rabbit drinking

Question
Hi I have 2 male rabbits that seem to drink alot of water. when i fill it up to the top the next hour they have drank it all, the bottle is a normal sized rabbit bottle, is this normal?

Answer
Dear Eleanor,

Normal intake for an average mammal is about 90-100ml/kg per day, and this includes what the animal gets in its food.  If your rabbits are drinking significantly more than that, it's time for a trip to the vet for bloodwork to check their kidney function.  Renal disease/failure can cause excessive drinking and urination.  You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If the water intake isn't as huge as you thought, then it's good that your bunnies are drinking a lot.  It is good for their overall health and intestinal motility.  So provide them with a BIG, clean bowl all the time so they don't run out, and make sure it's washed and changed daily.

Hope that helps.

Dana