Bailey (A 2nd chance at life) - 2009

[sharper]

[align=center]:brownbunny:Hailey & Bailey:brownbunny:[/align]
Hailey & Bailey were part of a SPCA 185-animal seizure from an awful breeding facility in a rural area just outside of Dallas, TX. There were so many different species there just meant to breed for sale at flea markets.

news articles:
http://www.spca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rescue_vanzandt0109#custody
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/012709dnmetanimals.46c695e.html

Here they are in their rusty bottom cage outside at the time of rescue.

I saw the story on the news and the images broke my heart. After a couple weeks with the SPCA, they were spayed and I came to see them. These 2 little Rex girls were bonded. I was only wanting to save one, but my boyfriend talked me into going ahead and getting both of them. I really couldn't stand to split them up anyway.

So even this blog is about these girls, it's also about my new experiences of being bunny mom. I had little experience with rabbits in the past and here I have two! I did tons of research, but nothing compares to the hands on experience. Their behaviors and the communication has just baffled me in the week and a half of having them here.

Their 1st day in the play area (baby gated kitchen):

Bailey - still skittish on this day

But then she found some hay, so everything was cool

Hailey started out being the sweet, calm and affectionate one. But when I saw that she had ear mites, I tried to give her some ivermectin and some ear drops, and she put up a struggle. She then was upset for the next 2 days with me and here she is sulking in the litter box.

 

[sharper]

A few days later, the girls started getting pretty used to us. Their personalities started to come out. And they started being completely different than when I first brought them home. It was complete role reversal when Hailey became the skittish one and Bailey became the affectionate one.

I worked closely with them every evening when I got home from work. I would set up the kitchen for play time every day. I would have to carry the big cage into the play area, open the door and let Hailey come out on her own. Because she started to refuse me putting her hands under her to pick her up. The good thing about Hailey? She picked up litter box training easily! She just started using it with no problems, in the cage and in the play area.

Bailey became addicted to ear and head rubs. When I sat down on the floor, she would immediately come to me and demand head rubs. She still hasn't got down the litter box thing down yet. She uses it sometimes, but it's a little everywhere. Both had come to "binky" a couple of times and I was so excited. I can't believe how far they have come from just being at a horrible breeding facility not so long ago.

Every now and then when we were watching TV in the living room, we would let the rabbits chill with us.

Hailey's ears are getting so much better! Yay!

Hailey's better side lol

While Hailey was sitting beside me on the couch, Bailey was chilling in her daddy's lap while he watched tv

And then they snuggled together on the couch:

 

[Ninchen]

They are soooo beautiful!!!

They are really lucky to get a real home!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

The quickest way to a mini-rex heart is through the tummy! LOL! Give them hay and they are like "COOL! Let's be friends!"
Those girls are just lovely. I'm so happy for you and for them!

 

[lilbitsmom]

They are absolutely beautiful! It is so hard to gain the trust of a rabbit, especially one that has come from deplorable conditions. It looks like you guys are doing a wonderful job, especially if they are coming to you for rubs!

I have a rex that looks like your Bailey. She is my heart bunny! She will lick your face if you scratch "the spot" on her bottom. It is the funniest thing! She loves to have her butt scratched. ahahahahah

Have fun with your girls! They are beautiful!

 

[missyscove]

I agree, they're beautiful. Rex fur always looks so soft!

 

[sharper]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

The quickest way to a mini-rex heart is through the tummy! LOL! Give them hay and they are like "COOL! Let's be friends!"
Those girls are just lovely. I'm so happy for you and for them!

lol! I think this is the first thing I've figured out. They love food! When I get up in the morning, they are at the corner of the cage closest to me waiting for breakfast. When I grab their bowl and head to the kitchen to fix breakfast, I look over and they are pacing back and forth like dogs. lol

I open the door and they are grabbing veggies before I can set the bowl down lol I feel like I must be starving them! lol

 

[sharper]

[align=center]Bailey's Bad Day[/align]

My boyfriend had the day off today, so he put the girls in the play area (baby gated kitchen). The past 3-4 days have been the same, Bailey had been humping Hailey to show some dominance. It never got violent. Hailey would let it happen for a little bit, and then turn around and nip at Bailey. Bailey would try again in a few minutes. After awhile, they always end up laying together in a snuggle pile.

I was told to let it continue and let them work it out and eventually it will minimize. As long as it wasn't getting violent, it wasn't a big deal.

