My rabbit won't drink from his bottle. How to prevent dehydration?

Hi there! Storm can drink out of a water bowl no problem. I have two rabbits, and even when we are camping they drink out of their water bowls. I find this is cleaner and easier than dealing with dripper bottles that always leak. The key is you need a very heavy, crockery-type bowl that can't be dumped over--this works best. And make sure you change the water at least every other day. Have fun--buns are the best! PS if you insist on using the bottle, he will absolutely figure it out sooner or later :).

I am so sorry to hear that Mickey isn’t doing well. Rabbits will Become very sick very quickly without food as the bacteria in their GI tract will quickly change. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Sedation is often necessary to Perform a thorough oral exam in rabbits. Wounds or overgrown teeth could be causing the symptoms you describe. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

A rabbit that is not eating or drinking should be seen by an exotic species veterinarian as soon as possible. She is at risk of developing dehydration and GI stasis which can lead to death. Until your appointment, you can try offering fresh, dark, leafy greens (kale, collards, etc) and other palatable greens, like cilantro, parsley, carrot top greens, to encourage her to eat. You can also soak rabbit pellets in water to make a slurry and carefully feed that to your rabbit via a syringe (baby dosing syringes can be bought in drug stores and discount stores). Make sure fresh Timothy hay and water is available. Carefully syringe feeding an electrolye replacement solution, like Pedialyte, can help with dehydration. http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-health/gi-stasis-in-rabbits-a-deadly-condition/

You could try syringing some water and mashed pellets into her mouth but be cautious as her ability to swallow may be affected also. Telephone your vets office immediately and there should be instructions as to how to access emergency veterinary care; intravenous fluids may be helpful if the injury is reversible. Be aware in rabbits that many spinal injuries are catastophic and euthanasia may be the most appropriiate option to relieve her pain if the condition cannot be reversed

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lack of drinking can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Walter evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery! 


Every rabbit is different, as long as she has fresh water available to her and she is eating well and looks healthy, I would not worry overly as she must be drinking enough to maintain herself. If you feed greens she will drink less. I would provide her with both a nipple drinker and bowl of water as some rabbits prefer either or.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Signs of vestibular disease are extremely common in older rabbits. This is the result of some imbalance in the inner ear that causes instability ( circling ), & visual impairment. A very common sequela to this is dehydration, because Archie is a bit nauseaus & may have difficulty even navigating to his water source. If he does not drink, his dehydration can lead to significant kidney failure making his symptoms much worse. You really need to consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible so that Archie does not get progressively worse. Hope all is well soon. Take care.