So important for people to have LOTS of patience with their buns! If you start to get frustrated it will only stress out your rabbit even more. Be gentle with them and try to talk to them and comfort them if they seem scared. Remember you are doing this because they NEED it, don’t give up no matter how hard it may be ❤️
So true, my bun has an ear infection and she's stopped eating cause of that, she HATES syringe feeding cause syringe feeding antibiotics has scarred her for life so it takes about an hour to do, with a lot of chasing around the room, her freaking out and eventually giving up. It kills me to stress her out so much, especially cause she thinks I'm being mean, but I have to persevere just cause I know she'll literally die if I don't.
@@lucybridges5887 animals are incredibly intelligent. I think deep down they know we are trying to help but they have that prey instinct that makes them feel vulnerable and want to hide
This video saved my bunny’s life last night. I had him in to the emergency vet for GI stasis- he’d already had the motility injections, but he wasn’t eating at ALL for hours after coming home. He was so weak and in pain by that point, the critical care was just dribbling out of his mouth. I tried everything to get him to eat. The comment you made at 5:50 to use a 1mL syringe was absolutely spot on because the first thing he did was lick the smaller syringe with the tiny amount of food coming out. Couldn’t believe it. It was all downhill from there. I fed him 1mL at a time all night until he felt well enough for the bigger syringe. He’s recovered almost fully now. Thank you for this small suggestion that turned my bunny around!
THANK YOU FOR this video because i recently got my rabbit a few months ago it has always worried me about GI stasis, i have the same critical care as you, my rabbit and i have a strong bond and all your vids have helped me make my rabbit as happy as possible
I wish I saw this video a couple weeks ago 😕 My bunny unfortunately passed as he was not eating. He had something wrong with his stomach and because he wasnt eating he went into GI stasis. We took him to the vet multiple times and they just said "it was the vaccine" which both my rabbits received a few days before. One was fine but as I say the other passed 😕 In the end they gave us the same medication but it was just too late 😕 In my country vets arent as educated with bunnies and dont specialize as much compared to America 😕 My other rabbit was fine and we got a pal for him (they are currently bonding) But I will NEVER forget my other one ❤
Wow I could have really used this video like a week ago 😅 my bun just lost her husbun and about a week later she went into stasis and she’s a very large and nervous rabbit so having to pick her up and force feed was very stressful on everyone! My bun is thankfully 100% better now and I’ve recently gotten her a new bun friend so bonding will be starting soon! 😄
Thank you so much for this video ❤️ my mini Rex has pneumonia and has not been eating. The vet did not give me a treatment plan or instructions on the antibiotics he was prescribed. Told me I could just read the packages. U literally gave me more information than the vet I paid. Boots says thank you 🤗
@@Tbizzz42 get him to a vet as soon as possible but if you really can’t then what I did was critical care (force feed using a syringe), water, and baby gas drops will help. The one I used was Ovol baby gas drops. Other than that I don’t remember what else I did that didn’t include a vet
@@jazminloureirofernandez1555 We ended up having to take the little guy an hour to UC Davis where they have a small animal clinic. The problem was that we weren’t able to syringe feed him critical care, he wouldn’t let us. He would just move around and make it extremely difficult out (impossible, really). He ended up being okay but you need to catch these things fast! I hope everything works out with you. You’ll need to buy some critical care and syringe feed him/her to get the digestive tract going again.
Best video on RU-vid. Thank you for doing this. I had a tough time doing this last time I had to, and this time, after watching your video, it was a much more chill experience for me and my Mr. Bing Bong. We had no troubles! I can't thank you enough for taking the guess/stress out of this process!
I have 2 newborn bunnies. One is doing amazing. Eating on her own eyes open and everything. The other one won’t eat whatsoever and he’s hardly growing or improved at all the past few days. If anyone sees this please pray for both of them
@@lucybridges5887 the one actually passed away the morning after I posted this. My other one is thriving. She’s doing amazing and she’s eating a ton and she’s very loving
Thank you so much for sharing this. My bunny is on day 2 of SQ fluid therapy and Critical Care. I had no idea how to give him Critical Care and struggled with his wiggling. This video was so helpful!!🐰💜🐇
Thank you for making this video! It's very informative. Hope your bunnies are ok. If I may add; If you have a squirmy/skittish/aggressive bunny I would honestly recommend doing this on the floor in a rabbit safe room. I would also recommend "burritoing" your rabbit in the towel to have better control over them. Back the rabbit's back end to you so they cannot back out and for aggressive bunnies have your hand that is not handling the syringe under the towel where there front legs and chest would be in case they try to bite you. Then during breaks you can either let them go and leave the room for a few minutes to let them destress and or used the towel to cover their eyes while they hang out with you in the burrito if they are willing to stay put with you. Everything else i agree with here and this is a good video. Also please check with your vet before switching between regular Critical care and fine grind and about how much extra water you can use for the right consistency. An extra teaspoon or tablespoon may not be a big deal but too much water may make it too dilute or increase aspiration risk. Thank you for reading.