Today was different. I came home for lunch and sat in the livingroom while the rabbits did their thing in the kitchen. I heard them play with a few cardboard toys I had for them and I could hear some hops every now and then. I would check on them every now and then and Bailey was doing her usual humping. No big deal, just another day.

I sat back down in the living room and heard the soundest highest pitch squeal. I honestly didn't think it came from a rabbit, until I walked in to check on them. Hailey still had a huge ball of fur stuck to her chin. I walked over to check on it and it looked worse than I thought. It had a piece of skin on it. So I immediately ran to Bailey who was turned around looking at her butt.

I couldn't find anything at first, then I checked her anus/vagina area and there was a little bit of blood. OMG, I always joked that if Bailey was to hump Hailey's head one more time, she could rip off her vagina. I really didn't think that would happen!

I dab a paper towel on it and try to figure out what I'm looking at. Remember, I'm a new rabbit owner and I have no idea what all is going on down there. There is a little bit of blood, but it's not gushing. She squirms when you touch it, but when you put her down, she didn't seem like it was a big deal.

I had to get back to work, so I put her back in the cage with my boyfriend to keep an eye on her. Hailey stayed in the play area by herself.

During my day, i check in. My boyfriend said she was acting fine and everything was great. I get home, pick her up and check on her. OMG, it swelled up and the wound is still open. It wasn't bleeding, but it was still wet and raw. She got down and walked around like normal, ate hay, demanding head rubs and was pooping just fine. Her poops even came out normal. I kept wondering if I was just overreacting since she isn't showing signs of pain.

We took some pics of it for a rabbit forum for advice. I don't want to post the photos here in their blog. But let me just say they are gross.

Now here I am, new paranoid mom in a panic, wondering if I need to take my girl to the vet to stitch up her vagina. We are still waiting to see if she pees.

I dunno what to do from here but I think a vet visit in the morning will be happening.

 

[Malexis]

Im so sorry this happened Hopefully you can get them to the vet and everything will be okay, keep us updated!

 

[sharper]

-UPDATE-

Well the vet that was really close by, just happens to be there every single day of the week, but Wednesdays. My luck. The emergency clinic that was a little further away usually does see rabbits, but when I called they currently had no one on staff for rabbits at that time. Great. The next closest place was about 40 mins away, and in morning traffic wasn't awesome. And the vet wasn't getting in until 9, so I ran up to work early this morning, finished whatever had a really hot deadline and then left. We got her there okay.

You know it's complicated when the vet looks at the wound and says, "Hmmm this is interesting." The assistant wanted to take her temperature and couldn't figure out where to put the thermometer, so I pleaded with her to skip this step, so we did. I really didn't want her in too much pain. The doc pulled the wound open to have a look and told me she really has a badly wounded vagina. It was pretty swollen. But since this is a delicate procedure and the wound was very complicated, he said she probably needed stitches, but he didn't really know where or what to stitch. He didn't want to mess something up since there was vital elements here. But she is peeing, so that's good and nothing needed to be reconstructed or any surgery. Whew!

He gave her an injection of something for pain. They did an extensive hydrotherapy wash of the wound. And sent me home with pain meds and antibiotics to give her. I'm already at work, and didn't bring the sheet with me, so I couldn't tell you the names of the medications, but Ill update when I get home for lunch later. We have to keep the rabbits separated until she's completely healed, so we needed to figure out the cage issue when we got home. Got it worked out nicely, but I think my 2 rats who were living in a huge mansion were pissed to be put into a smaller cage. lol -musical cages time!-

As I was working with the cage issue, my boyfriend was holding Bailey and she fell asleep in his arms. So I'm pretty sure the pain meds took effect and she was feeling better already.

Oh and now I have to figure out how to give Bailey meds with a syringe. One of them is honey flavored, so she might not mind. The vet was going to demonstrate how to give her meds and he couldn't even get her mouth open. She was very squirmy and barking at him. So this will be fun!

I also was told to keep some vaseline on it to keep the area moist. He said that swollen tissue tends to dry up and we don't want that.

She's soundly sleeping in a cage by herself with warm blankies while I'm at work. Will update when I see her again.

 

[sharper]

I'm checking on Bailey during my lunch break. She's very calm now with pain meds. She is sleepy and huddled in her "hospital cage." She accepts ear rubs as payment, though.

