Having trouble medicating

[Cyber-Wizard]

My ever-so-adorable lop is home with us again after having been in the hospital for 4 days. Cleo has never been fond of being handled and we've rarely had cause to do so. Now that we're having to give her several meds twice a day we have no choice but to handle her. She's not having any of it. Obviously she's not interested in the meds and we can't get her wrapped up in a towel. When she sees a towel she makes herself scarce. Any time I've managed to actually get her wrapped up, she bolts. The techs at the hospital made it look so easy. She was almost completely docile for them. Now that she's home she fights something fierce. Granted I don't have much experience with picking her up in a towel or otherwise but I just cannot get a hold of her. Once I fail the first time she stays on high alert for towels, etc and any gesture sends her galloping. Obviously I can't chase her but I don't know how to get medication into her. My vet's only suggestion was for me to board her with them for the next few weeks until she's run through her meds. It's been about 24 hours since she came home and I've only been able to get one of her meds into her by mushing it in banana. Obviously that's not an option twice a day, and that only works for one of the meds. She can smell the others too well. I'm tempted to try and hire a local foster with more experience in handling rambunctious buns to come and handle her twice a day. That seems ludicrous but I'm at my wits end. Everyone that I've spoken to online tells me to wrap her in a towel like that's a golden nugget of information. If I could get her near a towel I wouldn't have this problem. Has anyone got any suggestions?

 

[curiouscarrot]

Personally, I'd board her at the vet's. I can't get urine samples from my dog, she won't let me. If she needs one, I just send her up there and they do it easily. When I'm in a position where I have to struggle with a pet, I prefer not to have to do it. I don't want my pets to "hate me"

Otherwise (and this goes from other animals not bunnies which I am new to), don't approach thinking she'll run away and you'll have a struggle on your hands. Have a matter-of-fact attitude, tell her what's happening, and then do it, treat immediately afterwards and lots of praise. You have to "think firm" and be firm. It sounds stupid, but when they sense that you "mean business" it can help them knock off the nonsense. It should be easier if you confine her while she's on treatment so she's got nowhere to get away to.

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

Since she returned to the house she's been keeping herself confined to her cage. That's made is simpler. Once she gets out of there it's game over. For medication I've been lifting the cage off of the base and stroking her until she lays down and settles in. I'm then able to wrap the towel around her and then as soon as I snug her butt up under my arm she starts fighting up a storm and takes off. I would expect a grown man to be able to get a grip on her but alas, I don't seem to be able to do it. Most of her meds will be finished in two weeks but one of them has to run for 30 days. I just don't want her away from home that long.

 

[curiouscarrot]

I've only just adopted my first bunnies, so I'm useless at handling them. The vet told me to flip them over onto their backs because they can't really do anything when they have their legs up in the air (Cassie can still struggle, but she doesn't have anything to kick against and it's easier to keep a hold of her).

Also, if the towel is freaking her out, maybe ditch the towel and try to get some speed up with "grabbing" her instead. It's hard to do it fast when you haven't practised enough to do it skilfully, but if you can work on whipping her up quick-smart maybe she won't get the chance to struggle.

I feel for you, I can imagine trying to give Cassie meds and hope I don't have to anytime soon.

 

[Zeroshero]

Force feeding even an easy to handle bunny is difficult. Did the vet compound her medicines to be fed with a syringe? My bunny hates being force fed but will readily take his meds if I let him lick it himself from the syringe. Is offering it to her an option? I can offer meds through the side of the cage and as long as my bun is feeling well enough to come take it he will. It really works to both our advantage because I have to rely on inexperienced people to medicate him during the day. Zero also has a totally different association with syringes than most bunnies. I hope you think of a solution soon it would be terrible to have a setback because she isn't continuing her supportive therapy.

If you are able to take the top off why pick her up? You could put the towel around her and leave her in the corner, put her front feet in one hand and raise her up a bit so you can get to her face. Place the syringe behind her front teeth and slowly depress the plunger she should start licking, she knows the drill.

 

[Nova and Era]

This may seem odd as a solution, but one of my rabbits seriously dislikes being picked up, but with some time he'll hop into an animal carrier. I can then lift him out of pen inside the carrier, place the carrier on a table or such and remove him from the carrier. It's the safest method I have for a bunny that will fight me. Maybe it'll work for you.

