Syringe Feeding

[ChrisL1976]

Per my other post, I thought I’d see if you all had a new tips for syringe feeding.   Maybe we are not doing it correctly.  The first part of this week we’d just pick him up and hold him like a baby, head slightly up higher than his body.  He quickly realized if he flings his head around, that makes it harder for us. We started holding his head which worked for about a day and now he’s twisting everything.  Last night we wrapped him on a towel and he just used the towel to spin his entire body around even easier.  I’m thinking we need to wrap him tighter.

My wife is so worried we’re going to do it wrong and he’s going to inhale the food or liquid.  Our first rabbit past away 5 yearsa go from a severe case of pasturella. It came to where  we were syringe feeding both food and liquids.  He ended up one night starting to weeze a little and 5 hours later he was gone.  The first vet we took him to said most cases of this end up passing from pneumonia  which may have been the case with him. Did we cause it or was it just the end result of the disease.  Who knows. 

Is there any good tricks to feeding foods and liquids?    Is holding him upright better than on his back (45 dgree angle up)?    more Straight up and down?   Trying to feed him right side up?

Anyone have a resources for the amount of liquids to give him.  He’s just under 7 pounds.  Although I’m sure we can get this from the vet as well.

 

Thanks for all the help

Chris

 

 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

For syringe feeding I usually hold them like a baby (do you know how to trance? does your bun trance) you might try trancing first then moving to a baby position. Always aim the syringe into the cheek and sideways not down the throat. I just put some in and then let them chew. Even if it’s in the front part of the mouth or the lips, they’ll eat it, no need to try to put it down their throat!!
Don’t know if that helps at all?
The only other way I’ve done it, with a rabbit I couldn’t tip over (he had surgery on his back and I didn’t want to touch his incision) was to put him on a countertop (so he’s out of his element and not likely to fuss as much) put a hand behind him so he can’t back up and then put it in his mouth, so he was in a standing position. It was pretty hard, he definitely did not like the meds and having him upright was difficult.

Here’s some tips on syringe feeding that’ll likely help you more!!

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/medicating.html

I have nothing on how much liquid, I usually just feed about 2-4ml depending on how well they take it at a time. But some of the other leaders are very knowledgable with this stuff and should be along shortly

[Sarita]

What size syringe are you using?

Smaller is better…I mix up my pellet mixture and then put it in the larger syringe and take out the stopper from my 1oz syringes and fill them up that way and use the smaller size. I find that giving them a little bit and then putting them down to actually swallow it helps. It’s time consuming but I find they won’t swallow when I’m holding them. There is always going to be some dripping out.

Most of the time I do have to wrap them in a towel or else they will kick – just depends on how sick and how hungry the rabbit actually is.

[Sarita]

Also I would ask the vet about doing sub-q fluids at home if you are worried about dehydration – it sounds like you have experience with this from your first rabbit who passed away.

[Binkles]

Perhaps this is a little over-the top, but I personally am weary about baby-cradling when syringe feeding because it seems like it would be easier for them to accidentally inhale it. I always bun-taco’d Binkles so she was upright.

[Sarita]

I also do what Binkles does – I try not to lay them flat down – more propped up if possible.

[ChrisL1976]

we keep his head about armpit level…about 45 degrees tilt up. We’ll try holding him upright, He just tucks his head down and fights it. I’ve been placing my fingers under his chin to keep him from doing that as much.

[Sarita]

I imagine with his head tilt that is part of the challenge as well. It sounds like you are doing the best you can.

My rabbits don’t like me to even touch them under the chin – they pull away.

[Deleted User]

What we did with Boston was lay a towel down on the dining room table. My boyfriend literally put his whole body over her so she couldn’t fling and kick. I slipped the syringe in the side of her mouth past her teeth and squirted in. This worked best for us to control her. It might have been easier for us because at the time she was incapable of hopping or running, so she didn’t have much choice, but she could still kick and scratch. Hope that helps!