I see normal looking poops. But she hasn't peed yet - so its been at least 5 hours since last pee.

sleepy head:

And I think little blue cars on her blankies really makes a difference.

Oh and looking at her invoice,
injection - Buprenex
oral meds - metacam & bactrim/sulfatrimeth

 

[Elf Mommy]

I've alerted our infirmary mods to come read and contribute, but it sounds like you're doing everything you can for this incredibly adorable bunny! They are beautiful! I'm glad you're here with us.

 

[tonyshuman]

Thanks to ElfMommy for the notice!

Temperature is usually taken with a rectal thermometer, and considering she's pretty unhappy in that area, it's probably best not to do that. You can monitor temperature (large changes in temp can indicate infection or shock) by checking her ears. If they feel very "off," take her in to the vet. I don't know if there's another way to take a rabbit's temperature.

The pain meds they gave you are pretty strong. Buprenex is an opiate narcotic, so it should definitely take care of the pain. Be sure to keep an eye on her fecal output as all opiates can cause GI slowdown, although it's not as bad as other opiod drugs. Also stress and possible pain passing poos can cause GI slowdown. She will act pretty sedated while she's on it.

I'm a bit concerned about giving both metacam and buprenex at the same time--kind of like taking ibuprofen and morphine at the same time. Also, metacam can cause kidney damage and the rabbit needs to be very well hydrated when on it, which may be difficult if she's zonked out all the time from the buprenex. I'm not sure though, so I hope someone else chimes in.

I'm not 100% sure, but the antibiotics might not be necessary and the ones they gave you are definitely not very helpful. Those are sulfa drugs, which haven't been proven to be very effective in rabbits. I know Randy doesn't like them, but I'm not sure you neccessarily need an antibiotic. Granted, the area is one that contains a lot of bacteria and you definitely don't want an abscess there, but rabbits tend to keep that area very clean with all the cecotrope eating and such, so I'm not sure it's needed. The wash was very good. I'm hesitant to recommend washing it again before you get stitches, but if you do decide to, a good antibacterial wash that is safe in deliacate areas is betadine (povidone iodine). We used this when Benjamin got bit on the penis.

For cleaning, checking on it, and giving meds, you may want to bunny-burrito her or attempt to trance her. Lay her on her back if you can, either in your lap or in your arm like a baby, and let her kind of zonk out. Not all bunnies do this, called trancing, but it's a good way to do all sorts of stuff, like nails, scent glands, teeth checks, etc. You could also squirt the medicine into her mouth while she's like this--she'll most likely lick it and swallow it safely. You can also put her right side up on a towel and fold it around her like a baby. This bunny burrito can then be held in your arms like a baby and the meds squirted into her mouth this way.

If the vet reccomended stitches, you will need to get that done soon by a rabbit-savvy vet, or a dog/cat vet that is comfortable doing stitches (since the emergency one wasn't). Obviously a rabbit-savvy vet is best. They should probably use stitches that will dissolve over time, depending on the severity and location of the wound.

I hope you can get to a rabbit vet tomorrow to get all of this sorted out. For now, you may consider a soft e-collar (made from a rolled up tube sock placed around the neck--I'll go looking for an example) to keep her away from that area, a warm rice sock for pain, and syringing her food and water if she's not eating in addition to her meds.

So sorry you have to go through this!! I've never heard of this, although at least 2 bunnies I know have gotten bit on the penis while showing dominance. Good luck!!

 

[tonyshuman]

Soft e-collars:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=39376&forum_id=16&highlight=soft+collar
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=37816&forum_id=16&highlight=soft-e+collar

but only if she's messing with the area

edit: if there's swelling you could also ice it with an ice pack wrapped in a towell--10 min or so at a time.

 

[ra7751]

