Giving Pain Medication to Picky Bunny

[M&R]

Hi everyone!

So my Meadow had a surgery (3rd time under anesthetic now) to remove her front teeth. The vet recommended this since her teeth were misaligned and kept over growing for being such a young age (she and her sister are 6 months old now). They told me that there would be a chance they’d grow back (as we all know, if any part of he root is left) and to contact them if they did. Well about two weeks later I noticed fang-like teeth coming out so I called the vet and booked her for an appointment today. She had another surgery today to remove the peg teeth they said they didn’t remove last time because they were broken.
Long story short – the first time she had teeth extractions, it was a nightmare giving her metacam (pain medication). She let me give her some on the first day (with some struggle) but put up a BIG fight the day after that, even after I tried putting her in a towel burrito (which has worked for me cutting her nails). I was too scared she would end up hurting herself thrashing about so we left it. I tried putting it in some banana and on some greens but she wouldn’t touch them with the metacam on it – she has always been really picky with trying new things. Usually won’t try it unless her sister does first but they started fighting a while back and they haven’t been together since. Trying to re-bond them currently but the surgeries have set us back.
The vet this time recommended mixing the metacam into some strawberry jam. It’s been sitting in her hutch now for about 4 hours and she hasn’t touched it. She runs away from me (has been doing this since she was under anesthetic for the second time when she opened her spay incision) when I try to put her back in her hutch or even go near her to pet her which makes me really sad, because I imagine she just associates me with lots of uncomfortable handling from looking at her spay incision often and checking in her mouth often to see if her teeth were overgrowing. I know she must be painful and I just don’t have any idea how to get her to take her metacam . I know I can probably fix our relationship down the road with lots of time and patience but that’s also super difficult when she’s not keen on treats.

Any and all help is appreciated!!

[kurottabun]

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?

[DanaNM]

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!

. . . 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]

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.

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.

[M&R]

Thank you all SO much.
Took the tough love approach and gave her the meta cam exactly how Wick showed in the video. She wasn’t happy but at least I got it in!
Wish I had reached out after the first surgery, but I’m happy she’ll have the appropriate pain management now and I feel a little better knowing I can give her medicine without her hurting herself.

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