Establishing a summer care routine for your rabbit requires special attention to ensure they stay healthy and comfortable not just in the heat, but the elements in general. Rabbits can be affected by weather conditions, predators, environmental hazards such as toxic plants and parasitic diseases.
Part of your rabbit’s summer care is to be prepared for an emergency. Now is the time to update your first aid kit. If you live in an area that sees extreme weather such as tornadoes or hurricanes, it is advisable to have an emergency preparedness plan in place. Keep important documents at hand along with a travelling bin, litterbox, litter, blankets, hay, bottled water and food to be able to grab at a moments notice.
Summer Care for Rabbits
Whether your rabbit lives outside, inside or you plan to take them out for play and exercise, there are many things to keep in mind for proper summer care.
8 Outdoor Summer Tips
You can provide a safe and enriching outdoor environment for your pet rabbits while minimizing risks and ensuring their well-being by following these summer care guidelines.
Elemental Protection
- Shade: Ensure your rabbit’s enclosure is placed in a shaded area. Direct sunlight can quickly overheat rabbits.
- Ventilation: Good airflow is crucial. Use fans to keep the air moving, but ensure the fan isn’t blowing directly on the rabbit.
- Rain and Wind Shelter: Provide shelter from rain, wind, and extreme weather conditions. If your bun is housed outside this is particularly important.
Hydration
- Fresh Water: Always provide fresh, cool water. Check water levels frequently and refill the water supply as needed. Use ceramic bowls as they stay cooler longer compared to plastic ones. Providing multiple bowls and bottles in various areas will encourage bun to take a drink.
Cooling Methods
- Frozen Bottles: Freeze water in plastic bottles and place them around for them to lean against. Frozen gel packs work well too.
- Tiles, Slate or Cooling Mats: Place cool tiles or pieces of slate in their space. These provide a cool surface for the rabbit to lie on.
- Misting: Lightly misting the ears with water can help, as rabbits release heat through their ears.
Environment
- Outdoor Housing: Provide a well-built, predator-proof building such as a large shed with secure locks. Ideally it should have windows that open or some form of ventilation. A nice addition would be a screened in area where they can safely go in and out of the building. NEVER house a rabbit in a greenhouse, conservatory or glass building.
- Outdoor Play Area: Use sturdy fencing around the rabbit’s outdoor area. Inspect the perimeter often to ensure there are no gaps or weak points where a rabbit could escape. The fence should be high enough to prevent escape and buried deep enough to prevent digging out. Install predator guards to keep out animals like foxes, raccoons, and birds of prey. Note: If you live in an area that only has pavement such as a city, remember that hot summer pavement can burn your rabbit’s paws. They can also absorb heat through their paws, which can contribute to overheating and heatstroke. Consider using a stroller to take your bun out for fresh air.
- Avoid Overcrowding: Ensure there’s enough space for your rabbit to stretch out and move around to cool off.
- Clean Living Area: Keep the house and exercise area clean to prevent the buildup of waste and bacteria. Regularly replace bedding and wash food and water dishes.
- Grass: Avoid letting rabbits eat grass that may have been treated with pesticides or fertilizers and never let them eat freshly mowed grass.
Diet
- Fresh Vegetables: Increase the intake of fresh, hydrating vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, and celery. Soak their greens and herbs with water before offering for added hydration.
- Monitor Food: Food can spoil quickly in the heat. Remove leftovers when bun is done eating and provide smaller, frequent portions. Just like us, rabbits tend to eat less in the warmer weather.
Grooming
- Regular Brushing: As the temperatures warm up, your rabbit will lose more of it’s fur. It is good practice for summer care to regularly brush your rabbit to remove the excess fur. Long-haired breeds need more tending to as they are more prone to overheating. Consider giving them a summer hair cut!
- Check for Parasites: Heat can increase the risk of parasites like fleas, ticks and mites. Regularly check for signs and use appropriate treatments as recommended by a vet.
Monitor Health
- Heatstroke: Be vigilant for signs of heatstroke, including rapid breathing, lethargy, drooling, and convulsions. If you suspect heatstroke, move the rabbit to a cool place and seek veterinary care immediately.
- Vet Check-up: make sure your rabbit is up to date on vaccines. (Consider microchipping your rabbit if you tend to have an escape artist!).
Safe Exercise
- Cooler Times: Let your rabbit exercise during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening.
- Supervised Play: Many bunnies enjoy sunbathing, which is needed for vitamin D, however if your bun has spent too much time in direct sunlight, he/she can become overheated. Make sure to move him/her to a shaded area if you notice this habit. Keep an eye out for predators, toxic plants or ways to escape when your rabbit is playing outside.