 

[curiouscarrot]

Zero also has a totally different association with syringes than most bunnies.

Hope OP doesn't mind me sticking in a question. Would it be a good idea to try some feeding out of a syringe so that if medication is required in future they might take it like Zero? If so, what's runny enough and yummy enough to get them to eat from a syringe?

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

The vet sent us home with six different meds to give her. She can have them all at the same time so if we could get a hold of her, I suspect it wouldn't matter that we're giving her six separate syringes.


As soon as she smells the meds she won't have anything to do with a syringe. The only time I get away with that is when she's in stasis and I give her water. She'll usually lick from the syringe after the first couple of attempts. Usually the first couple of times I can force feed her water but I don't need to grab her as she's reluctant to move. After she realizes it's water she'll take it happily.


Leaving her on the cage floor has been the plan. Knowing that we can't pick her up, I've just tried wrapping her in a towel and medicating her where she sits. As soon as I complete the wrap, she bolts from the cage floor out into the living room. I just don't know how to keep a hold on her. From there she has access to the main floor and I wouldn't have any choice but to chase her so I wait for her to go back into the cage. The more she begins to feel better, the less interested she is in going back into the cage. This will be compounded come Monday when we have only a few minutes for the process before we go to work.

Force feeding even an easy to handle bunny is difficult. Did the vet compound her medicines to be fed with a syringe? My bunny hates being force fed but will readily take his meds if I let him lick it himself from the syringe. Is offering it to her an option? I can offer meds through the side of the cage and as long as my bun is feeling well enough to come take it he will. It really works to both our advantage because I have to rely on inexperienced people to medicate him during the day. Zero also has a totally different association with syringes than most bunnies. I hope you think of a solution soon it would be terrible to have a setback because she isn't continuing her supportive therapy.

If you are able to take the top off why pick her up? You could put the towel around her and leave her in the corner, put her front feet in one hand and raise her up a bit so you can get to her face. Place the syringe behind her front teeth and slowly depress the plunger she should start licking, she knows the drill.

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

By all means, ask any question you desire. As helpful as everyone here always is I'll take any and all feedback.

We were able to get some pain meds into her this morning by mixing it in mashed up banana. When we tried the same trick with applesauce, hoping to go the syringe route she wouldn't have anything to do with it. There seems to be only one of the meds that's masked by the smell of the banana. If we put any of the others in there, she picks it up right off and won't touch it.

Hope OP doesn't mind me sticking in a question. Would it be a good idea to try some feeding out of a syringe so that if medication is required in future they might take it like Zero? If so, what's runny enough and yummy enough to get them to eat from a syringe?

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

Cleo despises the carrier and will only get into it when she's extremely sick and not thinking well. If I need to take her to the vet for a nail trim or anything else when she's at the top of her mental and physical game, it's a challenge. I've been as much as half an hour late for vet appointments due to time spent trying to trick her into the carrier.

This may seem odd as a solution, but one of my rabbits seriously dislikes being picked up, but with some time he'll hop into an animal carrier. I can then lift him out of pen inside the carrier, place the carrier on a table or such and remove him from the carrier. It's the safest method I have for a bunny that will fight me. Maybe it'll work for you.

 

[JBun]

For my rabbits that dislike taking meds, I just scoop them up quickly and bring them right to my body, then I sit them down on a towel in my lap, and hold firmly around the back of the head/neck with my hand cupping the neck and cheeks, so they can't jerk their head away too easily, and give the med. It can take a couple tries to get the syringe in the side of the mouth, but because I've got a good hold, they can't pull away as easily. This seems to work better for me than trying to wrap up in a towel.

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

The bulk of the problem is that we have no experience handling her. I know that's wrong, but she's always disliked it so much that we haven't pushed the issue. We try to get her comfortable with it from time to time by lifting her front legs off of the ground and petting her head. She's always been OK with that as long as we don't try to go the next step. She doesn't seem to feel comfortable even held tight to me or the floor of the cage and she just kicks out wildly.

