Whether you have a child or you have a rabbit, it seems like both are the same. They constantly keep you on your toes. From worrying about their food to making sure they exercise and keeping them out of things that are not meant for them, there is never a dull moment around them.
Rabbits are adorable creatures that can live up to 12 years if given the proper lifestyle that they need. For most of the part, they aren’t high maintenance. All they need is good quality hay and a bit of veggie, clean water and a bit of exercise and grooming and they are good to go.
However, life isn’t that easy now, is it? Rabbits tend to be a bit sneaky and are curious creatures. As their guardian, that means they get into situations that can cause you to go into a frenzy. That means often or not they end up eating or drinking something that is not meant for them and you end up concerned about how it will affect their health-wise. And it is a good prudent thing to be concerned since rabbits have a sensitive digestive system and the slightest of changes can upset them and lead to health problems that could have been avoided otherwise.
So, let’s talk about our bunnies and vinegar. How can they come into contact with vinegar? Should you rush to the vet or should you try home remedies? We have the answer to all your questions.
Is vinegar safe for rabbits?
It is not uncommon to have vinegar at home. This acidic liquid not only has various uses but also has different forms and the most popular being apple cider vinegar.
White vinegar is often considered a wonder product when it comes to cleaning. People usually prefer using vinegar as a substitute for bleach since it is organic and is much safer than chlorine bleach.
White vinegar is also a godsend for people with pets, especially people with rabbits. Rabbits are clean animals and that means for them to live a healthy life, their cages have to be kept clean. One major cleaning requirement that is linked to rabbits is their litter box. Rabbits are clean animals and use their litter religiously. However, that also means it requires proper cleaning on a weekly basis. And since the litter box is usually kept in their cage, the cage needs to be cleaned too. Calcium salts are known to precipitate from your rabbit’s urine and they form into this hard substance that sticks stubbornly to their cages and litter boxes. Rabbit owners swear by using vinegar to dissolve these stubborn calcium salts and the way to use a spray bottle filled with vinegar and use it to spray down the dirty parts of the cage. If the soiled parts are stubborn you can soak them in vinegar for 10 to 20 minutes.
While rabbits use their litter boxes, accidents can and do happen. Getting the smell out is the real struggle. Vinegar is also known to help get the smell of urine out of surfaces such as sofas.
This is usually how rabbits end up coming into contact with vinegar. However, if your rabbit drinks the vinegar happily, it is quite strange since they don’t usually like the smell of it, and vinegar is commonly used as a rabbit repellent. So it is unlikely that your rabbit will chug dangerous amounts of vinegar that can be life-threatening.
In order to help your bunny who has drunk vinegar make sure they drink a lot of water to flush it out of their system. You can soak their veggies in water as a way to increase their water intake. However, in the very unlikely case that your rabbit has drunk a lot of vinegar take them to your vet for a checkup.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar Safe?
Apple Cider Vinegar is another form of vinegar that can come in contact with rabbits. In fact, it is perhaps advisable to use this kind of vinegar with your rabbits.
ACV has a whole bunch of health benefits for our bunnies. It is laden with all the necessary vitamins and minerals that are needed to keep your bunny on the right track health-wise. It also is a great substance to help improve your rabbit’s digestion and also works on increasing nutrient absorption via their GI tract. It is also said to help prevent birth defects. It is also great in helping fight off and prevents UTIs in rabbits.
Apple Cider Vinegar is as safe as it can get to drink. It is given to rabbits as a drink to keep them safe from mites and fleas, especially if your rabbit is an outdoor rabbit or if you have other outdoor animals at home. Once consumed, the ACV gives off a smell that the fleas don’t like and thus stay away from.
Rabbits seem to like the taste of ACV and happily drink it when added to their water. This vinegar is safe and so you don’t necessarily have to measure the quantity you add. But it is always a good idea to start with one tablespoon and work your way up to two. Adding too much might not sit right with your rabbit. Also remember, ACV is not a replacement for regular water.
If your rabbit doesn’t drink ACV from the bowl, there is another way it can get into its system. ACV is known to make your pet’s fur healthier and shiner and so when you groom your rabbit, you can apply a bit to their coat. Since rabbits groom themselves they will eventually end up “drinking” a bit of it.
Conclusion
It is highly unlikely that your rabbit drinks white vinegar. They simply don’t like the smell. However, since it is so exposed to the vinegar they can drink some but not to the extent of it being toxic. ACV on the other hand is perfectly safe for consumption.