[ChrisL1976]

Yeah…Wrigley’s not digging the Bunny-Taco…..We need to work out our wrapping style. He pushes up with his hind legs and wiggles right out of the top. Guess we need to start with a end on his stomach and then catch his back feet on the second time around. He didn’t argue as much with the pineapple juice, applesauce, baytril mix

[KatnipCrzy]

I know for bottle feeding baby kittens, puppies and bunnies- it is not supposed to be done with them on their backs- as a human baby technically is.  They need to be on their bellies and can be propped up- but you want to avoid them inhaling and formula.  So I would say the same would be true with force feeding.  Especially if they are struggling and breathing fast you would not want them to accidentally inhale any slurry.

You could try wrapping in a towel and the person holding uses one hand to close the front of the bunny burrito around the bunnys neck- so the paws can get up to push away or kick.  But when the hand releases the towel- the bunny can wiggle free.

If we get a really naughty cat at work that needs to be pilled- we wrap in a towel to hold the front feet down- otherwise they push and scratch.  Without being able to use the front feet- they can only head toss- which is easier to handle than feet pushing and head tossing.

[BinkyBunny]

With critical care, my vets office showed me the consistency that is “easier” to feed. Keeping it sort of luke warm, and adding a bit more water than the directions suggest – like a thickish tomato soup. It goes down a bit easier and helps with hydration. It can also be helpful with some to get flavored Critical Care. Some great tips from Rabbit.org (http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/medicating.html) include:

Tuck the nozzle into the corner of bunny’s mouth

Point somewhat to the side, so if too much comes out, the bunny will not aspirate. Go slow..less is better than more, give him time to swallow; don’t let fluid go down the lungs.

The whole article (link above) is a good one to check out but you’ll need to scroll down to get to the section on Syringe Feeding.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

*I get points for searching for this pic!*

OK here’s a pick of what I mean…What if you hold the rabbit so he’s upright but held and supported like so…

http://pro.corbis.com/images/CB025081.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B96FF2418-CDF0-454E-A744-1BCD80464740%7D

Any chance you could hold him still in such a position for syringe feeding?

[ChrisL1976]

Any chance you could hold him still in such a position for syringe feeding?

 

Yeah….thats basically how we are holding him….as upright as possible so we can get a syringe in his mouth.  We’ve switched back to holding him without a towel and I preffer it…..I feel I have more control over his movement and he has nothing to push his feet against.  I think he’s starting to realize he doesn’t have much choice. 

[BinkyBunny]

KK – Big points for you because I was searching too and it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be.

[MooBunnay]

I have had to syringe feed a few bunnies, and so I have a kind of odd technique. I kneel down on the floor and position the bunny so they sitting on the floor between my knees, with their bum facing me. Then I sit down on my heels so that the bunny doesn’t really have any room to back up (they would just run into my lap) and can’t move side to side either. I then take the syringe in one hand, and use the other hand to put over the bunny’s chest. The hand over the bunny’s chest can also be used to hold their head up if they are trying to avoid the syringe, just be careful not to press on their throat. I then lean over the bunny (I guess you have to be a bit flexible to do this ) and now that the bunny is totally trapped by me, I poke the syringe in the side of their mouth, behind their front teeth, and give just a little bit at a time. The only way that I have had a bunny get out of this position was by running forward, so that is why I recommend using the free hand to put over the bunny’s chest so they can’t run forward.

[KatnipCrzy]

MooBunnay- they should name a yoga position after what you just described!  We could call it the “Tenting Bunny”.  And for those unforunate enough to have larger chests- that also works quite well to put an arm around the bunny to subdue- as your elbow will keep them from backing up and they will be supported on both sides.  We could call that one the “Smashed Bunny”.  LOL.

Seriously though- sometimes largers chests are useful for restraining animals, sometimes not.  Fortunately I have not been bitten there yet- so until then I will continue to use what advantages I am cursed with.  And if you are holding the animal close to you- there is a better chance that everybody else is NOT looking down your scrub top. 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LMAO !!! Mental pictures heheheh ^^ *tenting bunny* and *smashed bunny*

Seriously though both those positions sound very good as well!

[Author]

Messages