Suringe feed Baytril

[Muffinxo]

Muffin was at the vets today and was given metacam and baytril for a urine infection. She has taken some metacam but wont go near the Baytril. Is there anything i can do to encourage her to take it? She isn’t a calm rabbit she will fight and fight and im getting really stressed and worried! Any help would be appreciated.

[Benthebunny]

Is it tablets or liquid? If it’s tablets maybe you could mix it with water and squirt it on pellets? Of liquid thanks the same thing without the water.

[Muffinxo]

Its the liquid form Benthebunny, thank you i’ll try that tonight.. Do you think i could mash up some strawberries and mix that with the Baytril and syringe feed? Im so worried and feel under a lot of pressure to get her to take the meds but she is getting so stressed.

[Bam]

You can mix it with banana if it makes her more apt to take it from the syringe. I’m not sure about strawberries. And reward after with sth yummy too.

Healing-vibes for Muffin!

Don’t put her on her back for syringe-feeding. Hold her in your lap or sit her on a table in a bunny burrito. It’s of course ideal if you can get someone to help you feed her. Put the tip of the syringe between her incisors and inner teeth, there’s quite a big gap there. If the tip of the syringe is narrow you might have to saw the tip off with a bread-knife. Go slow, make sure she swallows between each “mouthful”. If someone is helping you hold her, they can put one hand over her eyes, that tends to calm a bunny down.

[tobyluv]

Baytril can have a bitter taste. When my vet has given it to me, they give me a small container of some kind of syrup to mix with it to make it taste sweeter. I never used much of the syrup, so I don’t know how helpful it was.

Are you putting the syringe into the side of her mouth, in the gap between the front and back teeth? It’s often good to have someone help you administer the medicine. One person can hold the rabbit, preferably wrapped in a towel so they can’t escape, and the other can stick the syringe in the rabbit’s mouth. If you can keep a rabbit confined in a towel, and get the syringe in the right spot in their mouth, it’s usually fairly easy to administer it. You could try mixing a little fruit or fruit juice in the syringe, but that just makes more of the solution, which means it takes longer to give them the full dose. That’s why I only used a tiny bit of the syrup each time.

Some people have squirted medicine on a piece of fruit and fed the fruit to the rabbit, but it seems like the rabbit might still taste the bitterness and not want to eat it. I recently saw a video of a person taking a large leaf of romaine lettuce and sticking the syringe into the thick fleshy middle part, which is kind of hollow, I guess, then plunging the medicine into the leaf to feed to the rabbit.

[Benthebunny]

Good luck with muffin! I hope she gets better! Please keep us updated on how she is doing!

[Muffinxo]

Thanks everyone! I blended some berries together and added the mix to her dose of Baytril, she loved it until she got a good chunk of the Baytril at once and she only left a little of the mix. I fed her through the bars of her cage so she was able to choose when she wanted a break. I think the hardest part is getting her to stay still for me, she wriggles and kicks until i let her go and the bunny burito doesnt work at least ive given her one dose today! Hopefully tomorrow is easier, i might phone the vet and see if they can give me any tips or mixes (they know how didficult she can be)

[Benthebunny]

How big is the blanket/towel? maybe it’s too small/big? I recommend putting Muffin on a place like a dresser or a counter wrapped in the burrito so you can stand up while doing it (I find that it’s easier standing up because I can bend my knees to the height that I’m comfortable with) Possiblly cover Muffins eyes? I really hope this helps, good luck!

[Benthebunny]

And maybe put the dose of baytril and the berries in the blender for a few minutes so it will be mixed together properly.

[Muffinxo]

We used a dishtowel and have used bigger before she’s scared of them and runs away. She doesnt like to be handed and gets stressed real easy so i try to avoid putting her on anything she could jump/fall off of.

[Benthebunny]

Hmm.. Sound like your bunny is a little rascal my bunny loves large towels! He poops and pees and digs and chews them! I’m sorry to say I have no advice for you right now but I will come up with something! I will tell you my ideas, and good luck, again, with Muffin and I hope Muffin gets better!

