Summer is getting nearer, and as a new rabbit pet owner, you may get anxious about how to take care of your fur baby during the hot season. Hence, you may often think about what temperature is too hot for rabbits and how to keep rabbits cool in summer? Do not worry because we have got you covered! Just keep reading through below and find out the answers.
What temperature is too hot for your rabbit to handle during summer?
Most rabbits have thick fur, which can help them endure cold weather. However, what happens to them during the hot season? Of course, they are prone to dehydration and heatstroke. Though it usually varies depending on the quality of air and the humidity of that day,
Like humans, rabbits, too, have a tolerable range of temperature that they can handle well. The ideal heat temperature is around 10 to 21 degrees Celcius and having about 4 up to 23 degrees Celcius is still convenient for them.
However, when the temperature rises to 26 up to 29 degrees Celcius, you may start noticing signs and symptoms that your pet rabbit may experience heatstroke. Moreover, it will be more challenging for rabbits with thicker and longer fur as they can start showing signs and symptoms of heatstroke as low as 23 degrees Celcius.
Lastly, if the heat temperature rises to 35 degrees Celcius, your furbaby is powerless over its internal temperature. Thus, they are immensely struggling to fight the intense heat.
7 Tips on how to keep your rabbit cool during the summer season
If humans get immensely annoyed when the temperature becomes too hot, that is mostly the same for animals, especially those with thick furs covering their entire bodies. They could not speak and rant about the intense heat, but you can see it in their actions.
A responsible rabbit owner knows how to handle this kind of situation. You can help them avoid Hyperthermia by doing things to keep them cool. Listed below are some tips on how to keep your pet rabbit cool during the intense heat brought to you by the summer season:
Cool room temperature
If you allow your pet rabbit to stay indoors, make sure that they are in a place that has good airflow and has either an electric fan or an air conditioning unit.
Keep them hydrated
Like humans who drink more than the required amount of water intake a day, keeping your pet rabbits hydrated is also as important. Thus, ensure that their water bowl is always filled and changed from time to time to keep it clean and, at the same time, make them feel fresh and cool. It is also necessary that these water bowls are accessible to them.
Self-cooling mat or Marble Tiles
The self-cooling mat or the marble tiles, which feel cool, can also be an excellent way to keep your pet rabbit cool, especially when they sleep or lie on it.
Pamper time
Rabbits, like cats and dogs, have thick furs. Therefore, just like the dogs and cats owners do during the summer season, make sure not to miss bringing your furbaby to a pet salon and having it pampered. Have their fur trimmed and brush it frequently at home to shake off excess fur.
Shaded play area
If you cannot avoid bringing your pet rabbit outside and playing with you in the garden or backyard, make sure that the play area should be shaded and away from the sun.
Surround the rabbit shelter or enclosure with ice packs
Another way to keep your rabbits cool, especially when you allow them to stay outdoors, is to provide ice packs all around the rabbit cage. The cool temperature the ice gives off can contribute to the temperature of the rabbit’s surroundings.
Wet canvas or towel
Get a basin filled with cool water or lots of ice and then soak the canvas or towel in it. Place it on top of the rabbit cage, and it will work better when concentrated with an electric fan to allow good airflow. Repeat the step once the canvas or towel dries out.
What is Hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia, also known as heat illness, is an abnormal and excessive-high body heat temperature. There are different types of Hyperthermia and most of which are preventable. However, the most severe and dangerous form of Hyperthermia is heatstroke, which can be life-threatening for humans and animals.
Someone can have Hyperthermia when their body tends to generate more heat rather than release the heat. Usually, the body temperature of the host body will maximize its limit, or it has reached its set point.
Most dangerous type of Hyperthermia: Heatstroke
Heatstroke is considered the most dangerous type of Hyperthermia because it can cause death to someone who experiences it. Whether the host is a human or an animal, no one is exempted from it. Rabbits, too, can experience heat stroke, especially when their body cannot tolerate the heat anymore.
