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Getting a stroppy bun to take meds

R

Rowan-lop

New Kit
This morning my 6 yr old French lop buck wasn't eating - not interested in hay, tried him with greens, pears, carrots, pellets, nothing doing - so I took him straight into our vet's, who diagnosed a respiratory infection due to pasteurella. I've been given lots of syringes with which to give him oral medication but I can't get him to sit still for me while I put it into his mouth; he bites the syringe and noses it away, and if I try to hold onto him while I do it, he kicks and tries to bite me :( any suggestions? I've tried mixing it with ribena but he spat it out and now has a pink sticky mess down his front!!
 
Thank you!

Thank you so much for that - used the towel, worked like a dream! Not-so-stroppy bunny is now chilling in his bed :love:
 
They don't come much stopper than my Amber. The bunny burrito ended in tears (mine!) so i had to think again. Suprisingly i just put her in my smaller carrier and, holding her side, i was able to quickly put the syringe in her mouth which she took easily. I had to let her think she was doing ME a favour first!
 
My Boris is the same, so usually to minimize stress I just trick him :lol: Banana is great for hiding meds in, and so are most leafy greens. He never even notices that they taste different :thumb:
 
Ha mine don't fall for that one, they know even before i've opened the hutch that somethings up! I have learnt to just be honest and upfront with her - even my vets have said the same when she threw the CC bowl at them once :oops:
 
Gotta love those moody bunnies :lol: mine's an oddball, he seems to like the vet - he just took exception to the syringes, but we have a working system now! He's definitely perking up, he's playing with his football :love:
 
Jasper is long term meds for an ear infection. We went through a phase of trying to spike Jasper with food but he seemed to get wise to it. We tried the bunny burrito thing but i was never that comfortable and i had mixed success.

I have now gone back to square one but its much easier now. I grab him and whilst kneeling down have him between my knees. I place the palm of my hand over his head/eyes and prize one side of his mouth up for the syringe.

I think the key is to be firm as the longer it goes on the more stressed they get and the more they wiggle. I understand that's a bit of a catch 22 situation if you're struggling. He fought like anything in the early days but now he accepts it much quicker, in fact he doesnt even do a runner once we are done anymore. We often give him a treat afterwards to make the experience less of a negative one. Also do it facing a wall/sofa or something so he cant see an escape route.

I think it helps to have a routine i.e same place/same time.

Good luck i know its not very nice.
 
I put meds on a tiny bit of weetabix! Doughnut loves it and it is less stressful than syringing. It's the only time she gets it and all the meds soak into it nicely.
 
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