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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Trying to syringe feed

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    • Rufus
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      334 posts Send Private Message

        Hi guys

        It’s been ages since I’ve been on here but everyone was so helpful when I first got my bunny and was trying to find my feet with him (panicking constantly) I’m hoping someone might be able to help me out again! I’ve got kind of a long story here, so feel free to skim to the end

        Rufus is four an a half now and we just made a big move to another state in Australia. I still don’t have anywhere to live properly but I’m staying with some people and Rufus is living in an art studio on their property and I’m spending as much time as I can with him out there on top of starting a new, high stress job. On Good Friday as I was sitting down on a cushion in his big play pen, he somehow managed to get between me and the cushion. He squeaked a bit and then stamped his feet at me a bunch of time. I was completely distraught although at least I really don’t think I put much weight on him at all. Within the hour I had him at the emergency vet who checked him very closely and couldn’t find anything wrong with him. She worried he might be favouring one paw so gave him a pain killer injection.

        We got home and I was watching him extremely closely as you can imagine and noticed that while he looked like he was eating hay, he was just chewing on it for a really long time and then dropping it again. His mouth was moving a lot more than normal too. I called the vet I’d seen and she suggested Critta Care (Australian critical care that I had for emergencies) and keeping an eye on him. I syringe fed him some Critta care that night and the next morning and then took him to the vet I had been recommended as being rabbit savvy on Saturday morning. She examined him again and said that she could find no problem whatsoever except for potential spurs growing on his back teeth. She gave me Critical Care and told me to keep a eye on him for the long weekend.

        Since then I have been syringe feeding him four times a day. It started horribly then I got better at it and now it’s nearly completely impossible. Yesterday he went to a different vet at the same rabbit savvy practice who said he thought it was definitely dental spurs and had nothing to do with the accident on Friday. They kept him in and fled them off but as I was leaving he told me to keep syringe feeding for a few more days until he’s eating fully on his own.

        Last night he was eating more hay than before but not enough to keep going. He’ll eat rocket (arugala) and nibble on kale but not his normal amount of veggies. Completely off pellets.

        I guess my main question is if anyone has any tips for syringe feeding Critical Care. At this point he is completely and utterly traumatised by being restrained and syringe fed. He’s twisting out of every single bunny burrito I can work out and he’s so desperate to avoid the syringe that he’s nearly breaking his neck to avoid it. I have scratches all over me and am worried he’s going to injure himself. I tried just feeding it to him in a bunch of different ways on the floor but right now he’s triggered just by the smell of it. I’ve also tried mixing it with apple banana organic baby food (he loves banana). He won’t eat it from a bowl and now if I manage to get the syringe in his mouth he often just refuses to swallow and then spits the CC out again.

        I’m in a new place with no support, utterly stressed out of my mind and both me and Rufus are growing more traumatised by the minute. Any ideas?


      • DanaNM
        Moderator
        8901 posts Send Private Message

          Try mixing in some canned pumpkin. My Pip wouldn’t eat the CC well before, but if I mix a bit of unsweetened canned pumpkin in, he came running up to the syringe and takes it willingly! So cute!

          I found the most success having Pip on a towel on my lap (no bunrito necessary). I hold his head with my left hand, 3 fingers under his jaw, thumb on his head, and then come in from the side with my right hand. Go slowly and stay calm. Act like you are giving him the yummiest treat in the world. I swear it helps!

          Aim for that sweet spot behind the incisors. This video is good (I’ve seen some bad ones), and on par with what our vet showed me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg. Basically I am controlling the bunnies head with my thumb and index finger.

          Also, our vet said the CC should be the consistency of “pancake batter”, and mixed with warm water so it’s a luke warm temp. And seriously, try the pumpkin! Pip would spit most of his CC out until I added in a bit of pumpkin. World of difference.

          You should also offer some other veggies, especially fragrant herbs (cilantro, mint, fennel, basil). Dandelion is also great.

          You can do it! You will get better!

          . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


        • Muchelle
          Participant
          1141 posts Send Private Message

            at least in my experience I find that the burrito makes my bun much more scared, so I never do it. I grab him, put him in my lap and then see what position he’s feeling like. Do mind the consistency of the CC, as Dana said! Lukewarm CC seems a bit more tolerable, indeed.

            Also, since he’s got dental problems, once he’ll be up to eating hard stuff again (will take a few days, up to a week sometimes for my bun) try to introduce hard pellets made of pressed hay (for example Bunny Traum, that I believe is simply called Bunny Dream in its english version) and up the intake of hay and grass. It will help a bunch to slow down the re-growth of the spurs or even make it so that they won’t ever have time to grow back. As you may have guessed, my bun’s a bad dental case so do write me if you need tips! Good luck!


          • Rufus
            Participant
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              Thank you so much guys!

              I’m just a bit on edge with it all, it feels like it’s been the longest week of my life. Rufus is a real snuggle bunny but he’s so defiant and wriggly if you do anything he doesn’t want to do.

              I can’t find canned pumpkin in Australia but I did get some sweet potato, carrot and apple baby food that I’m going to give a go in case the smell of that is stronger than the banana smell. I’ll also give him a try on my lap holding his head like you said. Last night I watched so many youtube videos of people syringing their completely still calm bunnies Critical care it just sent me into complete despair. Thanks so much for suggesting a different one, I’ll give it a watch as soon as I get home.

              The warm runny consistency was working for me for a while until he had enough so I followed some other advice and went with a thicker texture. Maybe now he’s had a break from it, he’ll take it runnier again.

              I’ve had to take him down to three feeds a day because I really can’t take any more time off my new job to run home and feed him. So now I’m just sitting here worrying about him! Many thanks for talking me down a bit. I think I just needed some support!


            • vanessa
              Participant
              2212 posts Send Private Message

                I have been syringe feeding Lancelot for 3 weeks now. hWhiel he was still feeling sick, I coudl hold him like a baby and feed him no problem. Now that he is feeling better, he spits it out. It’s a mess. SO I suck up some veggie juice at the tip of the syringe, and I feed him while he is sitting. There is some restraint, depending on hsi mood, but nothign like a burrito. I might just hold his chest and jaw. And recently – he isn’t interested in that either – so I give it to him like poridge and he laps it all up. If the syringe is too traumatic and sitting doesn’t wok, try giving it to him like poridge.


              • jerseygirl
                Moderator
                22338 posts Send Private Message

                  {{{Rufus}}}

                  While im happy to “see” you here, Im sorry about the circumstances!
                  Definitely try like they do in the video Dana posted. And lots of smaller feeds is better, so just do those when you are home. Remember, they will often sleep the day away and not eat a lot then, so his getting his majority of food later, in the evening, should be fairly normal.
                  How are his poos looking? If he’s eating hay now, you might be able to reduce the CC feedings. Another thing to try is soak his regular pellets and until they fully break down, then offer them in bowl. Though pellets are something they they snub the most when unwell, I find, but it’s worth a try! What about some types of forage like willow, apple leaves, rose leaves etc?
                  One of my buns also has been off her food since easter saturday. She’s taking in some stuff but not normal amounts yet her poos look good. Very confusing. Ive been giving super watery CC and she’s taken it readily enough but Ive only given small amounts. She was letting me pick up her head like in the video. I just had her sitting on my lap but I think with all 4 feet on a counter top, they’d feel even more secure.


                • Rufus
                  Participant
                  334 posts Send Private Message

                    Thanks you so much guys. Kate! It’s awesome to hear from you, it’s been forever.

                    Everything is going so so much better now thanks to all your advice.

                    I fed him four smaller meals yesterday when I got home from work until I went to bed and two smaller ones this morning when I got up until I had to leave for work.