Lulu is such a sweetie ! I love all ur buns ❤️ my rabbit HATES the large syringes so we use 3ml syringes for feeding and they’re perfect for him! He’s actually started willingly eating his recovery food if I offer it to him he will lick it right off the spoon! 😁 but when he really needs it I still do syringe feedings on top of that
Glad to hear your girls are doing well! Great video. I used to feed my 9 yr old, who was in stasis, on a table, but now he's so good, I can feed him on the floor or in his bed. He is so good to latch onto the syringe. I used a 3 ml because he likes it the best. I have tried other size syringes but he liked the 3 ml size. I just have to fill it several times! Keep up the good work!! 😊
I mix the critical care with pineapple juice instead of water. It makes it easier for my rabbit to take and the pineapple juice is very good for his digestion as well.
I do not recommend this. Pineapple juice is high in simple sugars that promote growth of bad bacteria in a bunny's cecum. Too much pineapple juice will tip the delicate balance in their gi system. And the effect is enhanced in a rabbit who hasn't been eating (hence the need for critical care). A vet told me to feed my rabbit pineapple juice for a hairball, and I had to put him down because the pineapple juice caused his cecum to distend and rupture.
I would agree with this. My bunnies never have done well adding anything sugary when they are not well with a gut issue....overgrows the bad bacteria very quickly! I have added l Benebac gel probiotic and done alright to help a gut slow down in one rabbit and the small amount of sugar in that formulation was okay for her but this is the exception.
I swear I was watching this next to my rabbit who refused to eat all day long… he heard the word “force feed” and immediately began eating hay. Good boy.
Thank you for this video. Mu fletcher went through stasis last may and it was terrifying. He allowed me to "bunny burrito" him then (still a toddler). But he was fixed this week (mature adult) and he is NOT dealing well with the pain medications. I feel like it is counterproductive, like I am hurting him, to give him pain meds. He does NOT like the cone (that I altered so he could reach the food and water, but not the incisions). I'm terribly afraid that he has now associated me with negative things. He and I were "besties" up until this week; greeting me, very willing to be picked up, loving the cuddles, etc. And now he flinches when I go into his xpen. I'm hoping this is only temporary and we will build that bond again once he is healed and that dreadful cone is off. I feel like we'll have to do the human/bunny bonding process all over again. Seeing my wee man suffer and frustrated makes me feel awful as a pet owner.
Miss March1978 I’m so sorry you and your bun had to go through all of that. My bunny Toffee went into stasis around three months ago and I was terrified that I would be leaving the vets without him. Thankfully he fully recovered and is now happy and healthy again, although he found the whole experience as terrifying as I did, and i had to work to build our bond until it was as strong as it was before he went into stasis. Don’t give up and remember that your little boy survived going through stasis. Just give him love, and I hope that your bond will be back to normal, even stronger, soon.
Thank you so much for this video, I had a bun go into stasis and I had the most useless bet that didn’t know how to help, I researched loads and did my best to force feed but I really struggled and I blame myself that he passed away :( now I have one of his babies (I rescued him from a breeder) and I have the tools to save this one! Thank you 💕
Have you ever tried massaging your rabbit's belly whenever they're sick? If you do it properly it helps their gut circulation and helps the rabbit expel the trapped gas, easing their pain. I think it works best for bloated bunnies but I'm told it also helps for G.I. Stasis. I've done it for my bunny the two times he was sick and he was right as rain by the end of the day. Maybe you could do a video on belly massaging since the technique can be a bit tricky?
Yeah I'm sure she has, she just hasn't mentioned it ever, afaik (but I could be wrong ofc), so I'm hoping she can make a video on it, since it's such a useful method which has saved my bunny a lot of pain and a few stressful trips to the vet, and myself some costly vet fees. It's something which deserves a lot more attention than it's gotten.
Around 2-3 weeks ago, my friends bunny had babies. she thought she has all girls but there's apparently a boy (don't worry they're separated) but last Friday (the 15th) they found one of their bunnies bleeding. they found out that one of their bunnies had a miscarriage and she had to get surgery on Monday (the 18th) they now have to hand feed her since she can't eat solid food. this video helps a lot since they have never had to do this.
