Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Bunny medicine administration

The bunny burrito as a control mechanism to administer meds has been explored in this blog. With as much as Bunya is taking now, it was not working as well ... it takes two of us to get it done.

Plus, Bunya is now avoiding us. Seriously. When we call him, he hides. We tried to give him a treat, a little piece of papaya. He came when called - and only because we shook the papaya box, so he knew it was for a treat and not meds. He bound up to my wife, but stayed out of range. Then he looked at her and hopped into his pen, turned around and stood on his hind legs, leaning against the fence to wait for his treat -- he wanted a barrier between them so he could not be picked up and given slurry and medicines.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
Bunya burrito
When we tried to give him meds, Bunya would either claw his way out of the top of the towel or "turtle", retracting his little head inside the towel roll. We needed to be schooled in extreme bunny burrito, so I made an appointment with the vet nurse.

Since this was to be a short visit, I gathered up all the bunnies (a feat in itself) and shoved them in the carrier, hoping it might be a step towards re-bonding. Lucy first, then Ethel, then Bunya. First time they'd all been together in almost 2 weeks ... well, together without fur flying.

I was not gentle with it - I wanted them shaken. The car ride was similarly "swerve-y". They did not fight and just huddled up to each other.

Bunnies shaken, not stirred

If you think wrestling is not real, well, you just have to admire how the professionals do it. It was a thing of beauty. She wrapped a tight bunny burrito and then Bunya had a smack-down* ... he was firmly held in position - no jumping away, no turtling - and got his meds and goop.
Bunya gets the WWE Smack-down* treatment,
with the patented burrito/head-lock combination.
*Sigh*  She makes it look so easy.

Bunny tumble ride home. Bunya has been walking around the girl's pen (at least it's theirs for this 24 hour period), sticking his head in through the fence and trying to nuzzle the girls, especially Ethel. He needs to get well so we can re-bond them.

* Just a wrestling thing - no actual violence.


P.S.
Vanity license plate outside vet's office

7 comments:

  1. Aww bless, it's good when they feel perkier but it doesn't half make meds harder to give!

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  2. I am always so impressed with vets and vet nurses when they handle our buns and calm them like they're anaesthetised... I want that skill.

    Good wishes and thoughts for Bunya's continued improvement and the re--bonding xx

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  3. Le sigh...they make it look so easy, don't they?

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  4. I think there should be a bunny burrito head-hold class offered in every city!

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    1. Oops....I deleted myself! HA! That wasn't supposed to happen!

      EXCELLENT idea "throwing" them all in for a super-swervy car ride!!!! With no fur flying and just huddling, it's a good sign that they will all re-bond! You can always try the carrying crate on the dryer trick too.....

      Good luck with the meds and glad that Bunya is continuing to feel OK.

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  6. I'm glad to hear he's feeling well enough to give bunnitude during his feeding/med sessions, he just needs to let you help get him back to 100%.

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