Bunny burrito: I am doing something wrong?

[Lucky Star]

I have watched the videos and read the guides on how to do it. I tuck the edge under Cinnabun’s feet and I wrap him up nice and snugly (but not too tight as he is currently having respiratory problems). Yet he ALWAYS escapes! Within seconds! He ducks his head down, moves his legs, stretches, and before I can move (since I am trying to get the meds into his mouth) he is free and running away as fast as he can. The one time I managed to stop this, he chewed a hole in the towel in five seconds that was large enough for him to get out. 

The main thing I am worried about is his safety. I know this method is supposed to stop him from kicking out his legs and breaking his spine, but if he is escaping, does this mean that the towel is also not working to keep his legs and spine safe? 

Also, I have tried it on a counter in a room he hasn’t been in before, but he still tried to escape. I was able to throw the towel over his head to stop him from running off the counter but that was clearly his intent. 

I have managed pretty well with getting the meds into him (he sits quite nicely in my lap and behaves well most of the time), that isn’t my main concern. My main concern is that it isn’t safe for him. How do I know if it is working to protect his spine form his powerful legs? 

There is one medicine that he hates that I have to give to him and he always fights me on it. I need to be able to do the bunny burrito as there isn’t anyone else available to help me on a regular basis, so I need to be able to feed him the medicine alone. 

Thanks everyone!

[Aeyja]

I don’t know how to do the bunny burrito, so can’t help you there, but when I need to give medicine I sit on the floor on my knees with my legs slightly apart resting on my heels (hope that makes sense!). Then I grab the bunny as he runs past, spin him around and stick him between my legs so his head is facing out and his butt is against me. Then I crouch down over him with one hand on his chest so he can’t go foward, and also using that hand to prop his chin up, and the other hand works the syringe

I hope that made sense, but I found that’s the easiest way to get meds into him with only one person.

[JackRabbit]

The ole grab-spin-stick! I’m convinced my bunnies excrete an invisible oil that makes them super slippery. *At least* half the time, catching one of my bunnies is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands. Aeyja, how/where do you grab your bunny?

[Aeyja]

I know what you mean JR! I grab him just behind his shoulders, I guess the equivalent of grabbing a child beneath their arms. He’s big though, so there’s a lot to grab

[JackRabbit]

I guess I’m always afraid I’m going to break them! I know how you’re supposed to pick them up, but as soon as,I *think* about putting my hand underneath, they *know* and start to take off before I even get there.

[EstherBun]

When we had to give our bun meds, we started off with the burrito method and had the most luck setting the towel on the floor and quickly wrapping around her tightly so that nothing was exposed but her head, I would sit back in a recliner or lean back on the floor, cradling her feet and her head to keep her still so she didn’t thrash, I always gave her a treat after. She had quite a few issues requiring medicine, eye creams, and since we always gave her a treat, eventually, she would let me pick her up, lean back in a recliner, with one hand on her back, one on her head and give her the medicine, then she stared at me for her treat lol. She got so used to it, for the eye ointment she would just sit perfectly still until we were done and remain seated until she had her papaya.

If your bun is thrashing that violently, the burrito may not be tight enough which could stress him out more. It sounds like you’re doing it right but maybe a little loose. We would pick her up and set her down so we knew her leg position and everything was good so I knew we wouldn’t hurt her. You could also have your vet show you, they had to help me, because the first time they told me to give her meds I made her demonstrate because she hated being picked up and I saw no way I could do it lol. Good luck !

[Lucky Star]

Thanks! Luckily Cinnabun is a VERY good bunny! He lets me pick him up (he isn’t happy about it, but he lets me), but I’ll try to wrap him up tighter to see if that helps. I tried the on the floor method but it wouldn’t work. Somehow, when he is sitting in my lap instead of on the floor he doesn’t realize how easy it would be to escape.

I did have to get meds into his brother last week and that was a horrible nightmare. It was like trying to force feed one of my cats. So much scratching and biting and running away! I’ll try the floor method with him between my knees if I ever have to do it again for him.

PS- Jack rabbit, I know what you mean! I am always terrified of hurting the little guys! I wonder if I had a bigger rabbit if I wouldn’t be as worried if I would still be terrified of hurting them when picking them up. I really wish we could talk to animals so we could just explain that if they ate the meds that they wouldn’t be picked up! 

[JackRabbit]

Lucky Star — I do talk to my bunnies! It’s the reasoning with them part that they just don’t seem to “get”!

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