[Muffinxo]

She is a little rascal haha. She doesnt mind when the towels on the floor but when i lift it she runs ? Thanks for your help

[Benthebunny]

How is she doing now?

[Muffinxo]

Update: muffin has been takin her meds every day (i’ve been holding a treat and when she’s nibbling at it i’ve been squirting the meds in her mouth) yesterday i took her to the vet because she wasn’t drinking i was told not to worry because she would be getting plenty of water from her veg and fruits. Today she hasn’t really ate. I really dont think it’s a urine infection she has! I first took her because she had hair in her poops. Since thursday she has been really lethargic just laying about her cage and hiding in her house but when i let her out she’s running around as normal. She’s stopped taking treats from me so today i basically had to pin her down while my other half gave her one dose of metacam i could feel her heart racing and i feel absolutely terrible for it! She also hadnt done any poops today until just now (almost 8pm) and only one pee! Anyone any advice at all? I’m thinking of taking her to another vet for a second opinion.. I am so so worried

[Benthebunny]

Well, if you ar that worried and you think it’s that bad then take muffin to a second vet. How long was it since she has last pooped? If it is more than 12 hours I suggest taking her to the vet right away. You said she stopped taking treats. Would she usually go crazy for the treats? Is she eating hay? Push her to eat hay, hand feed her hay, might I suggest taking a long piece of romaine lettuce and wrap it all around the hay? And only one pee? In how many hours. My bunny usually gives me quite a scare a lot. Sometimes he won’t poop for 4 hours and I get really worried, but than he starts up again. If you are unsure possibly take her to another vet. I am praying for muffin. Good luck.

[Muffinxo]

She’s still nibbling away on her hay she has had some herbs and since my last post she has done a good amount of poops so im happy about that! She is still going crazy for treats just she doesnt trust me anymore to take them from me (because ive been giving her the meds while feeding her treats) i’m worried sick i honestly dont think it sounds like urine infection but i trust the vets to be more informed. She’s only done one pee since in about 11 hours and she still isnt drinking water and only nibbling at veg. I think im going to see how she gets on tonight and tomorrow, she usually fills her litter tray over night with pee’s and poops but when she was well i would be emptying her tray 2/3 times a day. Thanks Benthebunny for the well wishes.

[Benthebunny]

Possibly force her to drink water. It’s probably important for her to drink water so I pull fill the syringe with water and inject it the same as the medecation.

[caudex]

It feels awful to make them do something they don’t want to do. My Sophie is getting baytril and pain meds every day, and diapered, and hair cuts, and butt baths once a week…she’s not excited about it at all. But she doesn’t understand that it’s for her own good, so I have to be mean mom and make her do it, as gently as I can. I am diluting my baytril with plain old sugar free juice, 50/50.

If you’re having trouble getting meds into her, and especially if you think you need to give her some water, it might be necessary to force it. She definitely won’t like it, but if you keep her safe so she can’t hurt herself, it will be okay. A second person might help you at first. Get her in your lap, wrapped up if you like, and back her into the crook of your elbow like a football. She doesn’t get to squirm at all. You, or the other person, put the syringe at the corner of her mouth and ease it under her lip. Squeeze a little, (very little! like .1mL at a time) and wait. Too much and she can let it run out of her mouth and waste it. If she smacks her lips and swallows, give a bit more. She might thump and kick and ignore you after, but you’re not doing it to be mean to her. You’re helping her.

You’re doing a great job monitoring her, definitely keep doing it and call the vet if something changes. If she’s eating and poops and plays when you let her out, she might just be pouting. You could also try dunking your herbs in water so there is some moisture in them.

[Muffinxo]

ok thanks caudex, im an emotional mess! i really hoped she would realise its for her own good but thats not happened yet :/ i checked her cage and bowls this morning and she hasn’t finished her pellets from last night and when i gave her veg she had a little but definitely not a lot, she still isnt drinking and it seemed like there was blood in her pee. i dont know what to do.. after 4 days of taking meds surely she should be feeling better by now but it seems like she is getting worse. i have already spent £80+ on vet consultation and meds (£100+ if i go back on wed) and i really do not know what to do!

