Salt block and drinking more water

[garden lady]

I read that pregnant does crave salt, so I went to get one for Lulu and decided to get one for all 5. Lulu licks it some and the others pretty much ignore it, but Zoup is licking it a lot. I put it up higher to make sure she was just not bored and messing with it, so she has to reach for it and she is licking it and drinking a lot of water. Is this good? Is this normal? Should I take it away? She actually seems to have more energy. We caught her 36 days ago, so almost 100% sure she is not pregnant?? :? She is probably around 1-1/2 years old.

 

[SarahMelisse]

Hmmm... Most pelleted feeds include the necessary salt for a rabbit's diet so usually a salt lick is excessive. I haven't ever read that pregnant does crave salt, but that doesn't mean that it's not true and every rabbit is different. I personally do not provide salt licks for any of my rabbits -- pregnant or not. I feed pellets that include salt though.

 

[ZRabbits]

Sounds normal to me. Some rabbits need more salt than others. Mine get salt intake from the pellets they eat. And regarding water, it's truly needed to help digest what they eat. My Fawkes, the flemish, drinks lots of water. If some does are using it, I'd leave it.


Karen

 

[garden lady]

Sounds normal to me. Some rabbits need more salt than others. Mine get salt intake from the pellets they eat. And regarding water, it's truly needed to help digest what they eat. My Fawkes, the flemish, drinks lots of water.

Sounds like if she's getting more energy from the salt and water, she's getting what her system needs. I wouldn't take it away.


Karen

I also read signs of being pregnant was eating more and drinking more. I had noticed that the 3 females did that, so I worried all 3 were going to have babies, but since the salt, her water intake has probably doubled, but it has been hot too and she is bigger than the rest of them. I felt of her today to see how fat she is. She has a tummy on her, but she is shedding unreal. I run my hand down her back and fur is just flying off her. She has a thick thick coat and underneath this stuff I can see some shine to her.

Editing to add, just thought about friends who have horses, cows and goats and they eat hay and the goats get some kind of goat chow and I noticed the goats licking on salt blocks a lot.

 

[ZRabbits]

Sounds normal to me. Some rabbits need more salt than others. Mine get salt intake from the pellets they eat. And regarding water, it's truly needed to help digest what they eat. My Fawkes, the flemish, drinks lots of water.

Sounds like if she's getting more energy from the salt and water, she's getting what her system needs. I wouldn't take it away.


Karen

I also read signs of being pregnant was eating more and drinking more. I had noticed that the 3 females did that, so I worried all 3 were going to have babies, but since the salt, her water intake has probably doubled, but it has been hot too and she is bigger than the rest of them. I felt of her today to see if how fat she is, but she is shedding unreal. I run my hand down her back and fur is just flying off her. She has a thick thick coat and underneath this stuff I can see some shine to her.

My bunnies are in the AC, spoiled I know, but when it is off, the heat does make them drink more. Heat, along with AC dries their skin out. Having salt, helps promote drinking and does keep them hydrated.

When my bunnies are shedding or molting they do drink twice as much. Helps pass any hair they ingest. Salt is excellent to help bring on that thirst which will help, along with hay pass any hair that is ingested.

Regarding pregnancy, I'm a newbie but do see Luna changing eating habits. Nothing extreme, just changing them. Looks like she is looking and ingesting more hay than pellets. But remember, she's a Lion Head which is very different than a Flemish Doe.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

Sounds normal to me. Some rabbits need more salt than others. Mine get salt intake from the pellets they eat. And regarding water, it's truly needed to help digest what they eat. My Fawkes, the flemish, drinks lots of water.

Sounds like if she's getting more energy from the salt and water, she's getting what her system needs. I wouldn't take it away.


Karen

I also read signs of being pregnant was eating more and drinking more. I had noticed that the 3 females did that, so I worried all 3 were going to have babies, but since the salt, her water intake has probably doubled, but it has been hot too and she is bigger than the rest of them. I felt of her today to see if how fat she is, but she is shedding unreal. I run my hand down her back and fur is just flying off her. She has a thick thick coat and underneath this stuff I can see some shine to her.

My bunnies are in the AC, spoiled I know, but when it is off, the heat does make them drink more. Heat, along with AC dries their skin out. Having salt, helps promote drinking and does keep them hydrated.

When my bunnies are shedding or molting they do drink twice as much. Helps pass any hair they ingest. Salt is excellent to help bring on that thirst which will help, along with hay pass any hair that is ingested.

Regarding pregnancy, I'm a newbie but do see Luna changing eating habits. Nothing extreme, just changing them. Looks like she is looking and ingesting more hay than pellets. But remember, she's a Lion Head which is very different than a Flemish Doe.

