaked in water, are a no no. He won’t touch them. Apple or mint favoured water.....again no.. I have heard tomato juice as an option, but not hopeful. Also I can’t syringe water into him as he becomes a total stress bun and he is on heart meds as it is. Any suggestions very greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Mebs and her bunnies said:

Hi Folks
My Continental Giant is very anti drinking. It seems to lead to stasis issues. We know the signs, but it is happening more often. Vegetables soaked in water, are a no no. He won’t touch them. Apple or mint favoured water.....again no.[emoji24]. I have heard tomato juice as an option, but not hopeful. Also I can’t syringe water into him as he becomes a total stress bun and he is on heart meds as it is. Any suggestions very greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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I have a very fussy bun with drinking so I really sympathise, feels like you're out of options and nothing works [emoji21]

I'm not sure about tomato juice.. Personally I wouldn't try that.

Does he have a water bowl? As they tend to drink more from a bowl. Also what water does he drink? My rabbit won't drink tap water, or several bottled waters, she will drink Highland spring though so that's all she has, and she has a lot more veg in her diet (not soaked in water, she's not keen on this either, but the water content in the veg really helps)

I tried about 6 different bottled waters in bowls to figure out what she would drink [emoji51] but now we have it down she does okay (she does drink less than my other 3 though, but it's enough)


Something that didn't work for us, but people say makes buns drink a lot more is adding a probiotic to the water like the pro c one, I think it makes it taste really nice - you could try that too potentially

Hope you can figure out a way of getting him to drink more x

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I've heard pineapple juice works for some. Lots of high-water veg is good to try: cucumber and similar are a good start. Good luck

Thank you folks. He only has a bowl...if I put a bottle in there...he practically laughs at me��. Thanks for your advice. I will try those out. Fingers crossed.

I wonder if he would drink more if it were bottled water as maybe he doesn't like the smell of chlorine? I have never come across this problem but just wondered? Does he eat lots of hay?

how about trying peppermint tea http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?477965-Lord-Herbert-s-Favorite-Breakfast-Tipple

I'm currently having the same issue with my bun following his slow recovery from stasis, problem is with introducing a bowel is I can't really tell if or how much he is drinking from there - have not seen him drinking. Using a bottle with the tip covered in honey atm to see if it works and a bowl as well. May move on to water diluted with orange juice in a bowel if it will entice him.

I would be careful adding more than a tiny amount of any juice due to sugar or acid that may impact flora of digestive system. Flavoring a tiny bit could mask smells or taste.
Sub q fluids can sometimes help until cause is found. A vet may want to do blood or urine tests.
Gracie is right that each bunny is different, and some not like tap water which can vary by season or weather.
I had a bunny who preferred water from the hot faucet (cooled), not know why.

Thank you every bun. I will definitely try different waters and have a look at the other ideas. Normally he adores hay but it is definitely a slow recovery this time.

He hasn't touched the orange juice flavoured water either.
Currently he has
1. one bowl with 1 part orange juice to 5-6 parts water,
2. one bowl of cooled peppermint tea,
3. one bowl with tap water,
4. one bowl with kale inside it,
5. one bottle with normal tap water that I have tested.

He has not touched any water in days he hasn't even touched the bottle and I've been syringe feeding him water if I notice him not peeing.
The only bowl with mild success is the kale one. He nibbles kale and may get a small amount of water from it, he however seems to hate his face getting wet.
He is a lionhead.
Even though I know iceberg isn't good for him am tempted to buy it for water content as syringing really distresses him.

Currently recovering from stasis, he's pooing and eating kale pellets hay and banana that has been drugged with his stasis meds. (Trying to minimise syringe feeding him as I am worried about the vicious cycle of syringing stressing and not eating.)
He was using the bottle when we first got him last week but a few days later stopped drinking eating and went into stasis.

drmag said:

He hasn't touched the orange juice flavoured water either.
Currently he has
1. one bowl with 1 part orange juice to 5-6 parts water,
2. one bowl of cooled peppermint tea,
3. one bowl with tap water,
4. one bowl with kale inside it,
5. one bottle with normal tap water that I have tested.

