Injectable penicillin

[Sparky04]

My rabbit, Ava, was diagnosed yesterday with cancer. She’s on several medications including injectable penicillin for 3 weeks. The problem is she is closely bonded to our other rabbit, Mordecai. The vet said it was best to keep them separate but if they got too stressed, we could let them together 2-3 hours after her injection. They both got stressed being separated and Mordecai wouldn’t even eat treats, so we decided to let them be together again but I want to take every precaution. I cleaned her back off with a wet cloth after the injection and waited 5 hours before introducing them again. Should I cut some of her fur shorter on her back where I give the injection to make it easier to see any spills? She’s a fluffy white rabbit and the medicine is white so I worry about not being able to see it. Has anyone had experience with one rabbit of a bonded pair needing injectable penicillin? I want to keep him safe, but she might not even have 3 weeks left and I don’t want her to be miserable. And I’m worried about him getting too stressed since he’s an older fellow too.

[LBJ10]

Hmm… I would think if you massage the area to make the the penicillin dispersed and then wipe the area clean, you should be OK. I think the biggest concern is the penicillin leaking from the injection site and then another rabbit potentially licking it. But others can correct me if I’m wrong.

[Wick & Fable]

In terms of separation, did you separate them completely via room? Did they still appear distressed if just separated by a pen wall? Also, just to provide another perspective, there are times we assume feelings onto our rabbits that aren’t actually there or not to the degree mentioned. I would think 2-3hrs of proximal separation could be OK. Perhaps you can time the shots during a time they are both lazy and not doing much?

I don’t know how common/easy it is for penicillin to leak out… I’ve never heard anyone getting this precaution before actually. It seems a bit extreme, but would putting a shirt on for a few hours work if separation is not possible? Though I imagine it might become a picking hazard itself. My concern with trimming the fur is that the texture change might actual gravitate your other rabbit to groom there.

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.

[Sparky04]

I’ve been doing her meds in the morning, then keeping them separated during the day for about 5-6 hours while I’m in class, and let them spend the evening and night together. I’m locking her in the pen and letting Mordecai have free run of the rest of the room. They seem to be okay with that. I feel anxious even doing that and am obsessive about trying to clean her back after the injections. I did think about getting her a shirt/cover of some sort, maybe something with velcro because she will absolutely throw a fit about the whole thing and I can’t even imagine fitting something over her head like a sweater.

[Wick & Fable]

This may seem… odd, but I am just wondering about how legitimate of a concern penicillin coming out actually is. For example, the rabbit itself (not even the bond mate) can simply reach back and groom the spot. When I gave my rabbit injections daily for 3 weeks, the vet never mentioned keeping an eye out about it… Without hurting your rabbit, is it possible to administer a shot and just gently press around the area to see how easy it is for penicillin to actually leak out? As previously mentioned, you can do a slight ‘massage’ to help it sink in (though the legitimacy of that, I’m unsure. It’s something we do with humans so I assume the mechanisms are the same for rabbits!).

I’m reading that they seem OK with the separate arrangement, and it’s you who is anxious for doing it– there are so many times we need to do things for our rabbits’ sakes and we feel bad about it. It’s totally possible for us to feel crappy about it and it being the safest/wisest thing to do. For example, my Wick has been confined to a small pen for over 2 months now due to a paw injury. Poor guy doesn’t understand why he lost his free-roam status, is frustrated, and I’m sad about it, and it is the best thing to do to ensure the paw heals well and is as set as possible before he’s allowed to sprint around/binky in free-roam space. All to say, if they seem OK with it and there is veterinary concern about your rabbits being together following a pencillin shot, the separation is simply temporary and will likely be tolerated well by both rabbits during this time.

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.

[DanaNM]

When I had to give pen-g injections to one from a bonded pair I never separated them (but caveat that the other bun didn’t do much of the grooming in the pair). If it’s injected properly there really shouldn’t be any coming out. I think trimming the hair is a good idea if it helps you see. I think separating for that long is pretty excessive.

After you inject it, just be sure the fur area is totally dry. The main issue is not it coming out from the injection area, it’s more if you accidentally stick the needle all the way through the skin tent so the med comes out the other side, which you should notice right away even with a floofy white furred bun.

I think once you get the hang of it after a couple days you probably will feel less like you need to separate them.

. . . 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.  

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