[Muffinxo]

Caudex is it like diluting juice or fresh fruit juice? I’ll try that tonight, hopefully that works.

[Bam]

You can pour unsweetened apple juice in her water, but give her plain water as well, not all buns drink when there’s a new taste to their water.

She must poop very soon though, if she doesn’t she needs to go back to the vet sooner than Wednesday.

Antibiotics can color the pee red, if there’s blood the blood is most often not uniformly red.

[Muffinxo]

I did put a little apple juice in her water on friday but the vet told me to give her plain water as she could end up with diarrhea :/ she is back to pooping (not as normal) she mostly poops and pee’s through the night. her pee is basically the normal colour but with little spots of reddish/pink colour through it.. I called the pet insurance and was told i was covered, i have made an appointment for after work today but have advised the vet that i would cancel if her pee is back to normal and she has began eating again so here’s hoping!

[Benthebunny]

It sounds like Muffin is doing better  You mentioned red or pink colour in her pee. I would guess thats blood. poor baby.

Healing ((vibes)) for Muffin 

[Muffinxo]

Thank you Benthebunny.. Yeah i think its blood too. If she still hasn’t finished her breakfast veg when i get home i’m gonna take her down to the vets, she’s just been lazing about her cage the poor soul <3

[Moothebun]

Here to tell you there is a light at the end of that tunnel. I have been on baytril for almost a month now and when we first started Nala refused to go anywhere by it. When I first smelt it, it had a different smell to it due its lack of the artificial flavoring we were used it. It took about a week but I started to associate baytril with a treat and now she’s tails up when it comes to taking her meds. Then when I set her down she stands on her back legs and stretches for her treat. Try that. Bunny are very motivated when they find out they will get something out of being good little buns.
Nala is currently being treated for pasteurella. But there is no light at the end of that tunnel yet. Good luck!

[Benthebunny]

How did the vet go?

[Muffinxo]

Thanks Moonthebun its sort of nice to know im not the only one going through this! The vet i saw yesterday was brilliant, she gave Muffin three injections (one for antibiotic, one for painkiller and a gut stimulant) and gave me powder Recovery Plus. I think the gut stimulant worked a bit she started picking away at food as soon as she got home (not very much hay though) i tried giving her the Recovery Plus last night but she got so stressed and frustrated we had to give up and hope she started eating again – I have 20+ scratches from this This morning she was due another antibiotic dose but she stressed so much just like the night before and she would move her head away any time she saw the syringe.. she struggled so much she drew blood (i think something happened to her nail) not a lot of blood just a little.. i cannot put my bunny through this anymore! I think i’m gonna have to say to the vet i cant do it.. she makes it impossible!

[Benthebunny]

Aww.. hopefully she wil cooperate. 

[beebun]

Oh no muffin healing vibes! I hope she feels better soon! Hang tight there!

[Muffinxo]

really worried about her little paw, she didnt even let me look and see what she had done or how bad it was but she was hopping about the cage after so i guess it cant be too bad, hopefully she’s nice and calm when i go home and i’ll give her a check over. Praying she is eating!

[Benthebunny]

My rabbit lost alot of whole toenails because we couldn’t find clippers. He held his front paw up sometimes when he broke a nail on there, i think she will be fine.

[Muffinxo]

UPDATE: Last night my partner suggested taking Muffin in to the bathroom to give her her meds (new environment) i let her out in the shower tray and closed the door behind me she backed up into the corner and took her meds really well she didnt kick/scratch/try to escape she just flinched sometimes when the meds came out! Very pleased with her think this will be the norm from now on When i woke up this morning she had finished her nuggets and was drinking from her water bottle (first time since Thursday!!) She really is on the mend and i cannot thank you lot enough for the healing vibes and support. Thank you!!

[Vienna Blue in France]

A big YAY for Muffin !! What a relief !

[Bam]

So glad to hear it! Get well now Muffin!!!!

[Muffinxo]

Massive relief for me especially after yesterday morning! The best part is she is still giving us kisses!! I think she has started to realise the meds make her better. Thank you again!

[Benthebunny]

Thats great! Hope she has a speedy recovery.

((speedy recovery))

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