Bunny won’t take his medication

[gusandjohn]

I just had my 6 month old bunny neutered yesterday and he had a shot for pain and another dose of pain medication at the vets office before leaving, i was instructed to give him his pain medication twice a day. So i was supposed to give only one last night however he refused it and i can’t seem to sneak it in the side of his mouth. This is the first time i have attempted to give a rabbit medication he’s my first bunny aside from one i had as a child i’m used to doing this with pet rats and cats. The cats are easy to trick all i do is pet them they are not even expecting it when i sneak it in their mouths and rats were a breeze i would mix medication in with abit of strawberry syrup and they would drink it all right away. The bunny is not easy he has a collar on right now also so it’s hard to see his mouth when i do get close he sees it and moves away and refuses to let me get the dropper near his mouth. Is it a big deal if i skip the pain medication it’s just a pain medicine no antibiotics or anything. He was tired yesterday so pretty much just rested and today he’s becoming active hopping around his cage and eating. I’m new to bunnies so i don’t know any tricks and they seem to have a lot of things they can’t eat so i’m scared to mix it with something yummy incase he gets an upset tummy, i slowly give him new veggies to see what he likes and can handle along with hay and pellets he really only likes romane lettuce, broccoli, with occasional baby carrots and small celery pieces so far everything else he won’t touch. Iv also closed up the top levels of his cage for now he can’t fit his head through the ladder with the collar, he has 4 levels to his cage and it can be seperated into 2 cages with a latch that hold up a ladder. And should i be keeping him in his cage for a few days i have 2 cats and they are all good friends but i was thinking the cats might get near his surgery area and he goes crazy with the cats and will run and do big jumps with them so i don’t want him to hurt himself playing he’s quite a show off lol

[Poppyhani]

Hello! Good on you for getting your bunny neutered, he might be fussy about it now, but he’ll appreciate you later.

Cut off as much jumping source as you can for at least a week, but it seems you’re already considering that! Lots of people build their bunnies small recovery cages that work pretty well while they rest. You can give him access to an area to play in as long as its mostly flat, but I’m not too sure about the cat thing, myself.

I know you’re worried about upsetting his tummy, but rabbits will usually take medication when it’s disguise. Your bunny will be very uncomfortable after surgery, so for his best recovery, it’s advised to definitely give him pain meds. If you’re not fond of crushing up a banana, both my bunnies get antibiotics a day, and I feed them a raspberry before meal time each. Both don’t seem to realise too quickly that the hole in the raspberry contains their medicine. This is pretty much the only time they get raspberries, but it is a bunny safe berry, and one won’t hurt.

[Sofia]

My bunny got spayed yesterday too! We’re in the same boat then I wrap a towel around them like a “bunny burrito” and then quickly open their mouth and put the syringe in. You might want to be careful that the towel wrapping part doesn’t cause them any pain though, as they did just go through surgery. You should probably give your bun the pain meds, it’s pretty important as they’re probably in a lot of discomfort.

[Boing]

I feel for you. I’ve had to learn that rather quickly myself recently.

Ask the vet for an extension – not sure what they’re truly called, but they’ll know what I’m referring to. It goes on the end of the syringe and makes it an inch longer and more pointy. It stays on securely. I agree cats are way easier. I also wrap my bunnies in a towel on the floor. Escape is near impossible.

[DanaNM]

Usually bunnies should not wear the e-collar…. it is very stressful for them and not usually necessary. Plus then they can’t eat their cecals. Did you vet say why he needed the collar?

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.

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

You can do it!

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

It can be difficult to give rabbits a medication they don’t like. Each rabbit has its own taste and tolerance for different techniques. In my opinion, it’s very important that when you begin an attempt, you do not stop until the medication has been taken, because if a rabbit learns fighting will get it out of the situation, it will continue doing so. So balancing this and stress can definitely be difficult!

This is the technique I use with Wick: http://youtu.be/N12eJ5vdo4w

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.

[Daisy Rey]

Bunnies can be so fussy! Both of mine who have been spayed/ neutered didn’t mind the medicine. Our Daisy loved it! 

I wonder if it’s available in tablet form. My Violet is taking an antibiotic for a UTI and it’s a pill. The vet told us to stick it in a raisin. She LOVES it…chomps it up! 

Good luck, for what it’s worth, our male recovered pretty quickly (as did our female) – they seem to be pretty resilient (at least from the spay/neuter surgery). 

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