                    I’m using a combination of everyone’s advice. I took him out of his playpen and away from his living space and put him on a table with a sheet on it. Then I sat on a chair next to him so that I could hold him to my left side but more in a cuddly way that a restraining way. I made the CC runnier and added a good slug of Apple banana baby food and then used a smaller 10ML syringe instead of the big 30mL one that the vet gave me. I’m just using gently pressure on his head to hold him still while I get the syringe behind his teeth since he still balks a bit but as soon as it’s in he’s happy to keep eating. I also keep some bananas nearby to distract him and make sure he doesn’t run away. I’ve even been making a big deal of feeding him like it’s a huge treat.

                    Results – Way way less messy, calmer bunny, calmer me, more food goes in, no more scratching and bunny has gone back to being a snugglebug.

                    I’m trying to reduce by a little each day so that he’s encouraged to eat on his own but at least I don’t feel so desperate if it takes another week.

                    Cannot thank you all enough for your help!


                  • jerseygirl
                    Moderator
                    22338 posts Send Private Message

                      Yay! Love updates like this. So glad it all went better for you and Rufus. Lets hope he turns the corner soon.

                      I’m in a new place with no support, utterly stressed out of my mind and both me and Rufus are growing more traumatised by the minute. Any ideas?

                      It’s the worse when they need vet attention on a holiday weekend, but must have been extra stressful for you being in an unfamilar place.
                      Remember, we’re always here – even for non-bunny related things. So if you’re feeling isolated, hop on to BB as there is normally always someone online willing to lend an ear.

                      Sending nose rubs for Rufus! Glad he’s


                    • jerseygirl
                      Moderator
                      22338 posts Send Private Message

                        p.s. Funny coincidence – I was doing an image search of BB about 2 days ago and a pic of your parents dog came up in the results. No idea why! Lol. Anyway, I was all :hearteyes: all over again.


                      • Rufus
                        Participant
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                          That’s so lovely of you Kate. Looking at that message today I feel like I was being over dramatic but I was just so worried I was going to lose the little guy due to my own incompetence.

                          That’s hilarious about the dog pic. She’s four now and weighs over 80 kilos! Giant puppy! She’s the biggest sook of them all though, Rufus is way tougher.

                          Rufus will definitely appreciate the nose rubs


                        • Rufus
                          Participant
                          334 posts Send Private Message

                            Hey again everyone. So it’s been a week since Rufus had his teeth filed down and he’s still barely eating hay. I used to give him parents hay but my new vet said the bale I had was terrible and since I couldn’t get anything better in my new town I got him a softer greener meadow hay. He never seems to touch the new hay unless he occasionally wants to be hand fed the greenest pieces. I mixed in some oaten in case he just didn’t like the change but he still can’t seem to eat it. He chews a piece for like five minutes and spits it out.

                            He’s eating some greens (parsley, choy sum, basil, rocket, carrot tops and cos) but not as much as normal and he’s maybe eating a tablespoon of pellets a day. His poo is smaller than normal but not too bad but sometimes he goes nearly twelve hours between going.

                            The vet told me to stop giving him CC to encourage him to eat more but after 30 hours his poo had got tiny so I started just giving him 2 tablespoons a day to supplement, one in the morning and one at night. A lot of the time he refuses to eat much of it though, he’s lost patience with my new stringing techniques now.

                            He’s bright eyed and everything and very snugly. Not lethargic or anything. Does anyone have any ideas? I’m starting to feel like I’ll have to fight to syringe feed him forever. I just hate watching him chewing on his hay in frustration without being able to eat it.


                          • Muchelle
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                            1141 posts Send Private Message

                              After a molar teeth trimming it’s common that the bun will have discomfort (their mouths are so tiny that it’s possible to nip their cheek or gums with the dremel during the procedure), does he still have some pain/inflamation meds?

                              Also you can try to break down the pellets to tiny bits, so that he can lap them up and eat them with minimal chewing (if discomfort is the culprit). Do keep feeding him CC if necessary, maybe just 3-5ml every few hours so that it’s enough to keep his gut going but not enough to take away hunger.


                            • jerseygirl
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                                Agree with Muchelle ^

                                Also try offer pellet mush or a thicker mix of CC in a bowl. VItamin B in some water for appetite.
                                What about trying some hay cakes or chopped hay/chaff?

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                            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Trying to syringe feed