We just tried to give her evening meds a few minutes ago without any luck. After several minutes of nose rubs she'll lay down and settle in to be petted. As soon as I make any sort of movement other than nose rubs she immediately gets up. I almost had her this time but she kicked so frantically with her back legs that she escapes. Holding down her shoulders and taking hold of her head doesn't settle her down. She seems to lack that instinct that lets her settle down when held firmly.

For my rabbits that dislike taking meds, I just scoop them up quickly and bring them right to my body, then I sit them down on a towel in my lap, and hold firmly around the back of the head/neck with my hand cupping the neck and cheeks, so they can't jerk their head away too easily, and give the med. It can take a couple tries to get the syringe in the side of the mouth, but because I've got a good hold, they can't pull away as easily. This seems to work better for me than trying to wrap up in a towel.

 

[Zeroshero]

Curiouscarrot - you could grind up pellets and mix it with water to liquefy them, my bun loves Critical Care but I have not had to force feed him that yet. Feeding/dosing syringes actually have a pretty large opening at the end that you could probably push some mashed banana through or applesauce.

Cyber-wizard - did the vet techs show you how they successfully medicated her? The hand you are using to cup her chin and lift he head up also blocks her from moving forward if you keep pressure against her chest. It is difficult to hang onto these guys if you are trying to grasp them by the abdomen. I am sure you could find some video clips on YouTube too.

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

Yep. They put her on the table wrapped her in a towel and put the syringe in her mouth. Easy as you please. For us she kicks up a storm. I've watched many videos and tried to duplicate it but she outsmarts me at every turn. The rabbits in the videos appear to be very used to being handled. In the hospital she was relaxed. Here she's completely relaxed right up until the moment I try to get a hold on her. Tchen she kicks out, gallops off, and then flops down as calm as you please a few feet away. It's like she's mocking me.

Cyber-wizard - did the vet techs show you how they successfully medicated her? The hand you are using to cup her chin and lift he head up also blocks her from moving forward if you keep pressure against her chest. It is difficult to hang onto these guys if you are trying to grasp them by the abdomen. I am sure you could find some video clips on YouTube too.

 

[Zeroshero]

If you can't find any I can try uploading a video of Zero but it might not be helpful because he's such a chow hound anyway. He is much easier for me to handle than anyone else, at his last visit he was struggling a little bit when she was trying to palpate his abdomen and look at his tummy my vet sat on the floor with him in her lap and he was perfectly fine. Every time I medicated or fed Zero I was sitting on the floor. If I sit down he instantly jumps in my lap and starts looking for something. (tonight he was handing me the lid to the medicine container) if you could move her onto your lap once she is wrapped, without picking her up quiet her down with petting. Try medicating her once she is quiet give her a treat even if it is a pellet (Z falls for that one all the time) Have the syringes already drawn and within reach so you don't have to readjust yourselves.

 

[Zeroshero]

Duplicate post

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

Cleo used to sit in my lap right up until we had her spayed. After that she went completely hands off. We're only allowed to pet her now, no other touching is allowed. She's very sensitive about hands anywhere near her tummy, tail, and feet. I used to be able to lure her into my lap if I was giving her a slice of banana. After a few bouts with runny cecals I stopped giving her fruit so that practice has died off.

 

[Zeroshero]

Yes it is probably not a good idea to give her anything that will upset her GI system further. It sounds like you need a cat grooming bag to restrain her even that could be a challenge getting her in. Good luck, hopefully you are able to sort it out and get those meds into her.

 

[curiouscarrot]

Most of her meds will be finished in two weeks but one of them has to run for 30 days. I just don't want her away from home that long.

Another idea. What about boarding her for a few days and going up there at medication time and "practising" with the vet nurse or someone up there. If they show you and you achieve it, it'll boost your confidence to continue with it at home, and maybe they have some "tricks of the trade" that will help. Maybe you've got into the mindset now that it'll be a disaster so it's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy. You are anxious so you loosen your grip, she gets loose, you chase, she gets upset, big drama. If you get another technique which works, the whole thing might go off without any hitches.

 

[Cyber-Wizard]

We may have to look at that. She's moving around more and spending a little more time away from her house but she still spends the bulk of her time just laying and munching on hay. I'm used to hearing her hop around her cage at night. The silence is bothering me.

We're just about to try her meds again. She's missed the last three doses. All we've been able to get into her is the Metacam because it mixes in with banana. Even that she's caught onto now.