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What is the longest you have syringe fed a poorly bunny for?

vick

vick

Alpha Buck
We have been syringe feeding Daisy every day for a week now. She started to nibble some grated apple on her own yesterday and again today but it's not enough to sustain her so we're continuing with the syringe feed. We have no intention whatsoever of giving up on her and will feed her for as long as it takes but we're now starting to get concerned and are wondering if she will ever start to eat normally again.

The original thread is here.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?323943-Hind-leg-problem-spondylosis-and-arthritis-U-D-still-syringe-feeding

Sorry for posting about Daisy twice but I didn't want this particular question to be lost within the message of my original thread.
 
Has she had her teeth checked in the last couple of days ? A week without eating fibrous food is long enough for molar spurs to develop. So she may now not be eating due to a sore mouth -ie a secondary problem.

ETA Just seen that Daisy does indeed have a Dental problem- the pus noted in her mouth. So I would suggest that it is Dental problems which are the cause of her anorexia. Personally I would take her back to the Vet tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
The vet checked her teeth last week and they described them as a 'disaster' which we suspected. Her incisors are stumps and the molars that she has left are in a poor condition. There were no spurs however.

Daisy is a funny bunny who has never eaten or shown any interest in hay or grass. We have been grating apple for her for a while now as she stopped bothering to eat apple pieces.

Before this recent health episode her diet consisted of a bowl of grated apple, a bowl of oats every other day and unlimited Science Selective, which she used to love. With these three foods she has been managing quite well up until now. She never needed to have SS pellets softened which baffled us. We couldn't work out how she could manage to chomp on a pellet but not an apple.

We have three bowls of Science Selective set out for her, one dry, one slightly softened and one completely mushy! Monty thinks he's died and gone to heaven being surrounded by all this food. :roll:
 
What pain relief is she on ? Did the Vet suggest any treatment for her Dental Disease apart from the Depocillin ?

I would still take her back to the Vet tomorrow. It may be that she has infection in her jaw bone (osteomyelitis) This is extremely painful.
 
Thanks for your reply Jane.

Daisy is on 0.5ml of Metacam and 0.5ml of Zantac daily. The Zantac was twice daily to start off with but the vet suggested once daily would be ok now.

She is no longer having the injections, she just had a course of three.
 
vick said:
Thanks for your reply Jane.

Daisy is on 0.5ml of Metacam and 0.5ml of Zantac daily. The Zantac was twice daily to start off with but the vet suggested once daily would be ok now.

She is no longer having the injections, she just had a course of three.
Click to expand...

The dose of Metacam is very low, unless Daisy is a tiny Rabbit weighing just over 1kg. Also, three doses of Depocilin is very unlikely to have much impact on a tooth root infection. The course often needs to go on for several weeks

I really think Daisy needs to be seen again today. Could you seek a second opinion from another Vet ? It may be that no more can be done for her, but from what you have posted here I am not sure and a consult with a different (and possibly more Rabbit Savvy Vet ?? ) might give you more answers.
 
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