Tips on feeding Critical Care

[amc107]

Earlier this week, my rabbit developed a mild head tilt and he hasn’t been eating or drinking. I took him to the vet and have been injecting him with 50cc of fluid daily, but I’m having a really hard time getting him to take this Critical Care stuff. It went okay on day 1, yesterday he was a little more fussy. I got him to eat a good amount of greens in the evening so I didn’t give him the Critical Care since he doesn’t like it. 

I gave him more greens overnight and this morning and he hasn’t eaten any, so I need to get him eating this Critical Care. I’ve given him some today, but it’s hard to tell how much he is actually eating because some of it doesn’t make it in his mouth. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get him to take this better? 

I’ve tried putting it on his paws so he just licks it off, but he REALLY doesn’t like that. I have been wrapping him up in a towel and pulling back on his mouth a little bit, but usually he just jerks back. Someone on here had suggested facing the wall and using your knees to pin them down, and hold their shoulders so they don’t back up. Yeah, that didn’t work at all!

He only pooped a tiny bit last night so I’m worried. He generally seems more alert and his attitude seems to have improved, but I know the most important thing is to keep him eating while he is being treated. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[bunnluff]

I have dealt with this similar issue for the last 7 or so months. Pippin developed head tilt last year and was treated and her head was straight and then she started having balance issues this year. So she went on antibiotics for that and now she is once again well and hoping that she stays okay this time! This second time around I picked up some Critical Care at my vet just in case Pippin wouldn’t eat. But she never lost her appetite so I just added the CC to her pellets as an added nutritional boost and she loved it. I added it with Bene-Bac to keep her immune system in check since she was both sick and stressed out. That seemed to be a winning combo. What flavor do you have? We have the apple banana which seems to be well liked. When I tried to feed her with the syringe, she was super unhappy and so I just started adding it dry to her food, not knowing if she’d eat it or not. But in the morning her bowl would be completely empty. Best of luck!!

[amc107]

I have the apple banana flavor. I even added a little apple juice to it to see if he would like it better. I think he is just traumatized by this whole experience and that really isn’t helping. Maybe he is just more stressed out more than anything, and I should try calming him down. When I got him to eat last night, I had spent a long time petting him and he was nice and relaxed.

He’s on a whole slew of meds right now (antibiotics, pain meds, stuff to get the GI tract moving). I have to give him a bunch of shots and oral medication. So on top of him being disoriented, I have to torture him several times a day. I feel so bad for the little guy

[Kbana]

When I had to give Albert meds putting a mushed banana piece on the end of the syringe helped for a few doses until he figured out what I was doing It is so hard when they don’t understand that we are just trying to help. Hang in there!!

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