What to Do When a Rabbit Has Heatstroke
📝 Summary
Rabbits overheat easily because of their thick coat and poor heat dissipation, and severe heatstroke can be fatal. Move a stricken rabbit to a cool, ventilated place, cool it with a damp towel, and prevent recurrence by keeping cages shaded, well-ventilated and supplied with plenty of water.
1 Rabbit Heatstroke: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
I. Common Causes of Rabbit Heatstroke
1. Temperature too high: rabbits do best at 15–25°C. Above 30°C their activity drops, and above 37°C heatstroke is likely.
2. Overcrowding: cages should not be too dense, or poor air flow can trigger heatstroke and spread infectious disease.
3. Poor ventilation: sealed, stuffy housing, dense long-distance transport, or ignored airflow can all cause heatstroke.
II. Symptoms of Rabbit Heatstroke
1. Lethargy, reduced appetite and noticeably lowered activity.
2. Hard breathing and a rapid heartbeat from the heat, with congested nasal passages and mucous membranes.
3. In severe cases the body temperature can rise above 40°C, the mucous membranes turn bluish, and blood-tinged fluid may flow from the mouth and nose.
4. Progressive weakness, convulsions, shock and death.
5. Some rabbits show abnormal excitement, run blindly, then convulse and die.
III. Treatment and Prevention
1. Treatment:
(1) As soon as you spot heatstroke, move the rabbit to a cool, airy spot and apply a damp towel to its head and the back of its ears to bring the temperature down.
(2) A drop of cooling balm on the nose and forehead also helps dissipate heat and revive the rabbit.
(3) If the rabbit is very weak, give a little saline to balance electrolytes and restore energy.
(4) Wipe the discharge from around the eyes, mouth and nose, comfort it, and take it to a vet promptly; keep the environment cool and ventilated on the way, the head level and the neck straight so it can breathe.
(5) At the clinic the vet may, depending on severity, draw blood from the ear vein, give 2–3 drops of ‘Shi Di Shui’ or 2–3 ‘Ren Dan’ pills, and for convulsions inject 2.5% chlorpromazine at 0.5–1 ml per kg of body weight.
2. Prevention:
(1) Keep the cage in a shaded spot and ensure the housing is well ventilated.
(2) Do not overcrowd, and in summer always provide ample drinking water.
(3) In hot seasons avoid long-distance transport where possible; if essential, travel at night and keep density low.
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