Rabbit’s ears are cold??!

[Mocha]

Hello! I went to give the bunnies some dinner about 30 minutes ago. I ended up playing with the buns a little and I noticed Rumpus’ ears were really cold.  The temperature in the room is normal, just about 65-70 Fahrenheit.

I gave them 1/4 cup of pellets and he ate them, and they were drinking water today (they drank a bowl because it was a little warm during the day). 

The litterbox is full of poop and they’ve eaten hay.

His ears are really cold though. I felt Mocha’s to compare and hers were much warmer (like a normal rabbits ears I guess). Should I be worried or is this normal? 

I know rabbits regulate their temperature through their ears, but what could make him so cold if he is eating?

[manic_muncher]

Occasionally, I notice the same thing with our rabbits’ ears. It used to freak me out. I’ve never really put together any similarities of when I notice it, though I find your observation interesting. I wonder if this instance may actually be because he had just eaten. The past few years, whenever I eat a meal, I get cold within a few minutes after finishing. REALLY cold. I think it’s because the digestive system is actively working, maybe concentrating the blood blow to help facilitate? Perhaps rabbits do something similar, you know warming the center more by constricting the blood flow to the ears. I’m interested in hearing what other people think or know about this too.

[Bam]

I think manic’s explanation is reasonable.

Sometimes Bam’s ears are cold too. I’ve attributed it to him having been sitting still. No need for the body to pump a lot of blood out into the ears when a bunny is resting in an un-hot room, since bloodflow to the ears makes a bunny lose body heat. You know how you can be cold when you fall asleep on the couch f ex. You metabolism drops. You wake up freezing and fumble around for a blanket.

[Cottontail]

Echoing manic and bam , I notice this with Pete when he first wakes up. He tends to sleep with his ears perked forward, and he’s always had really thin fur on his ears, with very well defined blood vessels. It’s easy to see with him that those veins are not as full and the ears are a bit paler. Once he gets moving or grooming his ears they get more pink and warm back up. They can get almost hot if you touch them right after he’s done playing and running the bunny 500. Although they are a good thing to keep an eye on, health wise, I think it’s important to remember that it’s one of the bunnies’ best heat exchangers as well.
I can’t really sit still too long without my nose, hands and feet getting chilly; it drives my husband nuts sometimes and I repeatedly hear him tell me to put on some socks, gloves, etc. Yay low blood pressure! lol

[Author]

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