Need help giving medicine

[Laura]

Hi,

Well now that Bambi is all better, Gerald is sick.

I have to give Gerald liquid medicine twice a day.  Which he loved up until yesterday.  So what is the least stressful way to do this?  He hates being handled, I can hardly ever pet him.  Last night I just left him on the floor, put my legs around his sides, held his head and put the syringe in his mouth, which he fough the entire time.  This morning I picked him up, put him in my lap and had him belly up with his head in my hand, and gave him the syringe that way. 

He is also not eating his pellets much and the vet said to give him NutriCal, which he doesn’t like.  Is there anything else I can give him?  Or should I put the NutriCal on his veggies, since that is all he is eating.

Thanks,

Laura

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

hmmm…I don’t know what nutrical is…I’m going to look it up…I’ll brb!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Nutrical looks like it’s made for dogs and cats….Can you snap a pic of the packaging so we can see what it is?

As for least stressful I think what you did with your legs around him is probably easiest… You could try the burrito method, it works but it might be just as stressful

[RabbitPam]

I had to give Spockie a syringe of metacam (sp? The pain killer for his leg) once a day for months. He took it like a trooper, but several pointers:

1. They mixed it with apple flavor to make it taste better. Sounds like Gerald likes the basic taste so OK there.
2. A syringe goes into their mouths more easily from the side. At the tip of their smile. Do the same side each time. It kind of slips in next to his back teeth, and JSS would lick his tongue and I’d see him swallowing.
3. Give it to him first, when he’s the most hungry, before any food. Then either breakfast right away after that or a little treat. Same with dinnertime, or when he’s begging for a treat.
4. I sat next to him on the floor just outside his cage door. I held him against my thigh with one hand, and circled him with the other bringing the syringe up to his mouth from the back/side. He knew he had to take it, so he got it overwith. Circling with your legs is similar.

[babybunsmum]

baby bun fought enough that it was easier to burrito wrap her in a towel on the bath counter & then give her meds.  this works for her because she’s a little off her game when on the counter. on the floor or just picking her up she’d be impossibly kicky.  everybun’s different i think but it may be worth a try… whatever works to get the job done the most quickly! 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi Laura,

I have not had a vet prescribe or have heard of NutriCal being prescribed to a rabbit.  I took at look at this gel supplement and one of the ingredients is cod liver oil. I know this is not just me, but rabbits are vegetarian and do not eat fish so I’m not that pleased with it.

http://www.millpledge.com/preparations/nutrical.htm

I suppose it is O.K. but there are better alternatives and am surprised your vet didn’t prescribe Critical Care instead.  Perhaps you can request this from the vet?  Also have you tried plain 100% canned pumpkin (without spices like the pie mix) maybe mashed up with a bit of banana? You can also soften the food pellets and syringe feed him with it – I know this is the least favored alternative since he is already being administered meds this way. 

I agree, try the bunny burritio method for the meds and let us know how it goes!

Oh also, have you tried some of the more fragrant treats like mint and parsely?  Break up a piece so get the smell going to tempt him.

[Laura]

Sorry for the confusion.  The NutriCal is just for nutrition because he is not eating his pellets.  I don’t remember the name of the liquid medicine I have to give.

Cinnamon was on NutriCal for a while, when he was really sick and lost a lot of weight; he loved it.

My friend that has 11 house rabbits also uses NutriCal.

I will try giving the liquid medicine before he eats.  Will see if that works.

Thanks,

Laura

[Scarlet_Rose]

Ah I see. Well hopefully it will be better on the both of you soon.

[Hedi]

When my buns were on Metacam I would hollow out a raisin and fill it w/ the medicine. It worked!

[jellyrose]

When we had to give Edward antibiotics he hated it… nothing we did would stop him struggling. My bf devised the stealth method, also using a raisin. He stuck the raisin on the end of the syringe (making sure the hole wasn’t blocked) and when Ed bit on the raisin “SQUIRT!”. Worked every time as he could never resist a raisin!!!!!!!

[Cadbury]

That’s similar to what I did with Cadbury, except I used a banana. Smear a little on the edge of the syringe, and when they go to lick it off, try squirting it. Good luck!

[Staja]

Something that worked for me, when I had to give Warren his Metacam, was taking him into another room that he wasn’t used to. He shares my bedroom, and he would fight me to no end when I tried to get him to take the meds.  Once I brought him downstairs to the kitchen, he just opened his mouth, and gulped it down!

[Laura]

Banana. 

Raisin.

Will go to the store tomorrow. 

Thank you!

Laura

[Gravehearted]

I’m a fan of the bunny burrito method – but honestly if you can sneak it in some food it likely will be much less stressful for him.

[Lisa_43]

When giving medication is the bunny keeps trying to escape I do the bunny barito, see bunny info and the link is below.

 

Sorry just saw your reply Gravehearted, as I am working now I rush through the threads.

 

binkybunny.com/Default.aspx

[Gravehearted]

how is is going? did the treat method work?

[skunklionshow]

I had a heck of a time force feeding & medicating Leo.  I found out by chance that he would readily eat it up if I put it on a spoon for him.  I couldn’t syringe it into his mouth, it really stressed him out.  He would eat all of his meds etc if it was on the spoon.

[Laura]

I mushed up a banana this morning, put his medicine on that, mixed it up and he ate it all!

We will see tonight if he will go for it again.

Now if I could just get him to eat his pellets. I tried making pellet mush before but it didnt work. Though I don’t think he has lost any weight, and is still eating veggies, so I’m not too concerned. Sometimes he eats them, sometimes he doesnt.

Thanks!
Laura

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Great job on the banana mush!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Have you mixed the pellet mush with the banana? That might work too.

[reds2212]

I’m giving my bunny Baytril tablets right now and I have to put them in the food processor. She’s great with liquid medicine but pills, forget it! The vet said to mix a little bit of jelly in with it and it has been working. I put it in a little dish and leave her alone with it. She eats it a little at a time but will finish it within one hour at the most.

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