She looks like she is on what I call a "Magic Carpet Ride".....buprenex is a good thing. It is OK to use buprenex and Metacam together. The Metacam will help with the swelling. It's rough on the liver and kidneys so proper hydration is essential. I havesome suggestions. First watch her gut carefully. Buprenex tends to slow the gut down. Keep her hydrated and offer lots of hay. And sulfanomides are very rough on the beneficial bacteria in the gut. There have been some links made to a very serious GI imbalance known as Tyzzer's Disease. I don't particularly care forsulfa drugs. But sulfanomides are also very effective at treating skin infections. Watch very closely for any sign of GI upset and if you start seeing a mucus with a greenish tint....that needs to be addressed by a vet immediately. That usually indicates an overgrowth of a pathenogenic bacteria known as Clostridium....bad stuff. My other suggestion is to add a probiotic to help support the gut. The absolute best product to use is called Bene-Bac. It comes in a paste and a powder. I prefer the powder since it can be sprinkled on pellets and/or greens. An attractive alternative to oral sulfa is Convenia should the gut experience problems. It is a cephalosporin so it's safe only as an injectable. It appears from myexperience with this drug is that it should be injected every 3 days. And you might ask your vet about using something other than Vaseline....and there are several reasons for this. I tend to prefer SSD (Silver Sulfadiazine)cream. It is used for severe burn patients. It is very soothing to the skin and has good antibiotic qualities. I use it a lot. And I am not much on e-collars for rabbits....they tend to be very stressful. Good luck.

Randy

 

[aurora369]

Hey there,

You should check out this thread:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=31545&forum_id=16

I had the same thing happen to one of my male rabbits just over a year ago.

I saw a wonderful vet who was able to stitch him all up. He had nearly 100 stitches because the wound was so complicated. He was stitched up the next day after the incident. The vets gave him a pain medication injection, and did the surgery first thing in the morning the next day.

He was on pain medications for two weeks, I believe. And he was originally on an oral antibiotic, however on about the third day he decided he hated the taste and after trying to trick him for a few days I had the vet give me injectable antibiotics. The injections where so much easier.

For the first two weeks he was also getting a steriod cream applied to the wound to reduce the swelling. Then after that it was some antibiotic cream and once his collar was off, we used betadine to keep the area clean.

He had to wear a collar, and that was the part that frustrated him the most. He couldn't eat his cecal pellets or get his food very well. I would hand feed him a lot of his food, because he wanted to eat, but the collar would get in his way. Thinking back on it, I should have tried to fashion some sort of soft collar, so that he couldn't lick or bite his genitals, but one that allowed him to eat better.

I encourage you to start a thread in the Infirmary. We have many members that have lots of bunny medical knowledge, but they really only monitor the Infirmary.

--Dawn

 

[sharper]

Oh wow! Thanks everyone for the advice!
Here are the pics I took of her wound last night. I'm just going to post the links to look at them just incase there are some that would get grossed out:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/Jayson_Gold1980/DSC_0214.jpg?t=1234920630
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/Jayson_Gold1980/DSC_0216.jpg?t=1234920676
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c23/Jayson_Gold1980/DSC_0215.jpg?t=1234920751

user=7267]tonyshuman[/user] wrote:

Thanks to ElfMommy for the notice!

Temperature is usually taken with a rectal thermometer, and considering she's pretty unhappy in that area, it's probably best not to do that.  You can monitor temperature (large changes in temp can indicate infection or shock) by checking her ears.  If they feel very "off," take her in to the vet.  I don't know if there's another way to take a rabbit's temperature.

The pain meds they gave you are pretty strong.  Buprenex is an opiate narcotic, so it should definitely take care of the pain.  Be sure to keep an eye on her fecal output as all opiates can cause GI slowdown, although it's not as bad as other opiod drugs.  Also stress and possible pain passing poos can cause GI slowdown.  She will act pretty sedated while she's on it.

I'm a bit concerned about giving both metacam and buprenex at the same time--kind of like taking ibuprofen and morphine at the same time.  Also, metacam can cause kidney damage and the rabbit needs to be very well hydrated when on  it, which may be difficult if she's zonked out all the time from the buprenex.  I'm not sure though, so I hope someone else chimes in.

I'm not 100% sure, but the antibiotics might not be necessary and the ones they gave you are definitely not very helpful.  Those are sulfa drugs, which haven't been proven to be very effective in rabbits.  I know Randy doesn't like them, but I'm not sure you neccessarily need an antibiotic.  Granted, the area is one that contains a lot of bacteria and you definitely don't want an abscess there, but rabbits tend to keep that area very clean with all the cecotrope eating and such, so I'm not sure it's needed.  The wash was very good.  I'm hesitant to recommend washing it again before you get stitches, but if you do decide to, a good antibacterial wash that is safe in deliacate areas is betadine (povidone iodine).  We used this when Benjamin got bit on the penis.

