Help feeding critical care or wrapping him up?

[liza]

I went to the vet yesterday and my rabbit has GI stasis. The vet gave us critical care to syringe feed to him but we are finding it IMPOSSIBLE to wrap him up in a burrito.  Any tips on wrapping a wriggly bunny? or a better way to feed him his critical care? He is uninterested in just eating it normally, and he needs to be syringe fed or he won’t eat it. Is there a technique that works best? should we put him on a table or wrap him up on the floor? I feel so bad that we can’t feed him easily. Any help is appreciated!

[Serenity]

I have to burrito my bunny sometimes, but mostly because she sometimes won’t let me carry her if she’s not burritoed and I have to pick her up to trim her nails. I set a towel on the floor and put some treats on the towel (though if he won’t eat, I might suggest just putting him directly on the towel). Then when they’re not expecting it I grab the ends and lift it up so they are helpless to get out. It seems cruel and mean, I know. I don’t pick them far up off the floor because if they fall it could end in injury. Then as fast as I can I wrap the ends of the towel that I am holding around their middle and hold them to my chest so they can’t wiggle out. The bigger the towel, the better just make sure their face isn’t in there or they could get smothered. Don’t know if this helps but I hope so. Good luck and hoping your little one gets better!

[Serenity]

OH, also, you might want to mash up some banana and add it to the syringe? I don’t know if this will do something to the critical care inside, so definitely get a second opinion first, but I’m relatively sure it will be okay. Anyway, I might mash up the banana and add it to the syringe and let him smell it. Banana has an overpowering smell so he just might want it. Worked with George at the vet. Again, good luck!

[liza]

Thank you so much for the tip! I will definitely try that. Having him on the floor seems like the safest and easiest way to get him wrapped up.He already seems like he is feeling a lot better than yesterday, but he still does not want to eat his critical care.

[Luna]

Luna loves critical care, so I never had to try this but I’ve read here that (as Serenity suggests) you can try to “hide” the critical care in other foods. Banana would definitely work, but due to its sugar content you won’t be able to give it more than once, so you might want to try canned pumpkin(?) – I think that’s the food commonly used. That’s good that he is feeling better . Is he back to eating his hay yet?

[Wick & Fable]

When I was giving Wick syringes regularly (twice a day for 3mo; URI treatments), the best way was to make a ring with my fingers and put it around his neck. There’s no pressure against his neck, but the ring size makes it very hard for him to move forward (shoulder blades can’t get through finger ring) or backwards (jaw can’t get through finger ring). I have him on the floor, me sitting behind him with my knees touching his bottom so he cannot back up. That’s how I did it with Wick. Admittedly, Wick is pretty sheepish with syringes when I present him with one and he doesn’t want it (ie. I’m offering him water because I haven’t seen him drink it in a while). He sinks his head down and looks down, so sad to see, but it means he understands there are some circumstances where I do need to give him syringes when he doesn’t feel he needs it. Like medications. Of course, everything is always followed by pets and it’s accompanying teeth chatter.

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.

[liza]

My rabbit doesn’t really seem to like banana! I know bunnies go crazy over it, but even when he was healthy he wasn’t really interested in it. The critical care is apple/banana flavored lol. Ill see if he likes the canned pumpkin. He is really only interested in his greens. He has eaten just a little bit of hay, but not much so far.

[liza]

I’ve only had Tuck for a few months, and I think this is the first time he has ever been syringe fed. He really does not like to be restrained and tries to get out if we hold him down. I’ll try the ring method, thanks for your suggestion!

[Luna]

Keep trying with the critical care, but if he is interested in his greens then continue giving him greens. Try to keep that gut moving . It can take a few days or longer for a bun to return to his normal eating habits after a stasis event.

[Bam]

The burrito isn’t just to restrain the bunny, it also has a calming effect, like a thunder-shirt for dogs. Apparently wearing sth tight could have beneficial effects for anxious people as well. I don’t know the mechanism, but it seems pretty well tested. When my rabbit savvy vet examined my Bam’s molars with an otoscope she burritoed him first, and the examination went so great. He’s normally stressed out at the vets and very un-cooperative.

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