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To syringe feed or not?

Bunshine

Bunshine

Alpha Buck
Florrie stopped eating and pooing yesterday morning:(

I took her to the vet first thing today and she was given three injections - metaclopramide, rimadyl and baytril.

She's nibbled a tiny bit of hay since then and is drinking a normal amount of water but the vet said that if she wasn't eating properly by now I should syringe feed her. My gut feeling telling me not to for some reason. What are your opinions on whether I should or shouldn't?
 
Bunshine said:
Florrie stopped eating and pooing yesterday morning:(

I took her to the vet first thing today and she was given three injections - metaclopramide, rimadyl and baytril.

She's nibbled a tiny bit of hay since then and is drinking a normal amount of water but the vet said that if she wasn't eating properly by now I should syringe feed her. My gut feeling telling me not to for some reason. What are your opinions on whether I should or shouldn't?
Click to expand...

Did the Vet say that there was no sign of bloat/obstruction ?

Did he/she check Florrie's teeth ?
 
He checked her teeth and said they seem fine. He also said he didn't think there was a obstruction, so it was OK to syringe feed her this evening if she wasn't eating her pellets again.

I just don't want to stress her out. When she came here she was terrified of being handled (she used to panic and wheeze when picked up) and now she loves attention from us. I just feel that she'd get really stressed out if I tried to force her to eat.

I just wish I knew why she stopped eating...? She usually loves her food.
 
maybe she's got a haiball in the stomach that she needs to evacuate but since the vet gave her medication to stimulate her gut, perhaps you could try to give her what she likes usually : veggies, endives if you have they are full of water and can help, because she must not stop eating. Later you have all night and it would be too many hours if she does not eat.. so if you see she does not touch a treat, maybe you could do what the vet recommends and seringe feed her... to avoid complications due to long hours without food
 
Last edited:
if she hasn't eat for 12 hr., and since your vet said there is no obstruction, and thus no bloat, you should force feed him:

Or if it is just a little bit of gas, you can get 2 ml of infacol every few hour just as a pre-caution.

1) Get some non-meat baby food, use a syringe to suck up the baby food, get a cup of hot water, dump the syringe in the hot water for 2 min., now the syringe is warm, so you now syringe feed the baby food to your bun.

Every 1Kg of bunny weight, get 100 ml of food inside him per 24 hr.

OR

2) Get some blackberry or raspberry, smash it via juicer. You need about 6 oz. Get some hay stem, cut the stem in 1 mm length, mixed it w/ the blackberry. Put the mixture in a 35 ml syringe and force feed your bun. Your bun need the fiber to survive.
 
Is she a bun who will eat critical care off a spoon, or softened pellets, before you think about syringing. The fact she ate some hay is good and have you tried to tempt her with anything else?
 
I agree with happy hopping and raine. Rabbits get gut stasis so easily so it's important to keep something going through the gut. I like to use baby food, liquidised veg or weetabix mixed with some probiotic and critical care. Whenever you use critical care, make sure you add enough liquid. If it's too concentrated it is very sticky and can glue them up. Hope bun feels better soon x
 
If a blockage had been ruled out then its important to syringe feed critical care. If she is skittish, wrap her in a towel, will help you and make her feel more secure. If she is not eating on her own the minumum stress of a few mins syringe feeding far out weighs the consequences of not. Wishing you the very best and hope she starts eating on her own soon after x

PS Usually bunny will pass a few pellets and then begin to recover, continue to syringe feed until she is eating on her own - aprox every 2 hours.
 
Thanks so much for all the advice guys, it's a huge help.

I am still so worried about her this morning. I syringe fed her a little critical care as she didn't seem to be eating any more herself and has done no poos. She actually didn't seem to mind being syringe fed.

After that she nibbled some grated carrot and ate a blueberry and a couple of treats but still no poo. I'm not sure at what point I should take her back to the vet? It was a bit traumatic for her yesterday as one of the injections hit a blood vessel and blood went everywhere:(
 
Bunshine said:
Thanks so much for all the advice guys, it's a huge help.

I am still so worried about her this morning. I syringe fed her a little critical care as she didn't seem to be eating any more herself and has done no poos. She actually didn't seem to mind being syringe fed.

After that she nibbled some grated carrot and ate a blueberry and a couple of treats but still no poo. I'm not sure at what point I should take her back to the vet? It was a bit traumatic for her yesterday as one of the injections hit a blood vessel and blood went everywhere:(
Click to expand...

Personally I would take her back to the Vet this morning
She may well need more analgesia, more gut motility meds and maybe some fluid therapy

Good luck

xx
 
Thanks Jane, I was just about to take her to the vet again when she did three piles of poo and a wee, so *hopefully* things are looking up.

I think I will keep up the syringe feeding over the next few hours, as it doesn't seem to bother her too much and seems to be helping. I just really want her to get well soon, she's such a gentle little girl and her husbun would be lost without her.
 
I'm happy to say that Florrie seems a lot better now:D

She even ate her brekkie this morning, I was so relieved. I took her back to the vet for more pain relief and that really helped. She's lost quite a bit of weight as she hasn't eaten properly since Sunday, so hopefully we can build her back up.
 
Cheers Jane, I am so relieved. I have had the past few days off work to look after her and it was heartbreaking to see her in pain. She's feeling a lot better now and it was great to see her eating and telling her husbun off this morning!
 
Bunshine said:
Cheers Jane, I am so relieved. I have had the past few days off work to look after her and it was heartbreaking to see her in pain. She's feeling a lot better now and it was great to see her eating and telling her husbun off this morning!
Click to expand...


Awwwwww bless, I bet husBun thinks 'Oh gawd, I better do as I am told now the wife is feeling better' !! :lol:
 
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