I always give electorlyte fluids 1-2 tablespoons first thing if my rabbits stop eating- using 1ml syringes only. I've never had any problems with my rabbit aspirating. The reason for fluids only is you are supposed to have a vet rule out a blockage before you do food. So I feel fluids are the only safe thing to do before going to the vet. Often the rabbit starts eating before the vet appointment after I have given the fluids. Sometimes I think just hydrating your rabbit gets its digestion going again.
My rabbit always hated critical care. We tried sherwood and he loves theirs so much, and I much prefer their ingredients. I’m so glad he loves the sherwood recovery food. He always eats it whenever I offer it and will lick it right off a spoon 😂🥰🥰🐰
Great information. I remember when I had a rabbit one of the things I hated doing when one was sick was giving them medicine via a needle. I actually made my brother do it. lol
My baby has surgery for an abscess in his jaw tomorrow. They don’t know how bad the situation is until they put him under to do the X-rays. They might have to extract his molars. I’m so worried. We will have to feed him with a syringe afterwards. This video was very informative. Thank you
About a month ago, my bunny had to be force fed for 5 ish days straight. He was super good for it! It may have even been longer though. And to make him like it we also added a few different foods to it. (My mom is a small animal vet) So we mixed in a bunch of things that were good for him, and that he liked.
How are your buns now? Currently feeding my 8 year old lethargic skinny bun suffering from stubborn dental abscesses that keep coming back after 3 invasive surgeries.. usually my bun is a fighter but not this time. My amazing vet recommended critical care! I find that instead of always wiping the towel, i just put puppy pads over the towel. I also have 2 wet paper towels - 1 over my bunnies paws incase of drippage (?) and the other in handy to the side incase i need to wipe it off his face. Def agree with the comments about mixing apple sauce! I find he tolerates it better!
I make a paste and put it on their pellets or greens once a week. I watch their poops for any change in quaintly and colour and size. If change is noticeable, i give some critical care. Wild Bunnies love wild apple tree bark so i get the limbs for mine and they love them. Supposed to be very good for digestive.
I’ve not had much luck with my bunnies and if your new to having a pet bunny I would recommend insurance. They are actually really complex pets. I’m a dab hand with GI Stasis and blocked tear ducts.
Hailey, great video! Are you pointing the syringe towards the inside of the cheek pouch area? With Ebony, it looks like you are, but wanted to make sure so I do it the same way you are doing it! I’m asking because as you well know, the proper positioning of the syringe tip is very important to keep from aspirating the bunny. People need to know this.
Thanks for the video! I’m giving my buns medicine for the first time rn and it’s so rough. A probiotic and ear medicine twice a day. He constantly hides under the bed and runs when he sees me coming with it lol!!!! I’ll try getting him up on a counter with the head holding
My rabbit had GI stasis and could not stand being force fed. She started eating on her own after 2 days though, so luckily it didn't last too long. She made a full recovery, and is even more brave and friendly than she was before.
Thanks for this video. One thing is that rabbits can’t spit or throw up just like horses. Rabbits will push it out of their mouth with their tongue though
I've really found that loading small 1ml syringes is easiest. My rabbits don't seem to like the bigger syringe. You have to have the finest grind critical care though. And I buy a bulk package of- like 50 1ml syringes and I load like 15 all at once.
I’ve been caring for a very sick sugar glider, and just seeing the difference in the syringe sizes literally made me burst out laughing:) My boy needs half ML syringes lol:)
I'm currently in the process of going through your entire channel and doing research because I really want to be prepared before I adopt a bunny! I'm so excited because I'm learning a lot but I'm also kinda nervous because I might do something wrong when I finally take care of one 😓 Anyway, I hope Lulu and Ebony get well soon 💜💜
I took my bun to the vet and the vet was able to barrito her, but then at home I tried to burrito her while she was in her enclosure and she bit us because she was stressed out. But then I put the medicine in her bowl and she licked it clean. So I've been using that method for her gas and she has gotten alot better.
My rabbit has a need in 2 days. She's barely munching on fresh salad. Because she had surgery. And I went to the vet to get some critical care. And they told me not to give it to her. And then I went to a pet shop owner. And he said, just give her colored greens, mustard, greens, any kind of greens. But I'm worried, and I'm thinking. I'm going to just blend up her regular food. That I've been given her for the past few years. And turn it into paste and put a little amount. Just to make sure she eats. I don't know what to do.
Can you help me my bunny lost his stability he can jump and barely walk and have diarrhea I look on internet and they say it’s Vestibular syndrome I call the veterinarian and he say that he can see him until the 20 can you pls help me what can I do?
