I need advice on force feeding

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

OK.

I am supposed to be force feeding Rye a paste of water/his pellets in this massive gnarly big syringe. I have not seen him eat, though yesterday I saw him eat 1 strand of hay. just 1 strand.

He is doing the best damned job ever of resisting the force feeding. Once I think I got some in his mouth he literally spits it all out.

I haven’t seen him poop yet so I’m starting to get concerned, but I need some tips on how to make him eat!

 

[Sarita]

Okay, can you get some smaller syringes and fill them up from the larger syringe? This will take awhile to do but it’s totally worth it for force feeding. That big old syringe is awkward to use and it’s hard to get that in rabbits mouth. With the smaller syringes you will only feed them so much at a time and then when you are switching to a new syringe they will be swallowing the paste.

You will want to fill quite a few of the smaller syringes up per feeding. Try to get the next size up from the 1.0 – ask your vet about the different syringe sizes she/he has too.

[Sarita]

More on this – take the plunger out of the syringe and fill the smaller syringe up from that end and put the plunger back in.

[Scarlet_Rose]

You might want to try mixing some banana or applesauce in it to make it more palatable too along with the smaller syringe.  

Here is a good article:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/medicating.html

I really, really hope he eats soon, otherwise another trip to the vet will be in order.  He must eat.

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

Ugh, okay…I bought a smaller syringe and tried this morning, but Rye literally takes it in his mouth and then spits it back out. I think I got a little in him – and he is drinking water on his own and eating hay on his own… but it’s like his pellets he is rejecting…
I ended up having to cradle him in his arm like a baby to force feed him, and I know I only got a little in him, the rest ended up on him, me and the towel.

[Sarita]

Yes, that is frustrating – is he pooping? It’s good that he’s eating hay and drinking water. Is he eating any of his pellets at all?

Have you tried feeding him greens?

[Beka27]

((((Rye)))) i hope he eats soon. did the vet say there’s anything wrong with his teeth?

[babybunsmum]

i also wonder if he’s eating greens.  poor rye.  was all this stemming from when you found the lump on him?  ((((((vibes))))))

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

I do need to make a trip to the grocery store ; I have offered a baby carrot and some Romaine but he turned his nose up at it.
The vet said his teeth were in perfect condition (she looked all in his mouth too).
He is drinking as I type this, and acting very normal otherwise. I even notice some of his water in his water bottle is gone (he has a bowl and the bottle right now).

I was thinking of mushing up some banana and force feeding that with the pellets mixed in? Maybe the pellets just taste gnarly…they sure freaking smell gnarly after sitting in the water for a while *gag*.

I found the lump after I realized he was acting down this past Sunday. I took him out to cuddle and found the poop under the skin, as I call it, but it had disappeared by the vet visit.

What are some greens you guys would recommend trying?

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

Update: After posting I went to try the carrot and lettuce again … carrot was rejected but he’s eating Romaine lettuce!! Woohoo!!

[osprey]

{{{{Poor Rye}}}}

I too have had difficulty with syringe feeding bunnies.  I was told to use a “cath tipped” syringe, which is the kind they use for injecting subcutaneous fluids because the tip does not clog as easily.  I still had trouble, including the spitting out behavior you encountered.  Supposedly, you can put the tip of the syringe in the side of the mouth behind the teeth and get it past where they will spit it out.  I was never really successful.  When Heather has a sick bunny she often uses the canned organic pumpkin in addition to the pellet mush.  Some bunnies will eat this from a spoon rather than having to force it on them. 

A trick that I have been successful with is to take an herb with a stem ( I usually use parsley or cilantro) and slide the stem into the mouth.  I tickle the tongue and the bunny gets annoyed and bites it.  This will often get them to chew on some and swallow the herb.

[babybunsmum]

he’s eating romaine!  yay!  some greens my buns love are: kale, carrot tops, parsley and romaine.  they also both love celery.

[Sarita]

I would try the pumpkin too rather than the banana as Osprey suggested.

So he’s eating some greens that’s good. Try the parsley & cilantro – they are pretty fragrant.

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

OK, I gave him some apple skin from my apple and he gobbled ‘er up.

[rabbitsmba]

Poor Rye and poor you! Force feeding can be a nightmare. Sounds like it might be time for a bunny burrito! You need to wrap him up in a towel to confine his squirming to a minimum. Do you know about a bunny’s licking reflex? Place your hand on top of their heaad with your fingers pointing towards the nose. Take your thumb and forefinger and use them to pull up the corner of the lips like a “smile”. Place the tip of the syringe in the corner of his mouth and this should trigger his licking reflex. Squirt in some food!

Were you not able to find Critical Care? If not, mushed up pellets is the next alternative. I find using a bigger syringe easier because the mixture can very easily clog up a smaller syringe. And it is completely normal for most of it to end up on the floor, the walls, your clothes and bunny’s fur rather than in his mouth! Just keep trying in small doses throughout the day.

If he is eating, great! Try to stay away from things sugary like banana and carrot until his system sorts out. And if he doesn’t poop soon, back to the vet for some motility drugs.

Good luck!

[thencamebun]

when rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs refuse to eat and are hospitalized we syringe feed them a mixture of stage 1 baby food carrots and critical care.

[Sarita]

Well it sounds like he’s eating I would stop the force feeding if he’s eating on his own. Sometimes rabbits who have had a bout with stasis can take a little longer to eat pellets – is that what he was in?

Actually some vets recommend taking them off pellets once they have had any bouts of stasis but every vet has their own protocol and you would have to do what your vet recommends.

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