Helping your bunny to cool down

[ronelrat]

Wild rabbits burrow and spend the warmer part of the day in cool underground tunnels. Caged and house rabbits might need help from their owners to cool down... An air conditioning unit is the easiest way to safely cool down the environment. Fans can be helpful, but at a certain point they only serve to circulate warm air.

If you don’t have air conditioning in your house, consider the following options:

A hot rabbit does not want to lie on carpet, so give then an alternate surface like ceramic tiles or granite block to lie on.  It may be placed in the fridge on exceptionally hot days to provide an even cooler surface.

Fill plastic cool drink bottles with water and freeze. Place in the cage for the animals to lick or lie against.

Wet play sand in a tray could also cool the animal down while providing the opportunity to dig and make a huge mess!

Provide a large bowl of fresh water and serve veggies extra moistened.

Since rabbits radiate heat from their ears, rubbing an ice cube or dabbing a little cold water on the outside of their ears can assist their cooling down efforts.  Applying some water to the back of their necks can increase the evaporative cooling effect too. Avoid getting water into the ear canals though, as this can lead to irritation or even infection.

Brush your animals regularly to get rid of loose fur and trim long haired animals’ coats in summer.

Keep an eye on your pets’ behaviour and appetite. An overheated rabbit might stop eating all together, jeopardising its health even further. In the event of a heat stroke, wrap ice packs around your bunny and get him/her to a vet as fast as possible.

Take the issue of heat seriously and be proactive at helping your fur friend stay cool!