Mary Allen
Hot summer days are torture for rabbits. They cannot sweat, only their ears serve as a cooling system. Measures must therefore be taken to prevent heatstroke.
Heute or Heumonat are old names for the month of July. They can still be heard often among the rural population today, although they no longer fit properly since haymaking has shifted to the months of June or even May. On July 23rd begins the dog days, the hottest time of the year, which lasts until August 24th. They are named after the star Sirius in the constellation «Big Dog», which reappears in the morning sky at this time.
We associate the month of July with sun, swimming, holidays, and relaxation. However, the rabbits cannot share our love of summer and the sun. While the wild relatives withdraw into cool burrows in the heat, this is not possible for the house rabbit. Rather, they depend on being cool on hot days. Rabbits can’t sweat; Excess body heat is only given off via the ears, which are heavily supplied with blood. Not only stables but also outdoor enclosures with little shade can quickly become too hot and lead to life-threatening heatstroke.
Cooling Herbs and Leaves
There are various cooling options – simple and more complex. Enclosures and outdoor stables can be shaded; it is important that the air circulation is not obstructed. Airy hanging towels are an easy option; in high heat, they can be wetted, which has an additional cooling effect. Plant shade is particularly refreshing; Elderberry grows quickly, is not gnawed by rabbits, and ensures a pleasant forest climate when planted in open-air enclosures and also around outdoor stables.
If you have a green thumb, you can create small willow structures. To do this, willow rods are inserted about 20 centimeters deep into the ground and kept well moist so that they can root. They can be used to build living tunnels or igloos where rabbits can find shelter and coolness. At the beginning, however, the young willows have to be protected from long-eared ears that are too greedy.
A wet barn environment is also noticeably refreshing. Kitchen plates or tiles placed on the raised level provide the animals with a cool place to lie down. However, they should not have an overly slippery surface so that the rabbits do not injure themselves when jumping up and down. Even more effective are water-filled PET bottles that are placed deep-frozen in the stalls. They are also suitable for mobile refrigeration when an animal has to be transported.
The feed can also be adapted to the season. Traditional Chinese medicine divides food and herbs into cold, cool, neutral, warm, and hot. The European herbal science provides medicinal plants with certain temperature effects. Lucerne is considered temperature-neutral. Strawberry leaves, birch twigs, oak, lemon balm, buckhorn, rose, blackberry and raspberry leaves, grapevine leaves, sorrel, cleavers, and mint are cooling and suitable for rabbits. Dandelion and willow, cucumber, and watermelon have a cold effect. Especially watermelon is eaten with pleasure, refreshes on hot days, and gives the animal energy again. However, Chinese medicine warns that large amounts of cold food weaken the digestive fire; Digestive disorders such as diarrhea and flatulence would be the result. Cold foods should therefore only be given in small quantities. Herbs can not only cool but also support the heart and circulation or deepen breathing: lemon balm, rosemary, clove root, hawthorn, evening primrose, and hazel twigs work in this way.
Injuries Attract Flies
In addition to the heat problem, special attention must be paid to injuries at this time of year. Even if they are not serious in nature, they attract flies. Most are just annoying, but the iridescent green blowfly has the unpleasant habit of laying its eggs on wet wounds or parts of the body smeared with feces and urine. The hatching larvae eat into living tissue which, if left untreated, can lead to fatal shock. In addition to injured animals, overweight animals that can no longer care for themselves and animals with diarrhea are also at risk. Group postures must be checked particularly closely so that injuries are noticed at an early stage.
Spring cleaning in the rabbit hutch is better done in summer. On a hot summer’s day, the rabbits are taken out into the pens, the pens emptied and cleaned with water. The most convenient and thorough way to do this is with a high-pressure cleaner, which makes short work of dust, hay residue, and urine splashes. Wipe off excess water with a broom, so the stable dry quickly. In the evening, residents can return and enjoy their fresh and dust-free dwellings.