Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Rabbit ears- warm or cold?

Viewing 27 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • VelvetLion7
      Participant
      125 posts Send Private Message

        This is kind of a silly question, but are bunny ears supposed to be warm or cold?  Or maybe it doesn’t matter. . . Because I  noticed that Velvet always has really warm ears but Ruby’s ears are always really cold.  Is that a problem? 


      • Desma
        Participant
        182 posts Send Private Message

          I am going to guess that the bunny with the cooler ears are standy uppy ears and the one with the warm ears are a lop eared?


        • Sarita
          Participant
          18851 posts Send Private Message

            Rabbits regulate their temperature through their ears…I think as long as they seem fine I wouldn’t worry.

            And don’t let people tell you they can tell their temperature either by the rabbits ears…that is absolutely not true, the ears are not an adequate indicator or their core temperature.


          • Kokaneeandkahlua
            Participant
            12067 posts Send Private Message

              Huh…well I know that you can sort of get a general idea of the bunnies temp by ears…but not really. You’d need a thermometer.

              My best ‘understanding’ of ear temp, because they use their ears to regulate body temperature is this. If the ears are cold, there is reduced blood flow to them, becasue they aren’t currently trying to cool their temp. If they are wam, there is increased blood flow becasue they are cooling their temp.


            • Sarita
              Participant
              18851 posts Send Private Message

                Good point Desma :~)


              • Karla
                Participant
                1624 posts Send Private Message

                  Posted By Desma on 10/09/2009 09:26 AM
                  I am going to guess that the bunny with the cooler ears are standy uppy ears and the one with the warm ears are a lop eared?

                  That’s exactly how it is with my two bunnies. Right on.

                   


                • Kokaneeandkahlua
                  Participant
                  12067 posts Send Private Message

                    LOL Sarita-we posted at the same time


                  • Desma
                    Participant
                    182 posts Send Private Message

                      I was given this knowledge from the alien bunny rabbits that landed on my roof last night! They told me that the type of ears that the bunnies have can have a lot to do with the circulation!! (actually, it was a good guess)


                    • VelvetLion7
                      Participant
                      125 posts Send Private Message

                        Lols. Sorry Desma, both of them have standy uppy ears. ;P It actually makes a lot of sense that they use their ears to regulate their body temperatures though, Velvet’s ears are really warm but then, he is a fluffball and Ruby isn’t. He keeps all the heat in really well. Thanks.


                      • Sarita
                        Participant
                        18851 posts Send Private Message

                          I’d like to meet your alien bunny Desma :~)


                        • Dextervonbon
                          Participant
                          282 posts Send Private Message

                            Dexter’s ears are always warm and he’s a lop. But when he had GI stasis his ears were really cold. I don’t know if it really had to do with it, but it’s just something I realized at the time


                          • VelvetLion7
                            Participant
                            125 posts Send Private Message

                              =P I would like to meet the alien bunnies too. . . Lol. What is GI stasis?


                            • Sarita
                              Participant
                              18851 posts Send Private Message

                                http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

                                The above article is where I first learned ALOT about GI Stasis and it’s a must read for all of us rabbit lovers.  In my own personal opinion it’s probably the best artcile to answer your question.  I highly recommend you read this.


                              • SophieBun
                                Participant
                                520 posts Send Private Message

                                  A rabbit’s internal organs are very delicate; care must be taken to avoid bruising them and making the situation worse. After a bit of manual massage, try an electric vibrating massager. This seems to be as effective as manual massage, and it’s worthwhile to invest in some type of massager with a large, flat surface that can be held against the bunny’s tummy for relatively long periods. Press the massager firmly against the abdomen, start on low and work your way higher. The bunny may be a bit taken aback at first, but almost every bunny on whom we’ve tried massage has settled down and enjoyed the soothing vibrations. In addition to stimulating the muscles, the massage seems to help break up gas bubbles and ease colic. Massage as long and as often as the bunny will allow and enjoy.

                                  Have you guys tried the massage dvd for bunnies?


                                • jerseygirl
                                  Moderator
                                  22338 posts Send Private Message

                                    When rabbits go into shock their ears can get quite cold apparently. That said it normal for some to have coolish ears, so to tell when there is major changes it is a good idea to know what is “normal” range for your individual rabbits. It’ll also give you an idea when they’re getting too hot etc.


                                  • VelvetLion7
                                    Participant
                                    125 posts Send Private Message

                                      Oh my goodness Sarita. GI Stasis sounds horrible. Eek. I don’t think that Ruby has that, she doesn’t show any of the symptoms. Phew. =)


                                    • MimzMum
                                      Participant
                                      8029 posts Send Private Message

                                        I notice too that all three of my rabbits have very different ear temperatures (by feel) and sometimes they look red, as if freshly scratched. Other times, there is no red to be seen. I assume this is the circulatory system at work, cooling their little bodies.
                                        I wish they had one of the “temple scanner thermometers” that you hear advertised so often on the radio, for bunnies. I just can’t bring myself to *gulp* take their temperature the ‘manual’ way!
                                        Our vet uses the thermometer that goes in the ear, but I’ve heard this is not as accurate as the traditional method.


