Bio-Lapis medication - urgent query

My rabbit Poppy came home today from being overnight at the vets with stasis, she had a couple of injections to get her stomach moving and has started doing droppings again. I have been given Bio-Lapis to put in her and her bunny friend's water bottle, but it says one sachet a day with 50 mls water. Have just measured it out and 50 mls is hardly anything and they will run out of water overnight (as well as the fact that the healthy rabbit could be the one to drink most of it anyway). Any ideas what to do, not sure if it will be as effective if I put it in 100 mls of water or 150 mls.

Also I have to syringe Poppy Baytril twice a day and she is virtually impossible to pick up and tends to run off when you approach her, she is in a big enclosure which makes this easier for her. Was wondering if it can be given hidden in food if I struggle to do this? Any suggestions gratefully received as I am very stressed and worried at the moment!

I may be wrong but I think biolapis can be sprinkled onto food too. Check the instructions on back of pack :?
And I think people here have given baytril in a slice of apple or similar to get bun to take it.
I'm sure someone will come along and either agree with me or tell me I'm dreaming! (which is very possible!)

Hi Vanessa. I had this quandry today as well, so I just mixed up 2 sachets in 100 ml and left them to it. It means that you'll have to get another 5 sachets of course in ordr for it to last 5 days. Floss is very difficult to syringe (I've got the hang of it now though:lol so when she was on Baytril I used to put it on a very small piece of digestive biscuit.

Regarding Bio-Lapis, I haven't used it in a while but I've always put it in a little water bowel and given them a water bottle too. I use Avipro Plus with my lot now, which you can buy off the internet. Hopefully, someone can advise further.

With the Baytril, you can hide it in food but it has quite a bitter taste, so they don't always take it. With Inky (who can run much faster then me), if I can't syringe it down him, dare I say, I squirt it onto his front legs, he then washes his paws and gets the medication too.

Lots of vibes

FC xx

I have sprinkled bio-lapis onto food before, although most of it just drops to the bottom :shock:. I have also put it in about 200mls of water. You might have to just put it in say 100mls and get up and refill the water for them.

When ive had to give Baytril before, ive got someone else to help me. They syringe it into the side of their mouth, while i hold them. I do know people who have syringed it into toast

vibes for bun x

Thank you for your replies, all this sickly bunny business is hard work!!

my bunny wouldn't drink the water when I put bio lapis in it - so I mixed it with the water then added it to the Science Recovery that I was feeding at least that way I knew he was getting it.. I read that you are giving baytril, might be worth giving some liquid food with Bio-lapis

Good luck its hard work but they are worth it

I give the biolapis in the 50 ml to the rabbit that needs it, taking the bunny aside from the bonded pair to do it. . Mine love the taste of it and, if presented with a bowl with it in, will drink it in one go until it has gone and then I top up the bowl with ordinary water. That way they get the biolapis as instructed on the packet.

Still having trouble giving the Baytril to Poppy as I just can't pick her up as she starts really struggling the moment I attempt to. I tried to get down on her level and open her mouth a bit to put the syringe in, but she wasn't having any of it, I ended up kind of chasing her around with it and she just got really stressed. This morning she ate some basil with Baytril on which I know isn't as good as getting all of it straight into her mouth, but tonight she knew the trick and would only eat basil that didn't have it on. She seems to be drinking the water with Bio Lapis in it.

Basically today she will eat as much basil as I give her, but seems disinterested in pellets still, haven't seen her have hay, but she might have done while I've been at work, she was eating it during her stay at the vets. She has done some smallish droppings, is grooming and doesn't look particularly weak, but I can tell she isn't her normal self with her behaviour and appetite.

I am thinking maybe she needs another injection to get her stomach moving as it seems like she's still a bit blocked - if the two she had had worked properly she would have her appetite back by now wouldn't she? I could bring her and her bunny friend in and separate them with a pen in the same (small) room to monitor eating and water drinking better, but the problem is then putting them back outside with it being winter. If I take her back to the vets for them to keep her in and give her her medicine and monitor her, then she will be away from her bunny friend which will stress her out more and it might break the bond. Not sure what to do for the best, what would you do if it was your bunny? I will definitely take her back to the vets tomorrow if there is no improvement.