For cleaning, checking on it, and giving meds, you may want to bunny-burrito her or attempt to trance her.  Lay her on her back if you can, either in your lap or in your arm like a baby, and let her kind of zonk out.  Not all bunnies do this, called trancing, but it's a good way to do all sorts of stuff, like nails, scent glands, teeth checks, etc.  You could also squirt the medicine into her mouth while she's like this--she'll most likely lick it and swallow it safely.  You can also put her right side up on a towel and fold it around her like a baby.  This bunny burrito can then be held in your arms like a baby and the meds squirted into her mouth this way.

If the vet reccomended  stitches, you will need to get that done soon by a rabbit-savvy vet, or a dog/cat vet that is comfortable doing stitches (since the emergency one wasn't).  Obviously a rabbit-savvy vet is best.  They should probably use stitches that will dissolve over time, depending on the severity and location of the wound.

I hope you can get to a rabbit vet tomorrow to get all of this sorted out.  For now, you may consider a soft e-collar (made from a rolled up tube sock placed around the neck--I'll go looking for an example) to keep her away from that area, a warm rice sock for pain, and syringing her food and water if she's not eating in addition to her meds.

So sorry you have to go through this!!  I've never heard of this, although at least 2 bunnies I know have gotten bit on the penis while showing dominance.  Good luck!!

Her ears seem to be a normal temp. I'll keep that in mind and test her ears often.

Luckily, she hasn't messed with it much. She has just licked at it a couple of times, but hasn't spent much time on it. Whew!

As far as the injection goes, the vet did tell me to wait till later this evening before giving her the meds. I haven't given them to her yet. So far from the injection, she's been pooping just fine. Some of them have looked smaller than the normal ones, but they appear to be okay. She is eating her pellets, hay and veggies just fine. But I haven't seen any pee spots on the blankets at all today. I'm kind of worried that she's holding it in. But she did pee last night and this morning before the vet visit, I know that for sure at least.

He is a rabbit specialist, but he said it would be best to just try to keep it clean, get the swelling down and see if it will heal okay. Look at the pics to see the wound.

Now I haven't been able to get her in that "trance" at all since we got her. She won't really go on her back very well. Maybe it's because she's not completely comfortable with her new home yet. But I definitely will try the burrito thing. The vet showed me how to do it.

Oh a warm rice sock would do lovely! I think I'll do that.

 

[sharper]

ra7751 wrote:

She looks like she is on what I call a "Magic Carpet Ride".....buprenex is a good thing.  It is OK to use buprenex and Metacam together.  The Metacam will help with the swelling.  It's rough on the liver and kidneys so proper hydration is essential.  I have some suggestions.  First watch her gut carefully.  Buprenex tends to slow the gut down.  Keep her hydrated and offer lots of hay.  And sulfanomides are very rough on the beneficial bacteria in the gut.  There have been some links made to a very serious GI imbalance known as Tyzzer's Disease.  I don't particularly care for sulfa drugs.  But sulfanomides are also very effective at treating skin infections.  Watch very closely for any sign of GI upset and if you start seeing a mucus with a greenish tint....that needs to be addressed by a vet immediately.  That usually indicates an overgrowth of a pathenogenic bacteria known as Clostridium....bad stuff.  My other suggestion is to add a probiotic to help support the gut.  The absolute best product to use is called Bene-Bac.  It comes in a paste and a powder.  I prefer the powder since it can be sprinkled on pellets and/or greens.  An attractive alternative to oral sulfa is Convenia should the gut experience problems.  It is a cephalosporin so it's safe only as an injectable.  It appears from my experience with this drug is that it should be injected every 3 days.  And you might ask your vet about using something other than Vaseline....and there are several reasons for this.  I tend to prefer SSD (Silver Sulfadiazine) cream.  It is used for severe burn patients.  It is very soothing to the skin and has good antibiotic qualities.  I use it a lot.  And I am not much on e-collars for rabbits....they tend to be very stressful.  Good luck.

Randy

Thanks! Her poops seem to be coming out normal, but I don't think it's as often as it should be. It's kind of hard to tell what's normal since I've only had these girls for 1.5 weeks! lol

Oh yeah - thanks for reminding me about the Bene-Bac! He did tell me to get some for her. I completely forgot!

He also said that if I didn't have any vaseline, I could use something that had "silver" in it, so I guess it was what you mentioned. I'll go check that out.

 

[sharper]

aurora369 wrote:

Hey there,

You should check out this thread:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=31545&forum_id=16

I had the same thing happen to one of my male rabbits just over a year ago.

