Sorry to hear about the troubles

Bunnies do forgive although as you said, it takes time and patience. Just a while back I had to give Kurotta a liver supplement he REALLY didn’t like. Tried crushing the pill and mixing it in a pellet mash (usually his fav) but he refused to eat it. In the end we had to crush it in water and use a syringe to force feed him instead.

He didn’t like the bunny burrito either so we put him on a stool and I cupped both my hands around his rear, pressing firmly around his thigh area as that’s where rabbits use to kick or break free from a grip. A stool would be helpful in limiting them as they are less likely to run or jump from a higher, smaller place.

My husband held his neck/head with one hand, then pushed the syringe in from the side of his mouth with the other. He hated that but we gave him some pellets right after to make the situation a bit better.

Does Meadow have any favourite food at all?

Hi there, dental issues can be so stressful, good you got those teeth out!

My technique is to pick the bun up and put them on my lap, bum towards me, head facing out. I don’t mess with blankets and towels to burrito them (but sometimes put a towel on my lap in case things are messy). I use my left hand (I’m right handed) to hold their head steady with the “C” grip: thumb around the back of the head, other fingers under the jaw, and angle their head slightly up. Use your other hand to deliver the meds, entering just under their cheek, aiming for the spot right behind the front teeth.

Since her mouth is probably sore, she probably doesn’t want you going anywhere near there. Since her front teeth were removed, try to aim for the cheek, behind where her front teeth were. There’s a little gap between the incisors and the molars, and that’s magic spot for delivering meds.

Don’t worry about picking her up, sometimes you gotta do the tough love approach! It also helps to get everything ready, and then wait a while so she doesn’t expect it as much. Just pet her for a while to make sure she’s calm, then scoop her up before she expects anything.

You can do it!

http://youtu.be/N12eJ5vdo4w

This is how I syringe feed Wick. It works very well for us and gets it over with quickly. He struggles, but it’s almost impossible for him to hurt himself, and you have a lot of control.

I think for medical related interactions, it’s important to instill to the rabbit that “This is going to happen no matter what.” If they perceive struggling will get them out, they’ll continue to do so.

I think realistically all owners have a good gauge on what’s a strong, restrictive stance, versus what would actually harm them by breaking bones. A rabbit being allowed to flail can increase the chance of injury. “Force” feed means with force, so even if your rabbit turns its head, if it needs the medicine to treat pain, hold the head so it can’t turn and feed the medicine. It sounds rough, but it’s for 3-10 seconds really, which is much less stressful than 10 minutes of struggling or not getting the medicine at all.