Indoor Summer Tips
While many of the outdoor tips such as hydration, cooling methods, clean living, diet, and grooming, can also be applied to rabbits that strictly live indoors, there are a few additional ones to consider as well.
Indoor Housing: Consider bringing outdoor rabbits inside during extreme heat. Indoor environments are often cooler and more controlled.
Relocation: Moving your rabbit from current living spaces to a cooler basement area can be an alternate option too.
Air Flow:
- Open the windows. Breezy days can create a cooling air flow.
- Ceiling fans are a great way to keep you and your bun cool. Yes, the direction of spinning does make a difference! In the summer, the fan should be spinning counter clockwise.
- Of course you can keep the whole house cool with central air conditioning or individual rooms with air conditioning units.
- Oscillating fans placed outside x-pens with a bowl of ice water in front of them will act as an air cooler. (do not point the fan directly at your rabbit and make sure cords have protective covers).
- Close curtains or shades during the sunniest part of the day.
Play:
Sandbox: Providing an indoor sandbox with cooling sand for your bunny to dig in provides great exercise and enrichment to combat boredom.
Tunnels: If you have a fleece lined tunnel and your bun likes to snuggle in it, swap it out for a one made of lightweight fabric that has holes in the top for heat to escape.
Summertime Risks & Illnesses
Part of your summer care routine is monitoring your pet for risks and illnesses. Rabbits are notorious for hiding pain and discomfort, however through due diligence, there are telltale signs and symptoms that something could be wrong with your rabbit.
HEATSTROKE
Optimum temperatures for a rabbit range from 55-70 degrees F. Anything above 77 degrees F or 25 degrees C becomes too hot and can induce heatstroke. Wild rabbits burrow underground to keep their temperatures regulated, however domestic rabbits don’t have this ability. It is your responsibility as a parent to monitor your rabbit’s temperature. Be especially watchful for overweight, injured or aged rabbits.
Rabbits don’t sweat like humans, but they have adapted different systems to help themselves regulate their temperature. Their ears contain blood vessels that send cooled blood circulating throughout their body. Increased panting helps to evaporate moisture and decrease heat. Stretching out their bodies gives more surface area for heat to escape as well as allows them to lie on cooled surfaces. Mucous in the nasal passage allows a rabbit to lose heat during the hot summer months.
Signs & Symptoms:
- laying fully outstretched
- shallow and rapid respiratory rate or labored breathing (panting)
- hot and/or ears
- lethargy (unwilling to move around)
- lack of appetite
- eyes half closed
- reduced toileting
- confusion
- convulsions
Treatment:
It is vital to treat heatstroke as early as possible. Always seek veterinary advice immediately. If for some reason you can’t get to a vet, lay your rabbit on a cool damp towel, create a breeze by fanning them and dampen their ears with cool water. Never submerge your rabbit in cold water as this can be a shock to their system and be fatal.
FLYSTRIKE
Flystrike is when a fly lays it’s eggs in a rabbit’s fur and maggots feed on the rabbit. Dirty, wet bedding or soiled fur can be the perfect environment to attract flies. Note: Disabled, arthritic, aged rabbits as well as rabbits with dental problems tend to be more prone to flystrike as they can’t keep themselves clean.
Signs & Symptoms:
- lethargy
- loss of appetite
- open wounds or sores
- fur loss
- bad smell
- visible maggots
Treatment:
Fly strike needs to be treated by an exotic rabbit savvy vet. Most likely your rabbit will be sedated, it’s fur clipped, maggots removed and wounds cleaned.
PARASITES
Parasites such as fleas, ticks, mites, and mosquitos are more prevalent during the summer season. If your rabbit develops an infestation from any one of these, it can lead to severe skin problems. Fleas are typically contracted from other pets such as cats and dogs (make sure these companion pets have flea prevention treatments). Ticks and mosquitos are usually obtained outside although we all know those pesky mosquitos can find their way inside at times. Mosquitos are known for spreading Myxomatosis- a deadly disease caused by a virus in rabbits. We currently have no vaccine in the US, however the UK does.
Signs & Symptoms:
- itchy skin
- dandruff
- fur loss
- crusty ears
Treatment:
Most conditions are readily treatable by your vet. It is imperative to monitor your rabbit daily especially after being outside.
Final Thoughts
The upcoming summer months are a time for ensuring the safety of your pet rabbits from things such as weather conditions, predators and environmental hazards. Whether your rabbit is kept inside, outside or just taken out for play time there are always factors to consider. Providing summer care routinely, regularly monitoring their environment, and keeping track of their health will ensure they stay happy and healthy.