Karen

I am a newbie too. I read all I could to see what was safe and started feeding in the morning a tablespoon of oatmeal. I refill the pellets with a little bit of black oiled sunflower seeds and if it was completely empty and they had been eating hay and poop looks same then I give them a handful of herbs and leaves (blackberry, raspberry leaves, mint, sage, lavender, thyme, cilantro, basil), like 1 each of these things. After they eat that then I give them different vegetables each day like kale, pieces of carrot, green pepper, cucumber things like that, not sure how much, but not a lot and then they eat a handful or so of grass/weeds with dandilions. In the evening when it cools off then I give them a small crab apple (they ate these all the time when they were running loose)and different vegetables depending on what they had that morning. I make sure they have their pellets and hay and then before going to bed if they have been eating hay and pellets then I will given them a handful of grass again and if really acting nuts then I give them a piece of fruit, could be melon or pear, and have made sure they have had toys, like bath tissue rolls and break sticks off apple tree. When it is cool at night, I should make a video after dark what they do. They are nuts. I almost worry they have too much room and are going to get hurt. They run in through the holes, look at each other through the wire, run back out and run down the wire, kick their legs and jump up and go run back in through the hole again. :shock:

 

[ZRabbits]

Sounds like you have a very happy tribe. What your feeding seems to be what your rabbits need. My Fawkes runs around like yours in his crate as well. Very content. Can't wait until he's older so that I can feed him the basil, russian kale, raisens, carrots, watermelon etc that I suppliment for my Tribe. Cherrios are still their favorite. I just don't feed just pellets and hay. A variety keeps them regular.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

Sounds like you have a very happy tribe. What your feeding seems to be what your rabbits need. My Fawkes runs around like yours in his crate as well. Very content. Can't wait until he's older so that I can feed him the basil, russian kale, raisens, carrots, watermelon etc that I suppliment for my Tribe. Cherrios are still their favorite. I just don't feed just pellets and hay. A variety keeps them regular.

Karen

When mine were born they were wild, so started eating grass very young. After they were moved to my neighborhood, they would dig under the fence and eat my new squash, broccoli and cabbage plants. I got so worried I would not have a garden that I planted a bunch of squash all over the place and now I have too much squash.

 

[ZRabbits]

Sounds like you have a very happy tribe. What your feeding seems to be what your rabbits need. My Fawkes runs around like yours in his crate as well. Very content. Can't wait until he's older so that I can feed him the basil, russian kale, raisens, carrots, watermelon etc that I suppliment for my Tribe. Cherrios are still their favorite. I just don't feed just pellets and hay. A variety keeps them regular.

Karen

When mine were born they were wild, so started eating grass very young. After they were moved to my neighborhood, they would dig under the fence and eat my new squash, broccoli and cabbage plants. I got so worried I would not have a garden that I planted a bunch of squash all over the place and now I have too much squash.

It all depends what a bunny is raised on. And eating grass at a young age is no problem if that is what they are raised on. My Fawkes was raised on just pellets alone. That's what the breeder decided. With my rabbits, I have learned to introduce new things slowly. Fawkes now eats not just pellets but hay as well. Along with wheat grass. When I feel he's at the age to start greens, I plan to introduce that slowly as well.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

Sounds like you have a very happy tribe. What your feeding seems to be what your rabbits need. My Fawkes runs around like yours in his crate as well. Very content. Can't wait until he's older so that I can feed him the basil, russian kale, raisens, carrots, watermelon etc that I suppliment for my Tribe. Cherrios are still their favorite. I just don't feed just pellets and hay. A variety keeps them regular.

Karen

When mine were born they were wild, so started eating grass very young. After they were moved to my neighborhood, they would dig under the fence and eat my new squash, broccoli and cabbage plants. I got so worried I would not have a garden that I planted a bunch of squash all over the place and now I have too much squash.

It all depends what a bunny is raised on. And eating grass at a young age is no problem if that is what they are raised on. My Fawkes was raised on just pellets alone. That's what the breeder decided. With my rabbits, I have learned to introduce new things slowly. Fawkes now eats not just pellets but hay as well. Along with wheat grass. When I feel he's at the age to start greens, I plan to introduce that slowly as well.

Karen

I will have to do that with my little ones. Hummmm, does this mean I will have to keep the mother's grass away so they cannot get it, or do they get to start eating it when they can get to her food? I have more reading to do I guess. I read about pregnant rabbits and older rabbits, but not baby rabbits.

 

[ZRabbits]

Babies can eat what the Mom's eat. I don't see why you have to take away Mom's grass. It's when you introduce food that babies aren't used to eating is when the problems start.

Karen

 

[Secuono]

Take out the block and only give it to them once a day for an hour if you think they are just eating it or using up too much of it. You always need water near were you give an animal salt. My horses will nibble on the blocks for 5min and then wander over to get water.

 

[garden lady]

Take out the block and only give it to them once a day for an hour if you think they are just eating it or using up too much of it. You always need water near were you give an animal salt. My horses will nibble on the blocks for 5min and then wander over to get water.

If she licks it say less than a minute, but several times a day, is that excessive? I guess it looks like a lot to me since the others are not even looking at theirs.<br /><br />__________ Sun Sep 23, 2012 3:03 pm __________<br /><br />I just went out and her water was empty. I got a measuring cup and measured the water in the bowl. It holds 1-3/4 cups of water. I filled it a little before 8 this morning and it was around 2 when I found it with just a little bit left in the bowl. She has been eating, but the other rabbits ate and did not drink their water like this. She does not stand and lick and lick, but takes seveal licks and is there 30 seconds or less, but several times during the day. It is cloudy and almost 70 degrees.

