Pipp
Well-Known Member
So sorry Katrina, this is obviouslyso nerve wracking for you. :nerves1Hope she's okay.
Drinking and cleaning herself are really good signs, it showsshe's not critically ill. And ifshe's pooping cecals, that may be sign of another problem,but she's not currently in stasis, which isthe normal outcome ofan anorexic bunny.
I'm curious about the Critical Care problem, as Naturestee said, it's designed to be syringe-fed. You have to put a lot of water in it and let it soak for at least 10 minutes. If you put the mixture ona flatsurface, it should be more puddle like than glob like. It should easily come out of a syringe,although with a small syringe, cutting the top off and widening the hole may be necessary.
Force-feeding a post-surgical bunny isn't easy, needless to say, it's not comfortable for them, and feeding them something they're not used to and/or don't like is a problem. The only way I can get mine eating the stuff is to spike it with something they like, like banana (or banana baby food), apple juice or even honey.
Grinding up your own pellets may work, athough they're not designed for that so the mixture is never as smooth creating more of a problem with the syringe. Best method there is using a new (or at least EXTREMELY) well-cleaned coffee bean grinder, and again, letting the pellets soak for quite a while.
Waving pieces of grass or sprigs of parsely in their faces is a trick that really works often -- you get them annoyed enough to grab it from your hand, they taste it in the process and decide it tastes good and they'll munch it down.
She should be just fine with the vet care, they know all about getting bunnies to eat, and they'll keep her hydrated, deal with any pain issues, and make sure the problem isn't a complication -- which is unlikely. One thing to keep in mind is that the Metacam takes quite awhile to work, so it could have been just that she was in pain and didn't want to eat at that time.
Please let us know how she is. :hug1
sas
ray:
Drinking and cleaning herself are really good signs, it showsshe's not critically ill. And ifshe's pooping cecals, that may be sign of another problem,but she's not currently in stasis, which isthe normal outcome ofan anorexic bunny.
I'm curious about the Critical Care problem, as Naturestee said, it's designed to be syringe-fed. You have to put a lot of water in it and let it soak for at least 10 minutes. If you put the mixture ona flatsurface, it should be more puddle like than glob like. It should easily come out of a syringe,although with a small syringe, cutting the top off and widening the hole may be necessary.
Force-feeding a post-surgical bunny isn't easy, needless to say, it's not comfortable for them, and feeding them something they're not used to and/or don't like is a problem. The only way I can get mine eating the stuff is to spike it with something they like, like banana (or banana baby food), apple juice or even honey.
Grinding up your own pellets may work, athough they're not designed for that so the mixture is never as smooth creating more of a problem with the syringe. Best method there is using a new (or at least EXTREMELY) well-cleaned coffee bean grinder, and again, letting the pellets soak for quite a while.
Waving pieces of grass or sprigs of parsely in their faces is a trick that really works often -- you get them annoyed enough to grab it from your hand, they taste it in the process and decide it tastes good and they'll munch it down.
She should be just fine with the vet care, they know all about getting bunnies to eat, and they'll keep her hydrated, deal with any pain issues, and make sure the problem isn't a complication -- which is unlikely. One thing to keep in mind is that the Metacam takes quite awhile to work, so it could have been just that she was in pain and didn't want to eat at that time.
Please let us know how she is. :hug1
sas
ray:
