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syringefeeding 1hr after a GA if not eating by choice

S

Sky-O

Wise Old Thumper
I just wondered what people's opinions were on this and if they would be comfortable with their rabbit being syringe fed at that point? (I'm thinking from the POV of adding more stress to the rabbit and potentially prolonging recovery).
 
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one of the vets i have used did this. They would watch the rabbit after surgery and if they didnt see them eating after a while they would syringe feed. I personally thought it was possibly a bit silly at that time cause bunny has barely woken up and they are in a strange placeso no wonder they arnt eating, I thought the best thing would be to let it go home and chill a bit.
 
Sky-O said:
I just wondered what people's opinions were on this and if they would be comfortable with their rabbit being syringe fed at that point? (I'm thinking from the POV of adding more stress to the rabbit and potentially prolonging recovery).
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I think it would depend on the 'awakeness' of the Rabbit. I usually leave it longer than 1 hour. I would be more worried about aspiration pneumonia than any potential stress.
 
I have no idea how long after a Ga our vets syringe feed :? I know all our bunnies come round at different rates so i guess it varies a lot
 
Ours stay atthe vet for the afternoon following surgery. They are syringe fed a few hours after their ops if not eating independently. Barney who was neutered today was picking at his packed lunch so didn't need.wonder

I wonder how soon they would ideally be eating. 1 hour, 3 hours? After spays I often have to syringe feed in the evening because they are rarely eating on their own.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I think it would depend on the 'awakeness' of the Rabbit. I usually leave it longer than 1 hour. I would be more worried about aspiration pneumonia than any potential stress.
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I agree with this

I would more worry about the rabbits health and affects of not drinking and eating more than the stress.

But yuki and yuri always ate when they got home and not at the vets they would send them home with a syringe with instructions to feed them with it if they hadent eat by a certain time of being home.

The vets I went to always said that its unlikely they will eat while they are at the vets
 
I wasn't worried about the risk of aspiration, etc, because I know my vets would be sensible and only do it on a rabbit who was awake enough to tolerate it safely :) (not that I hadn't considered that risk).
 
I think thats way too soon but as others have said it depends how awake they are and of course what they had had done
 
Depends on wakefulness I think. I know Buckley was syringe fed after his GA but I don't know how soon afterwards. I think he enjoyed the chance to flirt with the nurses though :p
 
I don't expect my bunnies to eat before they come home as I think that's a lot to ask in particular for spays.

I would syringe in the evening if the rabbit seems not to be that interested in eating, but I would imagine that for people who don't routinely spay rabbits on a regular basis (pet owners) that the vet getting them to eat earlier would be appropriate. Not sure that an hour afterwards isn't a bit too early though.

I have had rabbits that don't really want to eat much at all for about 2-3 days in the past. Jenna, who was spayed yesterday took 24 hours to eat normally and I didn't syringe, but she had the desire to nibble, which I see as a good sign.
 
I think I'd wait longer than that, but I think it would depend on whether the rabbit had been eating immediately before the op or not. If it hadn't then I think that would be different as I'd consider the overall length of time not eating. I certainly wouldn't want my vet to syringe feed Scarlet an hour after a dental if she was eating well prior to the op.
 
RedFraggle said:
I think I'd wait longer than that, but I think it would depend on whether the rabbit had been eating immediately before the op or not. If it hadn't then I think that would be different as I'd consider the overall length of time not eating. I certainly wouldn't want my vet to syringe feed Scarlet an hour after a dental if she was eating well prior to the op.
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Very good point.
 
RedFraggle said:
I think I'd wait longer than that, but I think it would depend on whether the rabbit had been eating immediately before the op or not. If it hadn't then I think that would be different as I'd consider the overall length of time not eating. I certainly wouldn't want my vet to syringe feed Scarlet an hour after a dental if she was eating well prior to the op.
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I agree with this.
Personally for my rabbits I think an hour is way too soon. I know they would have had breakfast or eaten something before they went in. I would only worry if they hadn't eaten by the evening. My vets trust me to keep an eye on my rabbits and they know I will know if anything is wrong and bring them back in. But not everyone is the same. If it was 'Average Joe's' rabbit then perhaps the vet wants to make 100% sure that it's eating before it goes home as the owner might not notice.

For your rabbits, Sky-O, I would wonder why they would do this? No one rabbit, human or otherwise wants to eat straight after a GA and I don't think it necessarily means they're unwell.
 
I may have misremembered, it may be an hour after they woke up, for example. I would also imagine each individual animal is assessed individually, from what my vet was saying.

I personally am not comfortable with it. I've never syringe fed after a GA. Ever. My bunnies have always eaten satisfactorily fast enough. I have good tricks that work for mine and we employ them.

In my view, for my bunnies only, if they are well enough to be syringe fed, then they are well enough to be home. They tend to let my bunnies come home earlier than most, and I would prefer that. I can do any other necessaries at home, although have never yet had to.

I'm also one where I don't expect them to eat at the vets. My vet also says it's vital to get them home ASAP to get them eating ASAP.

Butterfly had a dental today and he was eating here before the time they initially suggested I collect him, and I know he wouldn't have been eating if he had been there.

It's a new procedure (that and giving Sub cut fluids to every rabbit who has a GA- I'm very in favour of this- both things that one of the vets was recently told on a conference) and I think I'll discuss it with my vet as to what to do with mine.
 
Maybe I am missing something :oops: Probably as I feel like :censored: but I don;t see why syringe feeding after a Ga is a problem, as long as bunny is wide awake obviously. Mine generally love being syringe fed by the nurses and lap it up. The recovery food is high in fibre and has probiotics etc in it which can only help their guts. I am sure Herman didn't eat after his dental just so he could get and extra cuddle and some more syringe feed :lol:
 
I usually syringe feed about 4 hours after full awakeness if Bun is not self feeding at all. IMO it is important to get peristalsis going and this wont happen if the stomach is empty. So I would not syringe feed after one hour, but I definitely would and do after 4 hours

Hope that makes sense :?
 
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