 

[ZRabbits]

I wouldn't bother with the salt block. Sounds like she really doesn't need it. Regarding water consumption, I have to say my Flemish buck goes through lots of water. She could just be a big drinker. But if you take the salt away, just observe. She could just adjust like your other does have.

My mantra is know your bunny. And it seems with what you are posting you are really getting to know them. Just observe and see what happens.

Karen

 

[Secuono]

Mine don't get salt, but on cool days, they almost don't drink at all. The warmer it is, the more water they use up.
If it were my rabbit, I would take her block away and only let her have it 1x a day or 1x a week. Just because I wouldn't like her licking the salt so much and drinking seemingly non-stop...

 

[garden lady]

Mine don't get salt, but on cool days, they almost don't drink at all. The warmer it is, the more water they use up.
If it were my rabbit, I would take her block away and only let her have it 1x a day or 1x a week. Just because I wouldn't like her licking the salt so much and drinking seemingly non-stop...

I went out and took it away from her. She is getting salt like you said in her food. The amount of water she was drinking was fine before the salt.

 

[Piper]

I went out and took it away from her. She is getting salt like you said in her food. The amount of water she was drinking was fine before the salt.

1) did you get the white salt block or the one with minerals (think electrolytes)
if you have a problem with her water intake, put two bowls in.
She will drink what she needs. Before she could choose what to eat, and if she needed a herb for a certain mineral / chemical, she could choose it. Now she has no choice.
2) it may feel cool to you, but she is a big rabbit
I have found that the brown mineral blocks, get used when the rabbit needs them, and seems to help keep them from getting sick. If she is going after it that much, there seems to be something that she needs. I would give it back. If they were eating your squash before, I would continue giving them as many garden plants and squash as you can spare, too.
3) Rabbits 'can' live on 'just' hay and oats - with a brown mineral/salt block (edit: and water!). Your pellets, seem to not be, supplying a need. What brand of pellets, are you using?

 

[garden lady]

I went out and took it away from her. She is getting salt like you said in her food. The amount of water she was drinking was fine before the salt.

1) did you get the white salt block or the one with minerals (think electrolytes)
if you have a problem with her water intake, put two bowls in.
She will drink what she needs. Before she could choose what to eat, and if she needed a herb for a certain mineral / chemical, she could choose it. Now she has no choice.
2) it may feel cool to you, but she is a big rabbit
I have found that the brown mineral blocks, get used when the rabbit needs them, and seems to help keep them from getting sick. If she is going after it that much, there seems to be something that she needs. I would give it back. If they were eating your squash before, I would continue giving them as many garden plants and squash as you can spare, too.
3) Rabbits 'can' live on 'just' hay and oats - with a brown mineral/salt block (edit: and water!). Your pellets, seem to not be, supplying a need. What brand of pellets, are you using?

The brown, bought it at the coop. Using Purina Rabbit Chow Complete. I am sure after what she has been through she is missing something in her diet. It was not a problem with filling the water up, but that is she drinking too much and going to hurt her kidneys?

 

[ZRabbits]

I went out and took it away from her. She is getting salt like you said in her food. The amount of water she was drinking was fine before the salt.

1) did you get the white salt block or the one withb minerals (think electrolytes)
if you have a problem with her water intake, put two bowls in.
She will drink what she needs. Before she could choose what to eat, and if she needed a herb for a certain mineral / chemical, she could choose it. Now she has no choice.
2) it may feel cool to you, but she is a big rabbit
I have found that the brown mineral blocks, get used when the rabbit needs them, and seems to help keep them from getting sick. If she is going after it that much, there seems to be something that she needs. I would give it back. If they were eating your squash before, I would continue giving them as many garden plants and squash as you can spare, too.
3) Rabbits 'can' live on 'just' hay and oats - with a brown mineral/salt block (edit: and water!). Your pellets, seem to not be, supplying a need. What brand of pellets, are you using?

Piper, what I read is that her doe drank more with the salt block than without. Maybe too much salt is being given. Her other does are doing well without it. IMHO, a pellet can supply the salt needed. My Fawkes is doing fine on pellets. Its' when more natural feeding occurs (limited the supply of pellets) that mineral salts are needed. Just my observation. I don't think it's the pellets. Just one doe needs to adjust their salt intake. Taking it away I think will balance her out to what the other does are doing.

Karen

 

[Piper]

ZRabbits - your Fawkes is a indoor rabbit, with a air-conditioned, stable, low stress environment. These are outdoor and were raised wild. They are used to being more alert and a "lot" more active then Fawkes.

__________ Sun Sep 23, 2012 8:57 pm __________

the brown mineral salt blocks are like rabbit electrolytes. Think Gatoraid, but w/o the sugar. Her rabbits are more active, athletes than Fawkes.
-- How many pellets is that rabbit eating, too? Mainly hay?