                                      • Adalaide
                                        Participant
                                        433 posts Send Private Message

                                          I can tell you that I have absolutely no desire to ever take a buns temperature the “traditional” way. She’d never forgive me assuming we ever got farther than her seeing a thermometer and running away.


                                        • VelvetLion7
                                          Participant
                                          125 posts Send Private Message

                                            Lols. I agree with Adalaide. One look and they’d both be off. . . .


                                          • RabbitPam
                                            Moderator
                                            11002 posts Send Private Message

                                              Oh, I don’t know…if you held the thermometer with a woolly fleece mitten they might fall in love.


                                            • VelvetLion7
                                              Participant
                                              125 posts Send Private Message

                                                *smirks* Maybe. . . but I’m still doubtful. . . it depends on what color it is. Lol.


                                              • BinkyBunny
                                                Moderator
                                                8776 posts Send Private Message

                                                  I have asked many resources about this, and just recently reconfirmed it by asking Dana Krempels, who just told me what I sort of all ready knew.
                                                  Ear temperature (because it is regulating the body temperature) can change from hour to hour, even minute to minute. Even COLD ears don’t necessarily mean there is anything negative going on. I know that I have had a very sick bunnies and their ears did not relay that as COLD or TOO HOT (which can sometimes mean fever).  So I really strongly advise people never to rely on their bunny ears temperature if they are trying to determine health issues. 

                                                  As far as how they are regulating their temperature through their ears and what they are trying to do (bring in more heat to their body or cool off their body) then cooler ears could indicate that they are trying to keep heat in, or warm ears could mean that they are trying to cool off. But weather, bunny weight/mass, fur length, are factors and so it is very difficult to use the ears as a gage of anything really useful.

                                                  My vet has told me to practice taking temperatures so that even if I don’t do it fully properly – like I don’t put it in far enough (eeewww!) that at least I’ll have a baseline temp for how I do it, and so if it’s lower or higher than that, then I have some sort of real reference if there is a health problem. It really is the only dependable way when figuring out if there is a “health” problem.


                                                • Monkeybun
                                                  Participant
                                                  10479 posts Send Private Message

                                                    I think I’ll leave the temp taking to my vet… lol.


                                                  • BinkyBunny
                                                    Moderator
                                                    8776 posts Send Private Message

                                                      Monkeybun – I understand, it’s very icky! After losing Rucy and Bailey rather suddenly, and having their ears feel rather normal, as well as currently having senior bunnies I am more apt to deal with “ickville” now. (Though I have to admit, I haven’t put poor Vivian through it yet. I’m not sure she would ever forgive me. LOL) I figure I’ll just do it once in awhile when I do their nails.

                                                      IMPORTANT NOTE: For anyone who is okay with enduring the ick-factor, then I encourage you to be taught by your vet as it you can do more harm if you don’t know what you are doing.   Dana Krempels has an article that includes how to do this too http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html


                                                    • VelvetLion7
                                                      Participant
                                                      125 posts Send Private Message

                                                        Umm. . . I think I’ll leave it to the vet now too. . . maybe later when my bunnies are older I’ll be more inclined to learn myself but for now. . . Thanks.


                                                      • MimzMum
                                                        Participant
                                                        8029 posts Send Private Message

                                                          Well when it comes to whether my bunnies are ill or not, and due to the fact that I am so far away from any services, I just load them up and rush to the vet. It’s worth the trip for me, but I realize it’s not for everyone. If I even hesitated and it was something serious though, most likely they wouldn’t make it, especially if it was a fast-moving illness.
                                                          lolz…Are you kidding me, BB?! I’ve had two kids and I never even had an inclination to take their temps that way, I’d be a wreck trying to do that to the bunnies! xD


                                                        • Arav Chowdhury
                                                          Participant
                                                          1 posts Send Private Message

                                                            Hey guys, i am a new member in this forum.My bunny is not eating anything.And as you guys said,I checked him ears,and it was too cold.Can you please suggest me what should I do now?


                                                          • Bam
                                                            Moderator
                                                            16835 posts Send Private Message

                                                              Dear Arav C, please start a topic of your own on this subject, you’ll get many more answers. Here’s a link you can use: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/afv/post/aff/2/Default.aspx

                                                              How long has it been since your bunny last ate something? How long has it been since he pooped? If it has been 6 hours or more, you should contact a vet. Your bunny might need veterinary intervention.

                                                              A bunny that doesn’t eat can easily get too cold. You can warm the bunny up with your own body heat if you sit the bunny in your lap and put a light (fleece) blankie around it.

                                                              Is you bunny lethargic? Can you describe his present behavior to us? Can you get him to move around? Do you have or can you get baby gas drops (simethicone)?

                                                          Viewing 27 reply threads
                                                          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Rabbit ears- warm or cold?