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Picking up and health check help, please?

Larilie

Young Bun
Yet another bunny newbie question, sorry if these are getting annoying.

I have had a couple of days in a sort of oral medication bunny picking up crash course after we saw the vet about Oreo's teeth. At first we tried to bribe her into the carrier, then pick her up from there but she's very very scared and I don't want her to associate getting in the carrier with bad things - we have a sort of bunny playpen run as well as the one attached to their hutch because they love grass but they've run out in their permanent run so we're trying to get it to recover. So we sort of ferry them between hutch and other run in it, so we're getting there with de-scarying the carrier. I've tried to pick her up from time to time but the second she feels my hand on her chest she gets very anxious and runs away and hides and won't come out for a while. Hobnob's much the same but he seems to come back for a treat much sooner.

So by a sort of trial and error process we've found the only way (so far) to get her into my arms to give her her medicine is if I put one hand gently on her back, the other between her front paws, then slide the hand on her back down to her bottom, trying to support her legs, as fast as possible while lifting her. Then I sort of cradle her on my lap a bit like a baby with one hand on her chest and the other still on her bottom (until we get to the medicine/shameless bribery part) with her back against my stomach. Honestly I was trying to work up to picking them up slowly but she has to eat and if this is what I have to do to make her comfortable enough to do it then that's what I'll do. Luckily she's off to the vet in the morning to have her teeth sorted but I have a couple of questions.

Is this a safe way to pick her up? I'm doing my best but there's no way they'll let me do it slowly. Is there any way to make it less stressful on them or is this just how it's going to be?

Should I try to keep picking them up every day with treats and hope they grow to not mind it as much? They won't let me anywhere near their heads or ears, noserubs are pretty much out, but I'd really like to be able to check them over for any problems and there's only so much I can see when getting them to periscope with parsley.

(I know practically no bunny ever actually enjoys being picked up but they're on my lap for maybe thirty seconds, then I offer a treat and put them back on the ground. At the moment they're not interested in the treat, just getting as far away from me as they can and they don't come back to me for maybe fifteen minutes and even then as far out of arm's reach as they can get. It tends to go best if I pretend I'm reading and hold my hand out with a pellet or something. It really hurts that they seem to be afraid of me now. But I need them to be healthy as well as happy. If I miss something and they get ill or worse and it's because I didn't check I'd feel even worse.)

I just need to know if what I'm doing is right. I'm not expecting to be able to just grab and snuggle them, I'm fine with them sitting on my knees nibbling pellets and stroking them, I just know checking for mucky bums or lumps and bumps is important.
 
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Bunnies don't like to be on their back - unless they choose to flop in that position, so I'm not sure about putting your hand on her tummy. Is she on her back, or just sort of cradled against you?

The first year I had Spenser he was virtually impossible to handle, so I didn't do as much checking as I would have liked. You can only do your best, and be assured you are not alone in finding it difficult. I get on better now, partly becuase Spenser is used to me, and also becuase he lives inside now and I have more opportunity to lift him.

Some people wrap thier bunnies in a towel for added security when administering meds. This has never really worked that well for me as you need to secure the bunny very quickly or they get even more distressed.
 
She's sort of cradled against me a bit like a baby sits, with her bottom in my lap and her legs (sort of) out in front. And my other hand is supporting her chest so she's leaning more against me and prevent escapes. Or trying to. So it's not exactly the most natural position. But she's not lying on her back. It's sort of... I don't want her to hurt her back when she's struggling and if I have her cradled against me she can kick out but not twist about as easily. I put my hand on her back just like you would if you stroked her... otherwise she's sort of a mix between furry soap and greased lightning. More so I can just about catch her than because she needs to be on her back.

The towel's a good idea! I'll have to remember it. We were thinking maybe because I'm not really confident picking her up is making her more anxious but we don't really know. She didn't mind as much when the vet showed us! Thank you, explaining gets a little long winded...
 
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