Non liquid medicine administration

[mia]

Any suggestions for giving my clean living I-Only-Eat-Hay bun non liquid medicine like gel types that can’t quite be squeeze into mouth or powdery stuff? Only thing I can think of is putting on top of USB cord or on other bun’s fur since she loves grooming him…

Normally I’d put on treats, sprinkle on pellets, put on veges, etc but this bun just don’t care for these, only hay hay hay.

[LBJ10]

Can your vet not compound the medicine? That at least gets your a liquid form. Then it’s a matter of forcing them to take it, unfortunately.

[Bam]

Top of USB cord is a cunning plan 😄 It’d probably work best with an expensive cord or at least one that’s difficult to replace.

I have only given pills dissolved in water, in a syringe. It’s very common here, to get the dosage right you have to dissolve a pill or half a pill in f ex 5 ml water and then measure up the amount you want. Over the years I’ve done this with metoclopramide, pepcid and bricanyl, as per my rabbit savvy vet’s rigorous instructions. Some dissolved meds can be kept in the fridge for a day or two, but some needs to be mixed fresh each time. It’s not ideal of course, bc it means you waste a lot, but unfortunately it’s often the only way. Pharmacies here don’t compound any meds.

[DanaNM]

I’ve done this with a “pill popper”. They sell them online or your vet should be able to give one to you! The trick is aiming the pill at the right spot. It’s tricky with rabbits though, so liquids are usually easier.

. . . 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.  

[mia]

I did not realize she would be so difficult so I didn’t ask for any alternatives. It’s probiotics that I have to give (since on antibiotics), which I have both in powder and gel forms. Human probiotic powder can be mixed with water so maybe I can try that.

Even giving her the liquid antibiotics was harder than any bun before because she very strongly moves her head. I knew it’d be a big problem when I learned she doesn’t care for any treats or even veges but vet said it was great because she’d have a long life. No care for how it shortens *my* life since I have no bribery methods!

[Bam]

I mix rabbit probiotics with water, both types I use come in the form of  powder.

I agree it’s very difficult when you cant bribe a bun. Bribery is probably  the most useful tool a rabbit caretaker has!

[mia]

May I ask why you have two different ones but same form? I only have two because they were different forms. Just wondering if I need to pay attention to different strains / use different ones for different purposes. All the times I’ve been instructed to use probiotics vets never said anything more than that.

[LBJ10]

Yeah, if it’s just powdered probiotics, you can just mix with water.

[Bam]

I use 2 kinds because one comes as a fluid replacement powder and has a strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae. I only use that one for sick bunnies. Here’s the ingredients list:

The other one I have has enterococcus faecium. It’s a bacterium that is found in the gut of healthy rabbits, but the capsules I can get are for dogs and cats. There’s no liver flavor or other non-veg ingredients in it so its fine for rabbits according to my vet. I use that one for mild GI problems.

Gut health is an area of active research but there’s still so much that isnt understood. How the various microbes interact with each other under various circumstances is extremely complex. No one really knows if probiotics even help. They might be our best bet though.

[mia]

Thank you. First one seems like a very good thing to have on hand for emergencies.

[benjaminbinky]

Hey, when my bunny was needing to take medication he really didn’t want the vet tech showed me a technique to make it easier to give him his (liquid) medicines. He told me to put Benjamin into a bunny burrito (wrap him in a towel snugly) and put my index finger under his chin and lift his head up. Be sure that you’re lifting the bunny’s head by the chin and not the neck. Then put the syringe into the corner of his mouth and slowly administer. This method really cut down on the squirminess and stress for us! It’s a harmless method too. Be gentle but firm.

When I put him into the bunny burrito I would turn him so the right side of his body is facing my chest and I’d put my left arm around him snugly to hold him to me and decrease wiggling. With my left hand I would lift his chin and with my right hand I would administer the medicine.

I can make a video of this if my description is confusing. We wish you the best! <3

[mia]

Took me nearly an hour to administer just two meds to her. I just smeared probiotic gel on her mouth chin area a tiny bit at a time… That little head goes this way, that way, swoosh swoosh quickly, smack me in head several times. And quick jumps up my chest that I have to dodge.

She does not like burrito. She isn’t squirmy at all normally and very easy to pick up and hold. When I do her nails, she basically sits normally in my lap or between my legs and I gently pull a limb; I just have to make sure she doesn’t run off. Burrito her and she freaks out, squirm, bite, body shaking, teeth chattering, etc; hold her firmly and similar happens. She also doesn’t like her eyes covered, except for a rare occasion, and freaks out too.

She’s the only bun ever to just hop into my arms. I’m afraid our relationship will tank after these meds.

[Bam]

In my experience, rabbits become more attached to the person who gives them meds, not less – even if the experience with the meds is very unpleasant. There can be individual exceptions to this of course.

The idea you had with applying the gel on the other’s buns head could perhaps work, esp if you mix it with a tiny little bit of mashed banana? Probiotic gel wouldnt be harmful in any way for the other bun -I wouldnt try this with an actual drug like antibiotics or anything else where you need to get the dosage right. With probiotics, dosage isnt very important, any surplus that the bun cant use will just pass through (Molly Varga, her webinar on GI problems in rabbits).

[Author]

Messages