It is imperative to continue providing water until the mechanism of the disease and the cause of it are clear and the appropriate medications can be prescribed. Encourage plenty of oral fluid intake by offering your rabbit fresh water, wetting leafy vegetables, or flavoring water with vegetable juice. Offer a large selection of fresh, moistened greens such as cilantro, romaine lettuce, parsley, carrot tops, dandelion greens, spinach, collard greens, and good-quality timothy and grass hay instead of alfalfa hay. If your rabbit cannot or will not ingest enough food and water on its own to recover, you will need to maintain fluid levels and hydration by stomach tube feeding of water and nutrients.
If kidney stones were found to be the underlying cause of the polyuria, your veterinarian will instruct you to decrease calcium sources, at least until the problem is resolved.
Dehydration can rapidly become life threatening. To make sure that your rabbit is sufficiently hydrated, you will need to commit to frequent monitoring of urine output and water intake throughout the day.
A product made of fluid, cell waste, and cells
An in-depth examination of the properties of urine; used to determine the presence or absence of illness
The gland that is found at the bottom of the brain whose job is to maintain appropriate levels of hormones in the blood
Part of the thalamus that helps to regulate the release of certain hormones
A crop; often eaten by horses as a vital source of fiber and protein. Alfalfa has compound leaves made up of three small leaves.
A medical condition involving excessive thirst