Banana Bad

stinky banana and boy

Replace the boy in this photo with a bunny but keep the facial expression and you have the reaction our bunnies are giving us

Well, the bunnies are really opposed to Baytril that was started just before Labor Day when Shadow developed Snuffles.  I am not sure if it is the medicine or what has been used to flavor the medicine, since it has a really strong flavor aroma.  We tried to mash the medicine up with some banana since someone elses bunnies will take it that way. It was a wonderful suggestion, however …

Tigger voted paws down on Baytril banana mash.  We tried it first with her.  She ran up to sniff the bowl.  Then she ran right back to hide in her litter pan at the very back of her cage.  Shadow seconded her vote and turned nose up and turned his head away from the bowl when it was offered to him. 

So we went back to syringing it by mouth.   They fought having to have it.  Medicating them is a two person job.  One person has to be the bunny holder while the second syringes the meds into the side of the mouth and rub cheeks and throat to get them to swallow it instead of drooling it back out. 

Then a few days into it, Tigger decided to go back into a stasis situation.  So Tigger came off the Baytril and is back on the regimen for  pain meds, gas meds, Critical Care feedings, probiotics, extra syringed water, tummy rubs and humans following her with food begging her to eat.  She is now beginning to bounce back.

Shadow is still getting the Baytril and has stopped sneezing and is getting a good appetite back.  We only hope that with Tigger off the Baytril that she isn’t carrying the infection.  We hope she won’t reinfect Shadow once he finishes his course of treatment this weekend. 

Fingers crossed.  It is so hard with 10-year-old rabbits to balance what is best for them at this point because they are beginning to have multiple health issues.

Leave a Reply