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How much critical care?

roxyroller88

roxyroller88

Mama Doe
My maths is shocking and I really can't figure out how much I should be giving Sylar :(
He stopped eating in the middle of the night at around 4am. He hasn't eaten or drank anything himself since then. We took him to the vets first thing this morning and he's had a gut stimulant and a bit of pain relief. So far he's only had a few 1ml syringes of Critical Care, maybe around 6mls altogether. The 1ml syringes work really well but whenever I try to use a bigger one it all just dribbles out of his mouth. From what I've read so far he is going to need quite a lot based on his weight!
He is a slightly chubby 3.78kg
 
Which critical care is it?
There's a few different ones.

Normally I just give as much as they will accept every 2/3 hours, normally around 30mls if I'm lucky

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I'd aim for 10ml/kg every 2-3 hours if possible. Hope he feels better soon xx
Click to expand...

Thanks Jane.
I just can't believe how fast it comes on. When I got home from work at midnight he was running around, jumping up on top of his dog crate and my bed. Mischievous as ever! 4 hours later and he's like this :(
 
These may help:
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care
It says to give 3 tablespoons powder / kg body weight daily. 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 9g.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/SyringeFeeding2014.pdf
Hints on syringe feeding

I normally feed using a 15ml syringe (the one that comes with SS Recovery sachets). I mix the powder with warm water until it is just thin enough to suck up. Usually I add a bit of fruit puree (eg apple baby food) as it gives a mix that doesn't gum the syringe up as much. As DP says: I try to give 2 - 3 syringes every 3 hours or so. My rabbits are around 1.5kg, though - so you need to get more in him at each feed or feed more frequently. You could also try using a thicker mix off a teaspoon (plastic?) or see if he will eat any off a saucer.
 
Thank you :)
The biggest syringe that I have is 12ml but when I tried to give him some water with the 12ml it just dribbled straight out of his mouth. I will try it though but if not I will just get my partner to keep filling up the 1ml syringes!
He doesn't like anything mushy or runny. Not even mashed up banana! I can't see him eating it himself off a saucer but I will certainly give it a try!
Thanks for the links x
 
Shimmer said:
These may help:
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care
It says to give 3 tablespoons powder / kg body weight daily. 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 9g.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/SyringeFeeding2014.pdf
Hints on syringe feeding

I normally feed using a 15ml syringe (the one that comes with SS Recovery sachets). I mix the powder with warm water until it is just thin enough to suck up. Usually I add a bit of fruit puree (eg apple baby food) as it gives a mix that doesn't gum the syringe up as much. As DP says: I try to give 2 - 3 syringes every 3 hours or so. My rabbits are around 1.5kg, though - so you need to get more in him at each feed or feed more frequently. You could also try using a thicker mix off a teaspoon (plastic?) or see if he will eat any off a saucer.
Click to expand...


These are the guidelines I go by, but I prefer to use a 1ml syringe.

Good luck xx
 
I just tried with the 12ml syringe and I got more in than I thought but it was a lot harder than the 1ml.
I've got about four 1ml syringes so I'll just keep topping them up.
Thanks everyone xx
 
roxyroller88 said:
I just tried with the 12ml syringe and I got more in than I thought but it was a lot harder than the 1ml.
I've got about four 1ml syringes so I'll just keep topping them up.
Thanks everyone xx
Click to expand...

I find I can gauge how much goes in much better when I use a 1ml syringe.

They can get a bit clogged and worn out, so you do need to replace after a few times of using, especially if bunny eats a lot :D
 
I try to get about 15ml in them every three hours when they are not well. It's such a struggle I know, been there many times over the years. I usually make up a few for the day ahead and cover the ends with foil to keep them fresh (make sure they are air tight) as this saves masses of time and also is a lot less stressful if you have them prepared (I wouldn't advise making any more than a days worth though). I use the 15ml syringes from Hay Experts as I've found these ones so much better to use.
 
Silly 'bunny mummy'!!! said:
I try to get about 15ml in them every three hours when they are not well. It's such a struggle I know, been there many times over the years. I usually make up a few for the day ahead and cover the ends with foil to keep them fresh (make sure they are air tight) as this saves masses of time and also is a lot less stressful if you have them prepared (I wouldn't advise making any more than a days worth though). I use the 15ml syringes from Hay Experts as I've found these ones so much better to use.
Click to expand...

Thanks :) I'll order a few of those next time I make an order.

It's been 12 hours now and he still hasn't eaten anything. I'm worried sick :(
 
He's lying around a lot but he is still moving about occasionally. No teeth grinding either so I'm hoping that he isn't in any pain :(
 
A lot better today :) He started eating at around midnight. Just a few strands of hay and some dandelion. He drank a little too.
Today he's eaten some coriander and some more dandelion and hay. We've even had a few poos and they're not a bad size considering.
We put off having the dental today, we just didn't feel comfortable with the idea but he's booked in for tomorrow instead so I'm stressing a little over that.
We went to the vets earlier and he hasn't lost any weight but he gave him another jab of gut stimulant just in case. We spoke about the dental and he said that he has some cuts on his tongue. Poor guy :(
 
Excellent news. The more food that you can get into him tonight, the better. He needs his guts to be functioning properly before the GA, but it's good that he is eating something again. He will need watching for several days to make sure he continues to get better.
 
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