I have a question I’ve given my girl Wanda the little remedy gas drops but I was holding her and my husband was trying to squirt it in I see a lot of these actions being done on a table top I am concerned that my bunny would fall off do all bunnies stay still on a table top or counter top?
Use a piece of that rug gripper material and then put a towel or blanket down so it won't slide all over. I use a large table that I can comfortably sit at and have a desk lamp for examination if needed. I regularly use this table for brushing my bunny when she is not sick so she is used to it and not frantic. But yes, if you are new to rabbits, they do jump so you may have to start on or near a carpeted floor BUT the problem is then, they know they can get away and you will end up stressing them as you chase them around to medicate them. You kind of just start slowly and work with your rabbit and see how they respond to medical care. Some rabbits love medicines and Critical Care food and some run for their lives. I usually have the latter!!!😂
Omg thank you for this! This was amazing! N doing the 3 part water is such a great idea! I tried it for my lil bun n she ate it so much easier n didn’t fight it at all! Thank you!! :’)
Uh huh, one of my rabbit's took it when you walked up to it. Bless his little heart. I have a nine lb French lop that is "very" stubborn. it's not that she don't like critical care, it's the whole syringe experience..and I have to go over head and stick the syringe in her mouth. Almost literally holding her like a football. It's not easy. Any other videos that would suggest differently???🤷
Haley, great video! Are you pointing the syringe towards the inside of the cheek pouch area? With Ebony, it looks like you are, but wanted to make sure so I do it the same way you are doing it! (Im not sure where the gap is that you mention towards the end of the video.) I’m asking because as you well know, the proper positioning of the syringe tip is very important to keep from aspirating the bunny. People need to know this.
Thank you so much for this video! This would have been so helpful when my bun was going through stasis.. I know this will be so helpful for other bun moms and dads.
My boy was eating it from the spoon because he thought it was a treat. Now that he thinks that I’m trying to force it on him he won’t touch it. Guess it’s force feeding from here. 🤦🏻♀️
The bag does not need to be refrigerated but I do freeze mine since I don’t use it that often and it keeps it fresh. If you have already mixed up the critical care with water, you can cover it and put it in the fridge for the next feeding up to 24hrs.
Is the digging a way to say i wanne leave? My bunny does it during playtime. So now i am confused wether its fustration or just digging for fun when i placed a towel like that.
Digging can be a frustrated behavior, but it is also a natural behavior as rabbits in the wild dig tunnels and live underground. I would provide some interactive digging activities like a digging box
My female bunny didn’t eat anything from last saturday. But her all activities are notmal. I try to feed her water,milk,pineapple juice (she likes) from 2ML syringe several times… but still she didn’t eat any thing. My vat suggest me to feed APTONIC. But aptonic not working for her. What to do don’t know!! Only hope for her recovery very soon. 😢😢😢
My bunny hasn't been eating pellets, she will eat vegetables but she is extremely picky with them so it's hard to just feed her vegetables, I can't afford to take her to the vet right now because of covid and the current job situation so I'm really stuck on what to do
So I have three neutered male rabbits and they are all under a year old and I recently caught this neighborhood bunny that is small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and as soon as they smelled the bunny they all started fighting! Is this something that’s going to always happen do I need to get rid of this bunny?? I just don’t understand how they would be so territorial if they are neutered and they all get along and it’s not the smell of just a different animal it is the specific smell of another bunny
I had to do this with my baby bc she wouldn’t eat, but her fur is very crusty in her neck and I wipe it and it doesn’t come out very well. Any recommendations?
I have had 3 house rabbits over 20 years and yes, at some point you will deal with this a few times or chronically, like my one bunny. Learn all you can esp, when they are not sick so you can recognize the signs and catch things early!
I want to take my bunny to a emergency vet to get her vaccines and the things to help her get better she’s having gi stasis again for the fourth time in her life we got rid of the wound and she’s suffering 😭 but we can’t afford to take her to vet😭
What do I do? I force feed my rabbit but he spits it out, even if I hold him he doesnt swallow and just spits it all out when I let him go :/ please help
I gave my rabbit baby food it was apple spinach with kale a long with unflavored Pedialyte . After I took him to the vet and then I started feeding him critical care. I gave my rabbit smaller amounts of critical care than what the video shows every 2 hours along with Pedialyte . I increased the amount of critical care once he seemed to be doing betrer. Keeping the bunny hydrated a long with force feeding him worked for me. He was also on meds so that helped too. My rabbit was really sick so it took a few weeks for a full recovery. I hope your bunny gets better soon :(
🆘Hey I really need some bunny advice, I own two bunnies, both female and both spayed. They have been bonded for about half a year. But recently one of them have started to charge at the other one and bite them. I don't know why and I have separted them. please I really need some help