He has not touched any water in days he hasn't even touched the bottle and I've been syringe feeding him water if I notice him not peeing.
The only bowl with mild success is the kale one. He nibbles kale and may get a small amount of water from it, he however seems to hate his face getting wet.
He is a lionhead.
Even though I know iceberg isn't good for him am tempted to buy it for water content as syringing really distresses him.

Currently recovering from stasis, he's pooing and eating kale pellets hay and banana that has been drugged with his stasis meds. (Trying to minimise syringe feeding him as I am worried about the vicious cycle of syringing stressing and not eating.)
He was using the bottle when we first got him last week but a few days later stopped drinking eating and went into stasis.

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Have you tried Ashbeck Bottled Water ? When he was in gut stasis was he admitted to the Vets and if so did they put him on a drip of IV fluids ? Did they take a blood test and run a full blood profile ?
Have you noticed and sludge in his wee ?

drmag said:

He hasn't touched the orange juice flavoured water either.
Currently he has
1. one bowl with 1 part orange juice to 5-6 parts water,
2. one bowl of cooled peppermint tea,
3. one bowl with tap water,
4. one bowl with kale inside it,
5. one bottle with normal tap water that I have tested.

He has not touched any water in days he hasn't even touched the bottle and I've been syringe feeding him water if I notice him not peeing.
The only bowl with mild success is the kale one. He nibbles kale and may get a small amount of water from it, he however seems to hate his face getting wet.
He is a lionhead.
Even though I know iceberg isn't good for him am tempted to buy it for water content as syringing really distresses him.

Currently recovering from stasis, he's pooing and eating kale pellets hay and banana that has been drugged with his stasis meds. (Trying to minimise syringe feeding him as I am worried about the vicious cycle of syringing stressing and not eating.)
He was using the bottle when we first got him last week but a few days later stopped drinking eating and went into stasis.

Click to expand...

Do you know the cause of his stasis? My Boo won't drink when she needs a dental so I know how stressful this is. Providing it doesn't upset his tum I don't think there is anything wrong with iceberg. I used to feed it & cucumber to Boo - she has a solid constitution & it never caused any upset. How is his poo - I always find that more indicative than anything.

He was on IV fluids at the vets and critical care feeds, and I had been syringe feeding for a few days after and then stopped to monitor. They did not do any tests at the time as they said it was likely stress related stasis unless it continues in which case they would do bloods x rays but he has slowly got better.
He is a very nervous by nature bunny and I have actually caught him drinking out the bowl once now in the past week so whether he just drinks a little overnight when it is quiet or when we are not there is difficult to tell. He is very shy partly because I think the syringe feeding may have traumatised him and because he has been at the rescue 5 months and probably in a small cage before that :/
Being in a big room on his own is all new. He hides in one corner (he has a few hiding places) and sleeps most of the day between 10 and 5 which is a lot more than my other rabbit does ( but she has I think adapted to a routine that revolves around us.)
His wees look normal no obvious sludge (have put paper below his litter pellets to check the wee and how it stains) and he is weeing 2-3+ times a day at least.
His poos have returned to normal, bit less volume of poo than I would expect for his size.

The only issue that is ongoing is I'm unsure how normal his eating habits are. I'm used to rabbits gobbling everything they're given immediately and constantly eating. He eats everything he is given , fresh herbs, hay and pellets but he will eat bit by bit. For example if I put out fresh coriander he won't eat it all right away but if I come back by the end of the day it will be gone, same goes for pellets. And I don't see him constantly eating in the same way my other rabbit is (kept separately.)

I have now removed the million water options and left the one water bowel now that I have seen him drink it once, he is not the best drinker but I think he is drinking small amounts.

He has seen two vets who said his teeth were fine but he gets very distressed during the exam so not sure if things can get missed.
I was going to see how he got on for another week before maybe taking to a specialist vet for second opinion - but difficult to tell if I'm overreacting and whether this is all normal for him. I mean I'm ecstatic that he's eating everything pooping and not losing weight.