I saw a wonderful vet who was able to stitch him all up.  He had nearly 100 stitches because the wound was so complicated.   He was stitched up the next day after the incident.  The vets gave him a pain medication injection, and did the surgery first thing in the morning the next day.

He was on pain medications for two weeks, I believe.  And he was originally on an oral antibiotic, however on about the third day he decided he hated the taste and after trying to trick him for a few days I had the vet give me injectable antibiotics.  The injections where so much easier.

For the first two weeks he was also getting a steriod cream applied to the wound to reduce the swelling.  Then after that it was some antibiotic cream and once his collar was off, we used betadine to keep the area clean.

He had to wear a collar, and that was the part that frustrated him the most.  He couldn't eat his cecal pellets or get his food very well.  I would hand feed him a lot of his food, because he wanted to eat, but the collar would get in his way.  Thinking back on it, I should have tried to fashion some sort of soft collar, so that he couldn't lick or bite his genitals, but one that allowed him to eat better.

I encourage you to start a thread in the Infirmary.  We have many members that have lots of bunny medical knowledge, but they really only monitor the Infirmary.

--Dawn

100 stitches? wow! I can't imagine! I'm actually kind of glad she didn't get stitches. I think it might have made things more complicated. Since she's not bleeding, the swelling has gone down, and even though she's holding her urine longer than usual, the pee is coming out normal - so i'm thinking maybe stitches aren't necessary. Or I think stitches on such a complicated area where so much is going on would maybe make things worse. However, I'm keeping a close eye on her and the wound, and if I feel I need to take her to a different vet, i will.

Yeah, I'll copy my original post about the problem and paste it in the Infirmary. Thanks for the advice!

Oh! And about your boy, after he was healed and you put the two back together again, did he hump the other again or do you think he learned from the incident and he stopped?

I'll have my girls separated until she's healed, but I'm worried about the day I put them together. They are a bonded pair, but still worried about it.

 

[sharper]

i didn't have any apple juice last night, but I did have some apple sauce on hand. I put a little bit of that in the water and mixed it up and she still wouldn't touch it. Then I dumped it out and just gave her straight apple sauce, she wouldn't touch that either. But she would eat her veggies and hay with no probs. I knew I couldn't give her anything with banana, because I already found out she doesn't like banana either. But I knew she likes apple, so it was weird to see her turn down apple sauce.

I marked the water level on the water bottle last night to see if it had gone down when I got up this morning. The water level hadn't moved, but she had peed two more times throughout the night. So as I was changing her blankets this morning, I started to wonder if maybe she just doesn't like this water bottle. I mean, all of my water bottles are the same exact size and brand, same color and everything. But the one she used to drink out of was currently in Hailey's cage. It was just a weird idea and I was sure that wasn't the case, but I switched water bottles anyway. And you know what?? She started drinking from it like she was dying of thirst! She just kept drinking water for a long while. I was so excited! I felt so much better. I can't believe that was the problem! She just didn't like this particular water bottle! LOL weird!

There was a ton more poopies this morning also, and they all looked normal - yay!

Oh and what made me feel even better, right as soon as she was done drinking, she did a little binky. It wasn't a jump or anything, but she got up on her hind legs and did it - twice. I was thrilled!

Too bad I had to ruin the moment with stupid medicine time. I had to give her the yummy honey flavor stuff. At first, I tried to give it to her as a treat. I had a little bit coming out of the syringe and I held it up to her. She smelled it and turned her head the other way. So I was sure we were going to do this the hard way. I grabbed the towel and wrapped her up....this is really hard to do on my own since she was squirming. Her little arms wouldn't stay in it, so we had to rewrap a couple of times to get it right. I guess she remembers this from last night, because she immediately ducked her head under the towel like a turtle ducking into it's shell. I lower the towel a little more under her chin, held her tight and tried to do all this one handed while slipping the syringe to the side of her mouth. 1/10 CC at a time, and she would shake her head back and forth, duck, squirm, whatever she can do to avoid it. I was having so many problems! It took me 15 minutes to give her 1.13 CC's of medicine. I was running late for work, so I had to wake up the boyfriend to come hold her while I did the medicine. She was even a big struggle for him. It was just not a good experience for any of us. I really hope she gets the hang of it, but I don't think so. She's going to be a feisty, stubborn thing when it comes to medicine.