Day in, day out, your pet rabbit will be content to munch on hay, fresh greens, and some alfalfa pellets. While you'll need to provide this food, you won't have to actually feed it to your pet. However, if your rabbit has recently had an operation or is ill, a veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics or other medications that you'll need to feed your rabbit with a syringe. Unlike with other animals, you can't simply mix the medication into the rabbit's food and trust that it will consume it. Giving medication to a rabbit can be a challenge, but here are some tips for success.
Work With A Partner
While your veterinarian can hold the animal with one hand and orally administer medication with the other, this isn't a technique that you should try to replicate. Instead, make sure that you're giving your rabbit medication with the help of a partner. One person's job will be to hold the rabbit securely with its head facing outward, while the other person's job will be to give the medication. You can expect that your rabbit won't be keen on this, but working together can make it significantly easier.
Get The Tip In The Mouth
Given the challenges of this task, it can be easy for the person holding the syringe to point the tip at the rabbit's mouth and begin to depress the plunger. The fact is that doing so will result in wasting the medication, as much of it won't likely get in the pet's mouth. You need to be sure that the tip of the syringe is in the animal's mouth before you start to squirt out the medicine. One technique is to approach the mouth from the side, as this can be easier. From the front, the rabbit's teeth can prove to be a difficult barrier.
Get Your Vet Involved
If you struggle to give your rabbit the medication that it needs, don't just shrug off your challenges and try again tomorrow. The animal requires medication around a set schedule, and if you aren't able to adhere to this schedule, it may affect your animal's health. Don't hesitate to call your vet's clinic for advice, or to put your rabbit in its hauler and take it in. Your vet will be able to administer that day's dosage of the medication for you, as well as practice this routine so that you're more confident the following day.
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