How on earth do you syringe feed bunnies?

[biscandmatt1]

i put them on top of the cage and i put them facing forward but slightly angled to the right, then i am behind them and lean round... if you put your body over them then they won't fall back and what i do is then show them the syringe and with your left hand round them hold the front paws... then they feel they can't move back or forward... syring a little at a time and then let go but keep a hand on them... sometimes they panic because they can't move to wash their mouth! so i syringe a little bit and release my 'grip' and then repeat... one thing is to be confident though... otherwise they know they can get away with it... what i used to do was stop and give them a break if they seemed upset... and only carried on when they calmed down... they learned that they would have it no matter what tantrum they had so learnt to stay still... now they are brilliant with it... but bisc used to be awful but even he is great now so if he can, anybun can!

hope that makes sense!

 

[Bunny Buddy]

Good luck with it as it sounds like it might be something that you will need to master with her.

I have felt really useless at attempts to get food or medicine in any of them with a syringe, thankfully my vets admit them if they need 'supportive feeding' and don't let them out until they are eating well.

Hope you manage to get her to take it well.

 

[Snowberry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg

That worked a treat thanks Jane! Got about 10ml in her and she did try to wriggle but it was much better having her on a table. I was trying to do it with her on the floor or on my knee and couldnt get the hold right. Works much better if she is on a table or the kitcher worksurface and I stand next ot her.

She is busy destroying her crate at the minute and has just had a few pellets and a piece of carrot so seems brighter.

 

[Snowberry]

that rabbit is clearly being paid well to act.. it never once took the syringe and threw it accross the room :shock::shock::shock:

or tried to bite that womans boob off :shock::shock:

LOL I am so pleased I have never had to syringe feed Strawbs. I would lose my hand if I put it any where near his mouth!

 

[donnamt]

That worked a treat thanks Jane! Got about 10ml in her and she did try to wriggle but it was much better having her on a table. I was trying to do it with her on the floor or on my knee and couldnt get the hold right. Works much better if she is on a table or the kitcher worksurface and I stand next ot her.

She is busy destroying her crate at the minute and has just had a few pellets and a piece of carrot so seems brighter.

fantastic

 

[biscandmatt1]

aww, just remembered when matt was syringe fed for the first time he used to snatch the syringe off me and chuck it across the shed!

when he is moody now and i try and feed him some hay or something, he snatches it and does the same!

so cute though! my grumpy little fluffy bun!!!

 

[donnamt]

LOL I am so pleased I have never had to syringe feed Strawbs. I would lose my hand if I put it any where near his mouth!

its awful and Alvin would be the one to be a stasis bun.. i will try the table next time i think lol but even at the vets he springs first and hits the floor hard he dont care how high up he is :roll:

 

[Snowberry]

I will nip into the vets tomorrow and ask for a better syringe. They gave me a huge stack of 1ml's for her meds but didnt give me any for her recovery and all I could find at home was a 60ml one which is too big.

 

[Boudicca]

Oops double post!

 

[Boudicca]

So glad you managed it the frustration is huge! It's certainly been a steep learning curve over these last few days! I have a friend with bunnies and she helps syringe while I hold Dudley wrapped in a towel in a fairly upright position or vice versa!

 

[parsnipbun]

Thought you might appreciate these piccies of my OH and Parsley 'having fun' with syringe feeding - and thats with Parsley who LOVES his syringe feeds (he was SO hungry he was gobbling it up - it was just that he had a swollen tongue after an op. and couldn't eat properly) . . . he also LOVES his Papa!! I'm not sure how the feed got over the collar!!! (It WAS a cream coloured fleece!)

 

[donnamt]

:shock::shock::shock::shock: what a mess :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[kaths101]

:shock::shock: Im pretty sure none of mine would sit there like that and not move or rip a hand off!! What a good bunny!!

 

[Snowberry]

Oops! We didnt quite make that much mess!

 

[parsnipbun]

Trouble was that Parsley was desperate for food and was trying to suck it out the nozzle quicker than he could get it down his throat! It was fine mix of liquidised banana and critical care (fine ground). Steve's jumper has never been the same since - in fact we use it as a rabbit bed now:shock:

However Damson has been known to make a similar mess when throwing the syringe around (he DOESN"T like being syringe fed!!)

 

[clutterydrawer]

I get Skye upright, wedge her with one of my knees, use a hand to open her mouth and a hand to pop the syringe in

she is very good though cos she loves the delicious fibreplex

 

[Snowberry]

I get Skye upright, wedge her with one of my knees, use a hand to open her mouth and a hand to pop the syringe in

she is very good though cos she loves the delicious fibreplex

Fibreplex is Strawberrys favourite! I dont even have to tough him to do medicines, I just told the syringe to him and he comes and takes it!

 

[clutterydrawer]

Fibreplex is Strawberrys favourite! I dont even have to tough him to do medicines, I just told the syringe to him and he comes and takes it!

she likes it so much that I tried it myself to see what all the fuss was about..it was not good. tastes like oil and gravel :lol:

 

[donnamt]

she likes it so much that I tried it myself to see what all the fuss was about..it was not good. tastes like oil and gravel :lol:

:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

i dont think alvin could taste the fibreplex over the metacam... hes such a junkie :lol::lol::lol:

i ran out tho so have just been mixing avipro with banana.. seems to have sorted the gut nicely

 

[coco1200]

that rabbit is clearly being paid well to act.. it never once took the syringe and threw it accross the room :shock::shock::shock:

or tried to bite that womans boob off :shock::shock:

:lol::lol::lol::lol: too right Donna!

My girl is so used to taking oral meds everyday in her mouth, she doesn't even bother thrashing about anymore!

Rachael, glad to hear that Snowdrop has improved