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My poor baby has a cold!

**Bonnie**

Mama Doe
I took Alfie (my dwarf lop) to the vets. I have only had him for 3 weeks and he really started sneezing badly over thelast week. I took him to the vest, he was so scared poor little thing.

Anyway, he has a cold. The vet was lovely, it hasn't got to his chest yet which is good. Alfie is still eating and running around so its not that bad. The vet gave him an anti-virus injection (something like that anyway) and i have to give him 5 days worth of antibiotics by myself from a syringe!

The vet said i can bring him in everyday for this but its too traumatic for Alfie, id rather do it myself. I am quite happy to do this but any tips to make this stress free for him. I may have to do it on my own with no help from anyone else!

Thanks
 
hi

Poor Alfie :(
The best way to syringe feed if you're on your own is to kneel on the floor and put the rabbit between your legs, wrapped in a towel, with its back towards you - You can then lift it's wrapped up front half slightly, and pop the syringe sideways into it's mouth, just behind the front teeth - Only squeeze very slowly or you may choke the bunny :shock:

This antibiotic tastes foul to bunnies so he will probably be very cross - give him a little treat the minute you finish - keep it beside you ready...If he won't take it by mouth the vets can inject it though.

If you don't want to syringe (I guess he's not on veg yet?) you could try mixing it with a drop of pineapple juice - only a tiny bit though incase it upsets his stomach with being too sugary - he might lap it up, or it might make syringing less of a struggle.
 
a couple of drops of olbas oil on a tissue placed near his cage will also help any snufflyness theat he may have . Poor little man .
 
Thanks for your help!

elve, you should be a bunny vet!!

I practised syringing it into Alfie's mouth with the vet, i did it okay but i was worried about hurting his teeth so he said do it to the side of the mouth.

I hope he doesn't hate me after this.

I have been giving him little bits of cabbage which he loves so that can be his treat.

Gina paul, that's a good idea - i'll try that!
 
hi

Oooh if he's on cabbage that's even better - Sooty's mum makes a 'cabbage sandwich' with the medicine in between 2 little squares of cabbage - it worked for her bunnies :)
 
Thanks elve,

I am going to try him tonight with the syringe and see how we get on. He is very well behaved, i just don't want him to end up hating me!

I did say to the vets is there any other way i can give him the antibiotic and he said that this is the best way to ensure he gets all of it.

Also Elve, is there anything else I can do for him to speed his recovery??

He sleeps outside with a waterproof cover and a towel underneath but I am only going to let him exercise inside until he gets better. You wouldn't think he was ill with all the running around he does!

one more thing...Do rabbits get side effects from Antibiotics?

Thanks so much!
 
hi

never nursed a bunny with snuffly nose before - like was mentioned though, Olbas oil well out of reach of him could help clear his nose - Bad ventilation aggravates snuffles so being kept indoors warm may make it worse - I wouldn't know but I'm sure someone else will as lots of people here have had snuffly bunnies - try doing a search maybe?

Re the antibiotics - it's best to give them a probiotic to boost the 'good' bacteria in their tums at times like this, otherwise they can get a problem with the antibiotic killing all the good bacteria in the gut, as well as the disease causing ones.

Your vet can give you a probiotic for him, or you can order Avipro from here, which is recommended - delivery is really fast but as it's the weekend your vet might be quicker - just sprinkle a pinch onto wet cabbage.
http://www.noahs-cupboard.co.uk/listing.asp?catno=4

Hope he's feeling better soon :)
 
Poor little Alfie :( I am so sorry to hear that he isn't well. I hope he feels much better very soon and please give him a gentle get well hug from me :D
 
Ah poor boy. My lovely lady Pippa is very snuffly at the mo too. She is on Baytril which she hates! I just get it over with ASAP and give her a nice treat afterwards :) She used to take it in sum apple but not anymore, the old lady has got wise!! :lol:

I do what Gina said and put Olbas Oil on a flannel near to Pippa but not so she can reach it.

Pippa also has Bisolvon which is a decongestant - your bun may not be bad enough for it, if you think he is ask your vet about it, it seems to help Pippa.

Def get some probiotics, ur vet will prob give you sachets, can't remember the name! I have the VetArk probiotic cos I used to spend too much on probiotic and the pot is far better value!!!

Pippa is indoors at the mo and she doesn't seem any worse for it :)

Hope he feels better soon, it's horrid to hear them so snuffly!!!

Nicola
 
Here's an ignorant question, how can a bunny catch a cold during the summer w/ all those fur on their body?

I thought for a rabbit, the fur should be more than enough to protect them from a cold.
 
Happy Hopping said:
Here's an ignorant question, how can a bunny catch a cold during the summer w/ all those fur on their body?

I thought for a rabbit, the fur should be more than enough to protect them from a cold.

because it is not cold as humans gets, it called snuffles and its a viral infection, but as far as i know once they get it they carry it for life and are contagious to other rabbits!

plus humans dont get colds for being cold its an attack of a virus on your immune systems, nothing to do with going to be with wet hair, or not wearing a jacket! :D
 
yes it is a condition called pasturella and will pass to other rabbits, it can cause things like head tilt etc but if they get over the snuffly bit then usually they will be fine
 
Hi everyone!

Well, i tried to give Alfie his antibiotics with a syringe and he stared shaking his head in disgust! so i gave the rest of it in a cabbage sandwich which someone suggested! I tried again last night and managed to get half in his mouth and he ate the rest on cabbage!

He seems a bit better, will try that Aprivo!

thanks
 
I'm pleased to hear that Alfie is a bit better :D Its always fun trying to get the antibiotics in them :lol: At least he took it hidden in the cabbage :wink:
 
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