It takes a a little while for bunnies to get over stasis, so she may not be totally back to normal yet.

If she is eating a bit on her own and passing droppings, I waould probably leave her and just keep a close eye on her for the next 24 hours. If she is still a bit poorly or stops eating herself at any point, I'd get her back to the vets.

Have you got a heatpad or any way of keeping their hutch a bit warmer (maybe move it into a shed or cover with an old duvet)? If so, I wouldn't bring her in. Sometimes I think my lot recover quicker in their own environment.

Lots of vibes

FC x

I usually hide Baytril in some porridge I put a bowl of porridge down for the others and give the medicated bit on a spoon to the poorly bun

Is that porridge made up with water or just on its own?

I syringe the Baytril onto the pellets and then wipe the bowl with a grape or a veg leaf. Mine love pellets and will eat the Baytril to get the pellets.

some people put it onto a little square of bread - they're not supposed to eat bread normally but it's a case of needs must sometimes. I put it on pellets or veg but the only rabbit so far that's needed it is a greedy girl, so no problem there.

by the way, baytril is not a treatment for stasis usually - what she really needs is water water and more water, otherwise her gut contents will be too hard and dry for her to pass. I've found my outside bunnies won't drink cold water now it's cold weather - I always fill the dish about a third full of boiling from the kettle, on top of the cold water - they love it and drink most of it. As you're putting probiotic in her water I wouldn't recommend it as it's basically bacteria, which might be killed with the hot water - you could try giving her a bunny dish (they always drink more from a dish than a bottle as it's easier for them) with warmed water in it in the morning, and no bio lapis, just to up her fluids. Fresh pineapple/juice can also help (must be fresh not canned or longlife) as it helps water to soak into the gut contents. If she's not drinking she will find it hard to recover from stasis, so concentrate on that.

Thanks for the suggestions, Poppy started eating again last night and today seems pretty much back to normal thankfully, was running around the garden like a mad bunny once again! I wonder why the vet prescribed Baytril for stasis if its not how you'd usually treat it, mind you she called the condition Illes not stasis and I've never heard of that before! I will see if she likes bread tomorrow to put some Baytril in, she's not eating so many pellets at the moment to put them on that, more into veg and basil. I'm off to give the bunnies some warmed water in a bowl now!

illeus is just another term for gi stasis

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

when chelsea needed biolapis we put it into water and then rubbed it all over a spring green leaf she loved it and after the course was finished kept looking for her spring green si now she has a spring green leaf a day.

Hiya
AT least Im not the only parent doing the baytril battle. Fudge still has an infection is his water works-the urine sample showed blood and sugar in there (so we think he is diabetic to boot!). He has been given the bio-lapis as the anti-biotics tend to niggle his tummy a little.

With the biolapis he has it sprinkled on food-he loves brocoli so i thoroughly dust the florets in it...also he is a greedy little bunny so munches nearly all of it. I tend to find he wont drink water if he has veg in his dish...so disolving it isn't really an option. Bio-lapis is a probiotic and my vet has also suggested trying to give him probiotic yogurt (yes the human kind) very useful if your ball of fluff has a sweet tooth!

WIth the Baytril try dipping the end of the syeringe in honey or even drawing up the medication and the vet said to add some dilute sugar free juice to it. It takes away the bitter aftertaste. With fudge it is pretty much grab him and hope for the best...sometimes he has it when laid on the floor....firm grip and squirt, or he will snuggle into my chest for a cuddle and we do it then...or times he will lay like a small baby in my arms and be quite placid...although at times he will let me put it in his mouth then he refuses to swallow!But lots of love and praise and treat afterwards he is learning...but very slowly.

We have a bit of a journey to travel as my vet has never treated a bunny with sugar in his piddle...at the moment we are doing it via diet-cutting down on concentrates and increasing his veg (cucumber, celery, broc, cauli,but not the heavy green veggies). We need to make another appointment for the end of the week.

Thank goodness for bunny insurance!