Why are My Bunny’s Ears Cold?
Bunnies are adorable animals with floppy ears and cute little noses. But why are my bunny’s ears cold? Rabbits can’t regulate their body temperature like we humans do, so they depend on their environment to keep them warm and cozy. When the bunny’s ears are cold, it could be due to many things including too much air conditioning in your home or an injury that prevents the animal from generating heat for itself.
A Bunny With Cold Ears indicates Difficulties
As a General Rule, The Normal Temperature Range for a Rabbit is 101-103°F, it can be checked with a Rectal Thermometer. Or a Digital Thermometer if you want to Test the Ears. If it is cooler Than That it might indicate other problems such as Sickness, the environment being too cold, Chill Factor, Heat Stroke, or Dehydration.
What Does it Mean When a Rabbit Has Cold Ears?
Why are My Bunny’s Ears Cold , it means that there is something wrong with its health. The colder than normal ear tips can indicate an infection in the respiratory tract or digestive system of your bunny.
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This includes things such as sniffles, GI stasis, and pneumonia – all very serious conditions that need immediate veterinary attention! The best course of action when you notice cold ears in your rabbit is to take them to the vet immediately.
It may be difficult for the owner’s human hands, but feel your bunny’s ear tips periodically throughout the day – especially if they appear “off” or change behavior at all. If their ears are not warm and back down within a half-hour or so, take them to the vet.
Why is my bunny’s ears cold? when a rabbit’s ears are cold it means that there is something wrong with their health including things such as sniffles gi stasis and pneumonia all very serious conditions that need immediate veterinary attention! Take your bunny to the vet immediately if you
How do I Know if my Rabbit is Cold?
A cold Rabbit might show the following symptoms
- Shivering
- Cold ears ( rabbit’s ears )
- A lethargic Rabbit
- Lack of appetite or no desire to eat.
- A cold rabbit will show some symptoms that all owners should keep their eyes out for, which include: shivering, a lack of energy and eating less than normal, having trouble breathing while awake or asleep, ear tips being colder than usual (that are usually warm), and nasal discharge.
What Temperature Should a Rabbit’s Ears Be? (Ear Temperature)
The correct Body temperature of a Bunny is about 101-103°F The Bunnies are not able to sweat so they have to rely on the heat from their ears to cool them down. If your bunny’s ears are cold that means there is something wrong and you should take him or her to a vet right away!
Bunnies only sweat through the pads of their feet, so if his/her feet are cold, then their ears are likely to. -Bunnies cannot pant to cool themselves down as dogs do so they rely on the heat from their big floppy ears!
You should always check your rabbit’s temperature by taking his/her rectal temperature because this is the most accurate way of determining what a bunny’s body temp really is. -A normal bunny’s rectal temperature should be around 101-103°F. -If it is subzero, they are having trouble keeping warm and you need to find a way to keep them warmer (like extra towels or heating pads).
You should be able to hold your bunny’s ears between your thumb and pointer finger without it being too cold or hot. It is best if you can cup the top of his head with three fingers, then feel both of his ears. If they are hot, he could have a fever and needs to see a vet.
If it is cold outside, you can put him in a sweater or towel with his head poking through so that he stays warm.
It is also important to note that his ears should never be wet. If they are, it can cause them to become frostbitten and your bunny could lose the ear entirely.
If you catch the ears being wet early, then they can be dried off and warmed up until it no longer hurt. If there is frostbite already present though, then your only option may be to see a vet for medical treatment.
How do you tell if a Rabbit has a Fever?
The symptoms include:
- Sluggishness and loss of appetite
- Disorientation/dizziness
- Loss of coordination or muscle tremors (sometimes including the head)
- Feels hot to the touch
- A high fever (above 103°F)
- Panting
- Diarrhea or constipation that doesn’t go away with home remedies such as Critical Care, plain water from a bottle, yogurt drops, etc. If diarrhea persists for more than 24 hours it may be deadly to your rabbit so contact a vet immediately.
- A rabbit that is unusually drowsy or lethargic (listless) and doesn’t want to move around as much as it normally would; some rabbits may go into a comatose state where they don’t seem to be responding at all.
- Possible discharge from eyes or nose
- Sneezing, coughing, labored breathing (gasping)
Why do Bunny Ears get Hot?
Bunny ears are usually not covered, so they can get very hot in the sun. The inside of a bunny’s ears is also sensitive to touch and heat. If you’re using your hand as shade for their head, be sure that it doesn’t block airflow or cover their ears where there isn’t already fur!
Also, make sure that it’s not too hot for your bunny to lay down in the shade you’re offering. When at all possible, take them inside if they are going to be out in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. If it’s a nice, warm day but there is no way that you can bring your rabbit indoors or get them into some shade consider getting them a cooling mat to lay on.
These are much like the mats that you have in your fridge so they stay nice and cool for hours. This will keep them cooler than any towel or bunny fur would, but it is also much harder to clean which is why it’s not often used as an everyday solution.
Your Bunny may have a fever or heat stroke if their ears are too hot, and laid out flat against their head. They may also be wet around the neck where they’ve been laying in a puddle or pool of water for too long and will need to be dried off immediately.
These two symptoms can happen at different times but both indicate that your bunny is suffering from heatstroke and needs to be cooled down immediately.
Rabbits in their natural habitat live in cool burrows, the ground temp in the United States is around a constant 50-60 degrees year-round, and they spend a lot of time underground.
Because rabbits are not native to the United States it is important to be aware of how hot temperatures can affect them as well as cold weather. It’s best if you make sure that your rabbit has some kind of cover from direct sunlight throughout the day or purchase an electronic
If you ever see your bunny digging holes in the dirt, this is usually their way of trying to get cool by digging themselves into a nice patch of earth where they can lay down for some relief from the summer humidity.
If it’s too hot outside for them to dig though there are also some nice cooling mats that are made to fit inside your rabbit’s hutch or cage. These will keep them cool for hours, even if you can only get a few minutes of relief from the summer sun.
What Should a Rabbit’s Temperature Be?
The Normal temperature for a bunny is between 100.0-103 °F (37.78 -39.22°C)
It can be checked with a rectal thermometer. Coat the thermometer with a small amount of petroleum jelly or KY Jelly, slide it in about 1″
if you can’t get a reading using the mercury thermometer try using an electronic ear thermometer. If your rabbit has a fever their temperature should be around 100.0-103 °F (37.78 -39.22°C).
A rabbit’s temperature changes depending on its environment and activity level so normal body temps can fluctuate several degrees between morning, afternoon, and nighttime temperatures. Checking your bunny’s temp every few hours will give you an idea of what is considered normal for your bunny and what to look for if there is a change.
A low body temperature (below 100°F) can be normal in older rabbits who are less active during the day, but this should not last more than an hour or so at most. If it does happen regularly on warmer days check with the vet before bringing them inside to get out of the heat.
Sometimes a rabbit may have low body temperature in an area that has been laying on or is close to their wire cage flooring, which can be too cold for them when they are trying to sleep. Switch your bunny’s housing around so they don’t end up with this issue again in the future, and if it’s a wire floor try and get them a blanket or other soft surface to lay down on.
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Final Thought
Rabbits are nocturnal animals that experience two temperature drops during the day. One happens in the morning when they wake up and then again at night while they sleep