Q: We have four bunnies that we keep in cages most of the day. They like to play on the lawn in the afternoon. How do we protect them from the heat? Some friends said we should use a fan in their room, but I’m worried that won’t be enough. What else can we do?
A: Summer heat can be deadly for rabbits. They really have a tough time keeping cool. But there’s one trick that helps bunnies beat the heat. I learned this from several local 4-H students many years ago, and it’s an idea that’s been passed on for a long time. Try this and see how it works for you.
Fill some empty one-liter soda pop bottles with water and put them in the freezer overnight. Place these frozen water bottles in the bunny cages in the morning, and they will provide your rabbits with some cool relief as the ice slowly melts over the course of the day.
I agree with your friends and think it’s a good idea to have a fan to circulate air in the rabbit room. That helps to keep things cool.
Let them out to play on the lawn in the evening only after the sun is low in the sky, not during the heat of the day. Heat stroke is a serious problem for rabbits – they don’t handle warm weather very well.
This is also a good time to talk about the signs of heat-induced problems in dogs and other pets. Heat stroke is more common in dogs than cats, and it can affect any pooch. Obese dogs and those with heavy coats are more susceptible to overheating.
Early signs of heat stress are subtle. The victim tends to lose interest in his surroundings and pants heavily. Most dogs with this condition don’t even respond to their name when called. They just feel miserable. Unfortunately, these early signs are often overlooked by many pet owners.
Heat stroke is more advanced. Here, the pet becomes very weak and may vomit or have diarrhea. The color of the gums (the mucus membranes) becomes pale and eventually the victim develops cardiovascular shock. Left untreated, advanced heat stroke is often fatal.
If your pet shows signs of heat stress, run cold water on him immediately and call his veterinarian. Fast action is important to avoid serious complications, and the staff at the vet hospital will be able to tell you whether he needs medical treatment.
Prevention is very important and very easy. Here are a few tips.
Always give your pet a shaded area to escape the heat. Make sure he has plenty of cold water all the time. And if he has a long coat, consider taking him to a groomer for a “summer clip.” A shorter hair coat will make him look great, and he’ll feel much cooler.
One final reminder… Never, never leave your pet in your parked car while you go somewhere. If you have to go inside a store or run an errand, leave your pet at home. The interior of a car becomes an oven in only a matter of minutes, even when the car is parked in a shady area. In the sun, the temperature of a car can climb as fast as one degree every minute! Don’t do it. Don’t leave your pet in your car!
Q: We just came home from vacation to find a beautiful cat in our backyard. She’s a calico, and she seems happy to stay with us. But we think she probably belongs to someone. What should we do?
A: You’re right. This little girl is probably someone’s pet, and it’s quite possible her family is missing her. If you haven’t already done so, call the local animal shelter and report her to them. They can tell you if her owners have called to report her as missing. You could also take her in to the shelter or to a local veterinarian to have her examined. She can be checked with a scanner to see if she has a microchip under her skin for identification.
Be sure to watch the lost and found ads for a few weeks. Sometimes people go away for long vacations and it’s possible that her family may return to look for her in a month or two. I hope everything turns out well for all of you.
Q: Is it true that horses can lock their legs while they are standing? My friend tells me that her horse can sleep standing up. Is that true?
A: Actually, horses do have a special set of structures in their front legs called a “stay apparatus.” This unique anatomy allows them to doze off while they stand. And in a sense, they actually lock up their legs as they rest.
Large equine expend an enormous amount of energy when they get up and down. Furthermore, they’re more vulnerable to predators when they lay down. Their special ability to rest while standing gives them more mobility in case a predator threatens them, and perhaps this is one reason they developed this special anatomy.
Q: Why doesn’t my cat seem to blink her eyes as much as I do? I watch her, and she hardly ever blinks. If I try to hold my eyelids open for a long time like her, my eyes start to hurt. How come her eyes don’t hurt when she holds them open for so long?
A: The blink reflex is designed to clean the eye and protect it from drying (or dessication). If the eyes become too dry, the eyelids blink shut for a brief moment to spread moisture (from new tears) across the cornea.
Different animals have different types of tears. And the chemical makeup of the tears (including a substance called surfactant) affects how fast they evaporate from the surface of the cornea.
Besides all that, different animals have different amounts of tear production. The more tears produced, the less likely the cornea will become dry.
Cats have less need to blink because their tears give them longer protection from dessication. You could say that their tears last longer. They just don’t need to spread moisture across their eyes as much as we do.
