updates on the rabbit that hates me.

Mr. Waffles--who I basically renamed to Waffles, because somehow, the horror is just that much less--had a checkup about two weeks ago or so, due to my hysteria. Anyway, they did some kind of enzyme test on his liver, had the test redone somewhere else, and on Wed, my vet called to say that it came back positive, so Waffles has a parasite.

Not a big deal! he said heartily, while I hyperventilated into the phone. After calming me down, he explained in short words that there was medication, and all I needed to do was give it to him and voila! Healthy rabbit! Nothing we can do about the attitude, he didn't say but he also didn't offer me a rabbit anti-psychotic, so a fat load of good he did me in the bunny mental health division.

The problem here is, my relief kind of blocked out what exactly I'd be giving him and how often. Saturday, when I got the bottle, I stared in horror at what I was expected to do with the rabbit who chewed through my network router, chewed on the toe of my brand new shoes, and sometimes lunges for my jugular.

Mouth feed 17 cc once a day.

For twelve weeks.

Two days down. No scars. Yet. Eleven weeks and five days to go. God. I may not make it.

Comments

[cyprinella]

I feel your pain. I've been giving oral antibiotics (three different ones!) to a gerbil twice a day for two weeks now. And if the infected limb in question *doesn't* have to be amputated, I have another four weeks of antibiotics anyway. At least gerbils aren't quite as pointy as rabbits and can be wrapped up in a washcloth for easier administration.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Dear God. THREE TWICE A DAY??????

You totally win.

[cyprinella]

I'm just glad they can't projectile vomit like cats. Friend's cat used to get the meds on the ceiling.

Stephen Hawking, the gerbil in question, and I have finally come to an understanding about the meds. It takes me longer to get everything dosed out into syringes than it does to actually administer them. But for a while there it was a fight. The only stuff that was actually getting into his system was whatever he groomed off his fur.

[djinanna.livejournal.com]

>>wrapped up in a washcloth<<

But they can be wrapped up in a bath towel... I've had to resort to the bath towel wrapping for the cats at times.

My *vet* uses the wrapped up in a bath towel method when examining my feral kitty. We just unwrap a bit at a time as the exam goes on, then rewrap and move to the next area. She lies there, crying piteously and rolling her eyes, trembling with combined terror and revulsion at being touched by humans *ICK*. And she looks so ... sweet. ::gazes up at icon::

Best luck....

[jaekayelle.livejournal.com]

Oy. I have scars from the times I had to give my 6 pound kitty her meds, and she loved me. Don't know much about rabbits, but Waffles sounds a bit scary.

*sends you a suit of armour*

Also, HI! Don't think I've delurked before now. So, HI! *g*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*waves merrily* Welcome!

And yes, suit of armour would *rock*. He has claws. God, does he have claws.

[fyrdrakken]

They sell special gloves for handling dangerous wildlife made of thick leather and possibly including a bit of chain mail. Or you could go straight for the chain mail gauntlets, as I recommended to a friend some years back who had to give her cat a bath.

[vickita.livejournal.com]

OMG. Medicating a pet. Totally my favorite thing to do. (Not.)

I have had pets my entire life, and exactly twice did I not have a problem with medicating them to the point where I not only would have been happy to take the meds myself, but I would have been happy to have had the *condition* myself (ear mites! giardia! bring it on!), if only it would mean that I wouldn't have to medicate a whacked-out, growling, spitting, claws-and-fangs-out cat, ohpleaseohpleaseohplease.

(The two times: eye ointment for an allergic condition that apparently did not sting or otherwise feel uncomfortable, and I could administer it with my non-scary finger instead of Cat!Killer!Eyedropper!, and liquid kitty NSAIDs that were flavored to taste like honey. It worked great. Why do they not add happy-making flavoring to more vet meds?)

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I have had pets my entire life, and exactly twice did I not have a problem with medicating them to the point where I not only would have been happy to take the meds myself, but I would have been happy to have had the *condition* myself (ear mites! giardia! bring it on!), if only it would mean that I wouldn't have to medicate a whacked-out, growling, spitting, claws-and-fangs-out cat, ohpleaseohpleaseohplease.

Dear God yes. I'm not there yet? But I can feel it will be *very soon now*. He's got the desperate look.

[ratcreature]

Can the antibiotic given with food? When I had to give meds I usually tricked my rat into eating them. The worst was to have to give four different meds (antibiotics, heart medication, something against water in the lungs, and something to loosen phlegm) three times a day to a rat which had almost no appetite. I spend hours coaxing meds into him. Sometimes having pets just sucks.

[ratcreature]

Or anti-parasite thing, or whatever the med is you have to give, I meant.

[djinanna.livejournal.com]

Did you get one of those plunger things from the vet? They've got these syringe things for pill-giving, and other syringe things for liquids giving (which, if you've got a liquid to give, I'm pretty sure they'd've given to you anyway).

Is Mr W at all food motivated? Can you give him some kind of treat right after a medication thingee, something that will, uh, you know, make up for it and keep him from a psychotic episode because he'll be thinking "treat next!"?

Have you considered trying Bach Rescue Remedy to help his attitude? A couple drops in his water per instructions on package. It's safe for humans and animals, it's a homeopathic/holistic alternate medicine type thingee.

Or maybe animal T-touch? It's kinda a massage method that helps with stress relief and attitude and even some kinds of pain.

Meanwhile, I still have the feral kitty who doesn't even let me touch her and is currently growing out dredlock-style clumps of fur because she doesn't have any teeth for grooming and won't let me brush her to help ... and have to take my other darling in about an hour for weight-check and blood test to see how he's doing.

***feels deeply for you/your plight w/pet medication***

Be brave, wear heavy leather gauntlets and a spiked collar while medicating bunny, and this too shall pass. Eventually.

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

I second djinanna's suggestions.

I've never had problems medicating a pet. the trick is to link the medication time to something he loves beyond all reason. His favorite treat. His SUPPER. or, if his favorite thing is for you to let him go/put him down: hold onto him for awhile (maybe wrapped in a towel for your safety?), give him his medicine and immediately release him. that way, the medicine gets to mean "something GOOD is coming" and he's get happy about it, like kids get happy on their birthdays because Presents are coming. Even if it is yuckky, he'll learn to tolerate it.

I had a friend who got her pet chickens to tolerate having a stingy antibiotic ointment applied with this method. They'd run up to her when she called "time for your medicine!" so if it works on chickens, it will probably work on bunnies....

[chibikaie.livejournal.com]

Good luck with Waffles. I hope he gets all the way better and doesn't put you in the hospital.

[thornsilver]

I solved the problem of giving my kitty pills by crashing them to powder, mixing a little bit of water and using a syringe. He was not overjoyed, but we managed.

My hamster, however, has won the battler the last time she had to be medicated.