Rabbit not eating / dental / abscess

[Bethanyc]

I've not tried grass just yet, I'm a little scared of her catching stuff from it. Could I wash it in Milton do you think then rinse again and feed it?

Thank you Shimmer she will eat fruit leaves occasionally and has picked at a few bits of hay I think just because it was in her way and she was getting angry at it!
She's not keen on wet food like purée unfortunately, she used to eat wet pellets before her previous dental op but is no longer interested in these. I will try soaking in a little apply juice.

I'm happy to continue syringe feeding but it just seems to be maintaining rather than gaining the weight so she's still skinny. At the moment she's having 90ml a day of critical care and she is about 1.6kg (a gradual increase as sometimes on the human scales she hits 1.7kg).

Interestingly she will still eat pea flakes which seem quite hard.

 

[Shimmer]

Grass should be ok as it is if you get it from somewhere away from roadsides (due to weedkiller use & general grot), wherever dogs may toilet, and not from an area that you know there are wild rabbits (main infection risk). A neighbour's garden would work. Picked grass doesn't keep - a couple of days at most before it yellows or ferments.

 

[Bethanyc]

Perfect thank you, we have a lot of birds and the odd hedgehog in my garden so was concerned about that

 

[Shimmer]

I was assuming you didn't have access to your own grass - that would be the most convenient and you know what's been on it.

 

[Bethanyc]

That's true!
I've ordered more leaves off bunny bistro too.

At the moment I'm finding the syringe really difficult push, it interrupts her wanting to eat and takes me ages to get the food down. I've watered down the critical mixture a bit more and it's helped but still feels like the syringe is dragging, is there anything you lubricate the syringe with? Just water isn't enough and it's really expensive to dispose of the syringes after each use

 

[InspectorMorse]

That's true!
I've ordered more leaves off bunny bistro too.

At the moment I'm finding the syringe really difficult push, it interrupts her wanting to eat and takes me ages to get the food down. I've watered down the critical mixture a bit more and it's helped but still feels like the syringe is dragging, is there anything you lubricate the syringe with? Just water isn't enough and it's really expensive to dispose of the syringes after each use

A bit of puree veg baby food eg

https://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/shop/carrots-carrots-carrots

I use Emeraid rather than critical care, the Emeraid Intensive care mixes to a liquid and is easy to syringe

https://emeraid.com/vet/emeraid-herbivore/

https://emeraid.com/vet/emeraid-herbivore-sustain/

Also, are you using an ordinary syringe or one specifically for syringe feeding

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/feeding-syringe.html

If you only have the ordinary syringes you can make the hole in the top bigger by pushing the prong of a dining fork into it and twisting the fork about.

 

[Shimmer]

Yup - a bit of baby food puree works wonders. I tend to use the apple or apple & pear ones. I've also used a smidge of veg oil before if the plunger will come out of the syringe - just on the contact point with the barrel. I also throroughly wash out the syringe after each feed and leave it to dry.

Can you forage for fresh leaves? Willows are quite common, eg in open spaces or alongside water. All varieties are OK. Just get some short branches with leaves on.

 

[bunny momma]

Well done. I was happy when I read your update.
I use 12mm curved tip oral syringes for syringe feeds. I cut the tip to a little more than 1cm and smooth the end.
Like Jane said, a tine from a fork can stretch the hole in tne tip if needed, and as Shimmer said a tiny bit of vegetable oil on the plunger will keep them working for many uses.
After use rinse any food and store with the pieces separated.Raven, my dental bunny, eats pieces of his selective naturals garden sticks which are quite hard. They have pea and mint.
Sending vibes.

 

[Bethanyc]

Thanks guys ��
I'm using syringes for feeding with a wide tip, I've watered the mix down a little more and it's a lot easier too, just leaves her with a beard!

I'm really surprised she seems to like the Emeraid, she's quite picky so was worried about using it but she's done really well with it. Would you say Emeraid is more calorific than the critical care too? At the moment I'm using the Sustain but do have the Intensive on hand as you suggested before.

I will keep in mind the veg oil trick too! I do wash them after every use. I'll keep a look out for fresh leaves ��

Thanks bunny momma, I've just ordered some of the sticks for her.

Other than her difficulty eating she's really come around and is happy, much less sleepy, chewing up her cardboard hay castle, and back to begging for treats! :lol:

 

[bunny momma]

Your last paragraph says it all. Seeing her appy, chewing a hay castle, and begging for treats must give you so much joy!

 

[Bethanyc]

Absolutely, so proud of her she's a little old fighter! :lol:

 

[InspectorMorse]

Thanks guys ��
I'm using syringes for feeding with a wide tip, I've watered the mix down a little more and it's a lot easier too, just leaves her with a beard!

I'm really surprised she seems to like the Emeraid, she's quite picky so was worried about using it but she's done really well with it. Would you say Emeraid is more calorific than the critical care too? At the moment I'm using the Sustain but do have the Intensive on hand as you suggested before.

I will keep in mind the veg oil trick too! I do wash them after every use. I'll keep a look out for fresh leaves ��

Thanks bunny momma, I've just ordered some of the sticks for her.

Other than her difficulty eating she's really come around and is happy, much less sleepy, chewing up her cardboard hay castle, and back to begging for treats! :lol:

I don’t know if Emeraid is more calorific, but I just prefer it to Supreme Recovery or Critical Care

For very sick Rabbits I find that they are far more likely to accept syringe feeds on Emeraid Intensive Care.

 

[Bethanyc]

I don’t know if Emeraid is more calorific, but I just prefer it to Supreme Recovery or Critical Care

For very sick Rabbits I find that they are far more likely to accept syringe feeds on Emeraid Intensive Care.

Perfect thank you

 

[Bethanyc]

Hi guys, I've just looked in her mouth as she's going off her greens and just nibbling them. There seems to be a white spot in her mouth, I've already emailed the picture to her vet but was hoping somebody may know what this is please? And could it be a reason for her picky eating again, she had not been on antibiotics for a few weeks now as we were seeing how she'd go as they upset her gut.

White spot picture here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13jeDctHTF-Tkk4OGvfy2lb1lb8JdHoUk/view?usp=drivesdk

Thank you

 

[Bethanyc]

 

[InspectorMorse]

Looks like an ulcer with pus in it

 

[Bethanyc]

Thank you so much, do you know how it's treated? Is it just antibiotics or will it need draining.
In your opinion would this impact her eating?

Thank you

 

[InspectorMorse]

Thank you so much, do you know how it's treated? Is it just antibiotics or will it need draining.
In your opinion would this impact her eating?

Thank you

It is bound to be sore and therefore impact on eating. It will need investigating to try to establish what has caused it. Sometimes a foreign body can get embedded into soft tissue in the mouth and this would need surgical intervention. What treatment might be needed will depend on what has caused the problem in the first place.

 

[Bethanyc]

Perfect thank you so much!

 

[Jemi]

My bunny had her first teeth burring yesterday . She is making movement of her jaw as if she is uncomfortable still. She is eating pellets which I made softer with water but being picky about grass. She is taking a lot of time to chew and selecting which one to chew it seems . Is this normal ?? And how long before she goes back to being normal . Any advices will be really helpful