Vitamin Supplement Help

[Abby3298]

My bunny, Nellie, has GI issues pretty regularly. Recently she had a really bad case of Stasis that led to bloat and if it wasn’t for the last-minute decision to buy infant gas relief drops I probably would have lost her. When I had taken her in to the vet on day one of not eating, the vet made a comment about how this seems to happen a lot and prescribed me a vitamin B supplement to give her every day. Which is great, BUT the supplement is to be given through a syringe. When she was sick that wasn’t too big of an issue considering how lethargic she was. Now that she is better, she is back to not wanting to be handled and won’t let this syringe near her mouth. Anytime I try to give it to her and I’m restaining her pretty well she’ll turn her head and start biting my shirt. She really hates being handled. I’ve given her other supplements in the past but she liked the taste of them and didn’t care enough to put up a fight. Does anyone have any tips on how to incorporate this supplement into her diet without force-feeding? It’s a liquid supplement and I believe it is called Pet Tinic.

[Bam]

If she gets fresh greens you could maybe squirt some on the veg before you serve them? Vitamin B tends to have a pretty strong taste though, so try with just a little bit for starters.

It is stressful for most rabbits to be restrained and force fed, so that’s obviously not very good unless you absolutely have to give meds or force feed. If you know what’s in the supplement, maybe you could get an edible one with roughly the same contents? Oxbow have vitamin supplements in the form of chewable tablets, I’m sure there are other brands as well.

Rabbits produce their own vitamin bs in their intestines with the aid of their gut microbes. This requires a sound and sturdy gut microbiome (bacteria and fungi, like yeasts, that live in the gut and help break down food into usable micronutrients). A rabbit probiotic can help keep the gut microbiome in good order so the bun can produce enough vitamin b on its own. As for prebiotics (the food the gut microbes live on), hay is the absolute best one.

[Abby3298]

I didn’t think to put it on her morning veggies! I’ll give that a try tomorrow! I’ll also try to get her a hay rack, maybe she’ll eat more hay if it was in more places than just her litterbox. Thank you!

[Bam]

Rabbits often do eat more hay if it is in different places around their area. It’s a more natural way for them to forage for food. Also, found hay often trumps given hay!

[Littlemouse93]

You could also maybe try mixing a little unsweetened applesauce or critical care in with it, so that it’s yummy. Or maybe putting a little banana on the end of the syringe – although if it has a strong taste that might not work as well.

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