Please help - home made food mix (non-syringe) for sick bunny with dental problems?

[pyates]

My Millie has been not been good for a while and to cut a long story short recently had CT scan, x-rays, multiple dentals at several vets, bloods etc. The consensus is that she has dental issues with 2 teeth having come loose recently and suspected gum/root infections. She was in on Wednesday for the latest investigations and and extensive dental work, trimming, tissue samples for biopsy etc. She wasn't eating great before, but now after that all day work she is worse. Barely touching hay or grass as it seems too painful, eating a little pellets but less than before and some chopped forage, generally very unhappy. She's on multiple meds and pain killers, and today just started antibiotics which I fear may hold her eating back more, but it has to be done to give hope. Luckily this time of year there's loads of forage available so she will take some chopped ground elder, dandelions, plantain, hawthorn etc, but its really hard for her with tooth pain and very slow eating, dropping stuff all the time. I really don't want to go down the road of syringe feeding if I can avoid it as she already has meds 3 times a day - whilst she is really very placid and accepting, I think she may be reaching the limit of what she can tolerate. I read in a book of someone who made their own "special food" with hay in a coffee grinder (not ground too fine), some 'critical care' powder, a little water and a little apple juice and the sick bun lapped it up. I could add some forage as well. This could work for Millie as she would like all those things if she could just manage to take them in her mouth and digest them. Does anyone know what consistency I should aim for so she could eat it easily without being syringed or being too sloppy? Should it be a wet or dry consistency? Is there a "recipe" I could take and adapt to suit her with weights/volumes available? I realise this isn't a long term solution but I'm hoping something like this could just keep her going and keep her strong whilst on antibiotics and praying for some kind of recovery or improvement as a result.

 

[Omi]

There used to be a bunny on here called Plumpkin, who was a dental bun and had 'smoothies' made for her. I think they were made of grass, kale, water and a small amount of banana, all mixed up in a blender. I think though that adding some Critical Care powder, or similar, would work well too, or even ground up pellets. I think that grass would work better than hay. They used to look like the consistency of a smoothie. Here's a picture of Plumpkin after having some of her smoothie, so you can see how runny it is https://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/index.php?threads/wizard-greenbeard.474550/ I think I would make it slightly less runny, but you could easily try different consistencies to see, which Millie found easiest to have. If Millie likes certain herbs, I would try adding some of those too.

I think this is a good idea for Millie. Good luck.

 

[bunny momma]

I have never ground up hay, though I have used a coffee grinder with rabbit pellets and the critical care powder does help the mixture stay suspended better in liquid.
The consistency may need some trial and error as it does with syringe feeds. I suggest starting with the consistency of cecal poo if you want her to eat it on her own.

Adding forage is a good idea

Sending vibes Millie will improve with her meds.

 

[pyates]

Thank you both so much for your replies. I will take these ideas forward and try to cook up something tasty over the weekend. Love that picture of Plumpkin!

 

[pyates]

Nah she won't touch it, neither will her buddy who will eat almost anything. She seems happy with pellets ground down a bit smaller and forage chopped up so will continue with that!

 

[Omi]

Nah she won't touch it, neither will her buddy who will eat almost anything. She seems happy with pellets ground down a bit smaller and forage chopped up so will continue with that!

That's good though that she is happy to eat that and that she is able to eat that. I think you've got to a good compromise by using a different method. Nutrition-wise, there is little difference between what she will eat and what you had in mind for her, so I would be happy with that. Sending her lots of vibes. Let us know how she gets on.

 

[pyates]

That's good though that she is happy to eat that and that she is able to eat that. I think you've got to a good compromise by using a different method. Nutrition-wise, there is little difference between what she will eat and what you had in mind for her, so I would be happy with that. Sending her lots of vibes. Let us know how she gets on.

Thank you. She's only been on antibiotics for 36 hours/ 4th dose so too early to say yet whether it will affect her for good or bad. Might even not be the correct stuff as the tissue sample is still being tested for the exact type of bacteria. Vet started her on a "good all-rounder" so fingers crossed its the right one (co-trimoxazole - evil thick pungent stuff). The prescription states to take it for 14 days which sounds like a long time to me for antibiotics. However this is from a rabbit specialist Rieke Hendrick who really knows her stuff so I take her at her word.

 

[Omi]

Thank you. She's only been on antibiotics for 36 hours/ 4th dose so too early to say yet whether it will affect her for good or bad. Might even not be the correct stuff as the tissue sample is still being tested for the exact type of bacteria. Vet started her on a "good all-rounder" so fingers crossed its the right one (co-trimoxazole - evil thick pungent stuff). The prescription states to take it for 14 days which sounds like a long time to me for antibiotics. However this is from a rabbit specialist Rieke Hendrick who really knows her stuff so I take her at her word.

I see that you're happy to give her forage, which is what I would do. If she is also happy to eat it, I personally would try to make her 'normal' life more interesting at the moment, by perhaps giving her a small selection of forage a few times during the day, even if you need to chop it up. It will help to balance any uncomfortableness plus the multi doses of meds with something that she should find enjoyable.

Giving a 'good all-rounder' antibiotic is what I would expect until the lab results come back. I'm also not surprised that the duration of the antibiotic is 14 days.