One of the many reasons rabbits are highly susceptible to heatstroke compared to usual household pets like cats and dogs are that they are much smaller and cannot easily adjust to abnormal temperature changes.
14 Signs of Heatstroke for rabbits
The summer season may be fun for some humans because that would mean a beach getaway. But often, it can get frustrating because of the high heat temperature. During this time, more and more people suffer from heatstroke, and rabbits, too, are not exempted from heatstroke.
Like humans, rabbits can also show signs if they feel intense heat, and a potential heat stroke attack may occur. But that is not always the case because Hyperthermia, or the term called for heatstroke for rabbits, frequently shows no signs.
Thus, it can get tricky to figure out if a rabbit feels distressed and uneasy as an owner. This characteristic, though, is based on their wild characteristics. In the forest or mountains, rabbits often try not to show signs of vulnerability because they can be easy prey for their predators.
Listed below are the 9 possible early signs and symptoms you may notice with your pet rabbit whenever they will potentially experience heatstroke:
- Agitated
- Consistent catching of breath or hasty breathing
- Continuous head tossing
- Redness and warmness of both ears and face
- Shortness or loss of breath; heavy breathing with an open mouth
- Slowly getting unconscious or becoming unresponsive
- Sudden loss of appetite
- Weariness and lethargy
- Wetness or sweat-like drops on the nose
5 Additional signs and symptoms of heatstroke indicate the severity of the heatstroke attack:
- Convulsion
- Excessive salivating
- From redness, the color of the mouth and nose slowly turns into blue
- Getting confused or cannot coordinate properly
- Seizure
6 Things to do when your pet rabbit suffers from heatstroke
Your pet rabbit is always at risk of experiencing heat stroke, especially during summer. Sometimes, you may be able to prevent it, but sometimes it might be too late for you. Do not worry and panic once they suffer from a heat stroke, as we will teach you the things you should do to care for them.
Thus, the owner should be able to handle this kind of emergency calmly when the rabbit is already showing signs and symptoms.
| Action | Description |
| 1. Dampen with water using a face towel | Make sure to never immerse your precious little rabbit into a basin filled with water. The sudden decrease in temperature can be extremely fatal. Instead, make use of a wet face towel to dampen gently to the pet rabbit. |
| 2. Consider using a water bottle spray | If there is no available face towel in your location where your pet rabbit suddenly experienced a heatstroke attack, you can opt to use a water bottle spray or a mist bottle spray. Keep spraying your furbaby all over its body to keep them cool and slowly decrease the body temperature. |
| 3. Hydrate with water | If the water is still conscious and can still move its body. Try giving them a bowl of water and let them drink from time to time. If it is not feasible, you can opt to use a dropper to allow them to drink lukewarm water. Never let a rabbit experiencing heatstroke drink a freezing cold as it can lead to fatal shock. |
| 4. Consider using a blow dryer | A blow dryer that is in a cool setting can also help to decrease the temperature of your rabbit and treat the heatstroke. |
| 5. Bring in an area above normal room temperature | You can also bring your furbaby to a place where the temperature is ideal for rabbits. A little colder, the better so the body heat temperature will slowly cool down. |
| 6. Bring to the Veterinary Clinic | If the abovementioned tips are not feasible and the condition of your furbaby has not yet improved, it is advisable that you bring your pet rabbit to the Veterinary clinic. With this, the professionals will assess and treat the rabbit with the medical attention it needs best. |
Just ensure that do not overtreat or do not allow your rabbit to cool down excessively than it should because its body temperature should still not be lower than the recommended.
Summary
Now that we know what temperature is too hot for rabbits, make sure that you always keep in mind what we have learned today. Ensure also to spend time with your furbaby and now that you know how to keep rabbits cool in summer. With such activities, you are helping them not experience a heat stroke which is somewhat common for them, especially during the hot season.
