Rabbits regulate body heat through their ears. They do not tolerate extreme heat and can die from becoming overheated. Temperatures above 77° F (25° C) are dangerous for rabbits. In summer, heat exhaustion can be an issue for all rabbits but the fuzzy, overweight, old and young are at special risk.
The bunny basics
For example, a rabbit's ideal outdoor temperature is between 12° to 21°C (55° to 70°F) and, while your bunnies can tolerate temperatures as high as 30°C (85°F), anything above that can increase their risk of heatstroke.
Rabbits can overheat at temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius and around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They will need your immediate attention.
Very young or old rabbits, or those with medical conditions, should be kept indoors because they may not be able to tolerate cold temperatures even with modifications to their hutches and diets. Temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit may be too cold even for healthy adult rabbits.
Heatstroke is an extremely dangerous condition that can develop if your rabbit's body temperature gets above 40.5°C/104.9°F. It can cause seizures, organ damage, internal bleeding, unconsciousness, and even death.
A rabbit's enclosure should ideally be between 10-20 degrees celsius. However, there's a fine line as rabbits can start to show signs of heatstroke at 22 degrees celsius.
Rabbits regulate body heat through their ears. They do not tolerate extreme heat and can die from becoming overheated. Temperatures above 77° F (25° C) are dangerous for rabbits.
According to the PetLife website, most rabbits can comfortably handle up to 75 degrees F (or 24 degrees C). While that is mild for us, it may not be for your beloved rabbit especially if they are Flemish Giant or Angora rabbits who are more sensitive to heat.
Keep your rabbit cage well-ventilated.
Position an oscillating fan so that it blows in the rabbit cage, but not directly on the rabbit. This will create a breeze to cool your rabbit down. Make sure that your rabbit can escape the fan if it chooses.
A temperature of between 10-20°C is recommended as ideal for domestic rabbits, though they can cope with lower temperatures, but tend to suffer from too much heat.
Provide both a bowl and bottle of water and add ice cubes to keep them cool- rabbits can get a bigger drink out of a bowl. Check the spout of the water bottle daily to make sure it is working properly. We do not advise giving them frozen treats or ice cubes because they can cause intestinal problems.
Can rabbits live outside all year around? Yes, they can. In fact, outdoor rabbits grow a thicker coat in the winter and moult to make their coat thinner in the summer. Apart from that, however, keep in mind that they do not handle extreme temperatures well.
Cooling mats
Marble tiles or slates stay cold even on the hottest days, so put one into your rabbit's run for the perfect cooling pitstop. You could also freeze a bottle of water and wrap it in a towel to give your rabbit something refreshing to lie next to.
Rabbits can be kept outdoors all year round but ideally their resting area should be brought into a shed or unused garage with natural light and ventilation for the winter months or else protected with tarpaulin from bad weather.
Just make sure, its not too cool rabbits thrive on temperature range 30–35 degree celsius . Anything above and below is not optimal . you can also check your rabbit's ears by touching them.
The body temperature of a rabbit can differ by several degrees between individuals as well as by time of day in a particular rabbit. Because of this, the “normal” temperature range falls between 100.5 and 103.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is Floppy Bunny Syndrome? Floppy Bunny Syndrome is a condition that usually presents with acute onset of generalised weakness or flaccid paralysis of the body, resulting in the rabbit's inability to hop around or, in severe cases, not do anything but lie on their sides.
Floppy Rabbit Syndrome (FRS) is considered an acute neurological condition characterised by a sudden inability to hop around. The muscles of the legs and sometimes the neck are flaccid. FRS remains a poorly understood diagnosis in rabbits, with research ongoing in an attempt to identify an inciting cause.
Rabbits are very sensitive to heat and should NEVER be in direct sunlight. My personal feeling is ALL domestic rabbits should be living inside as part of the family. Any temperature over 75°F can cause them to overheat, especially if humidity is high.
Spray water behind the ears
Most of a rabbit's body heat is released through their ears, so you can help them cool off by spritzing a little bit of cool water right behind their ears. You don't want to make them soaking wet. Just a light misting to help them out.
Rabbits can't sweat like humans, instead they rely on a panting action and their ears to keep them cool. A rabbit's ears are made up of large blood vessels – as a cool breeze moves past these vessels, it helps cool the blood. The cooler blood is then circulated throughout the bunny's body.
Heat and humidity can be very hard on rabbits. Rabbits are unable to sweat; they can only dissipate heat by panting, but they aren't very efficient at it, so they can easily become overheated. Rabbits will often reduce feed intake during the hot summer months to reduce the heat produced by the metabolism of food.
Rabbits may be housed inside or out. However, rabbits are sensitive to heat. Hot, humid weather, along with poorly ventilated hutches or transport in poorly ventilated vehicles, may lead to heat stress and death. Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 80°F (27°C) may cause your rabbit to become sick.