Why my rabbit does not drink water

In addition to hay and feed, a rabbit needs to drink a lot of water every day, so you should always have these three things at your fingertips. If your rabbit does not eat hay or think, or does not drink water, it's time to worry. In always recommend that, before any anomaly detected in the behavior of your animal, you take it to the veterinarian . However, from here we will also indicate the possible causes of your rabbit having stopped drinking water.

If you want to know why my rabbit does not drink water, do not miss this article. However, we already told you that the main reason is that you do not know how to drink water from the drinker.

Why my rabbit does not want to drink water

When a rabbit does not want to drink water, it may be due to these main reasons:

• He is sick : when a rabbit is sick, in addition to stop drinking and eating, he will have other strange behaviors, such as being very still, having his eyes closed or making noises of pain. In more serious situations, it could lead to hair loss, soft stools or diarrhea, breathing problems or watery eyes, among others. If you detect a strange behavior in your animal, it is best to go as soon as possible to the veterinarian. If you think your rabbit may be sick, you may also be interested in this other article about what are the most common diseases in domestic rabbits.
• It is very old : if your rabbit does not eat and is still, in addition to not drinking water, it is likely that he is simply getting older. Like people, when a rabbit reaches old age, the animal will be less and less active, so you will not need to eat much or drink as much water. However, you must control it to make sure you eat and drink a little each day. If necessary, you could supply water through syringes.
• The water is dirty : it may also be the case that, for some reason, the water is dirty or has bad taste. This happens especially when we are forced to mix a medication (such as vitamins) into the water. If your rabbit has an unusual taste, you may prefer to stop drinking water. If so, you should find another way to give your medicine.
• He does not know how to drink water from the sprue : although it may seem strange, it is more common than it seems. You will be able to realize this when the rabbit is healthy in all other aspects, that is, that your rabbit eats but does not drink water. In the next section, we will talk more in detail about this problem.
• The sprue is broken : it may also be the case that there is a problem in the sprue, such as the stuck in the ball that controls the drip due to oxidation. In these cases, just check if there really is a problem in the drinker and, if so, you should buy a new one.

My rabbit does not know how to drink from the drinker

Many times, when we find that our rabbit does not drink water, it may only be because he does not know how to drink from the water fountain. This occurs when they have been separated prematurely from the mother or from another group of rabbits. Keep in mind that rabbits, like other animals, learn by imitation. In this way, if he has not been able to spend a minimum of time with his mother, he will not have learned to drink from the drinker.

Rabbits need to drink a lot of water, so it is important to keep it well hydrated. If you have detected in time that your rabbit does not drink water, it is best to temporarily put water in a container similar to the food so you can drink. However, do not worry, because over time the rabbit will end up learning by itself how to drink water from the drinker. Even so, in the next section we will explain some tricks to teach your rabbit to drink water from the drinker.

In the same way, hay is another essential in rabbits. If you also realize that you do not eat hay, you may also be helped by this other article about why my rabbit does not eat hay.

How to make your rabbit drink water

Before you can answer this question, you must find out why your rabbit no longer drinks water. If you are sick, the veterinarian will tell you what to do and what medicines to give you. Once he is healthy, he will be the same as before. However, if your rabbit is very young and does not know how to drink water alone, you should teach him how to do it .

Sometimes, just with your finger and in front of your pet, squeeze and release the sprue nozzle to see that water comes from there. Even, you could bring her wet finger so I can smell it and lick it. Later, if you see that it does not approach the sprue, pull it a little closer. Sometimes, it's just that they lose their fear of that container, which may be totally unknown to them.

If you still see that your rabbit does not drink water, you can go to the veterinarian to advise you the best for your case. Anyway, do not worry, because if at the end you can not drink from the drinker, you can always do it from a flatter container, which will be much more natural and easy to drink.

Now that you know why my rabbit does not drink water, you may also be interested in this other article on How to care for a domestic rabbit.