TAKE ME HOME TUESDAY

Hi there, I'm Colbie! I was born into the LNB network last September, which means my birthday is coming up soon. Most of my brothers and sisters (and my mom and dad!) have hopped off to their forever homes already, but I'm still waiting for my person to find me. I am crossing my paws for that to happen before my first birthday.

My foster family says I'm a pretty chill girl, and it's true. Playtime is always fun, but give me a couch and a human to snuggle with and I will be one very content bunn (and apparently a poet)! So what do you say? Would YOU like to be my human? Finding my hoppy-ever-after would be the very best present this September, so if you'd like to be my gift, please email bunnies@luvnbunns.org for an adoption application!

BUNNY CARE CORNER

Hi, friends! Hoppy Thursday to you. I'm coming to you a day late this week, because yesterday was just one of those days where my assistant (erm ... my Ma) had approximately 632038 things to do. I decided to give her the day off from transcribing my dictation for this column ... wasn't that super kind of me? ESPECIALLY considering the fact that she is STILL giving me medicine daily. I mean, seriously, it takes a pretty thoughtful bunny to look beyond that, don't you think?

Speaking of medicine - thank you all so much for your sweet comments on last week's post! You sure do know how to make a bunn feel special. And I must say: your suggestions for snubbing Ma made me do a binky of amusement. Such bunderful ideas! I am still getting a chance to put them to use, because even though my sneezing got better after the first round of meds, it did not go away entirely, so now we are on round two, with an antibiotic added in.

The good news? I am doing SO much better since restarting the meds on Monday. My sneezes are fewer and farther between, and the ones that do still tickle my nose are much milder. I am back to my hoppy self, too, happily playing Follow the Ma and doing my best super dramatic flops (like this one last night, right by Ma's feet). My humans are so elated!

Know when NOBODY was elated? When it was meds time at the beginning of this whole thing. Remember how I said I took it easy on Ma that first day? Ha. Ha. And HA. That did not last long. I gave her a run for her money, that's for certain. What can I say? I am a TOTAL champ when it comes to things like eye drops, but all bets were off with this. I saw that syringe and used all my bunny smarts to evade it at all costs.

But as you humans know, if rabbits need medicine, it is very important that we actually get it. And so today I thought we could have a convo about ways to give meds to bunnies. An important note: if you are giving meds with a syringe, always place the tip in the side of a bunny's mouth, behind its teeth, and go very slowly while administering the medicine, giving the rabbit time to swallow each little bit. Do not EVER simply shoot the medicine (or critical care) straight into the center of a rabbit's mouth, because it could be aspirated that way.

Now ... options to actually get a bunn to swallow those meds. Some rabbits will be cooperative and simply lap up the medicine when offered. I did this the first time, to lull Ma into a false sense of security. After that? Let's just say anxiety was the name of Ma's game. We did have some success when someone else held me (once they caught me ... hahaHA) and Ma syringed the medicine in while I couldn't get away from her. I tried my best to spit it back out, but she did not let me. Hmph. For rabbits who struggle even when being held, you might want to try a bunny burrito to keep your furry patient from being able to flail and try to wriggle away.

Another technique - especially if you're flying solo - is to situate your rabbit so he or she can't back away or run off. Some people will kneel on the floor with their legs on either side of the bunn. Others have luck with putting the bunny on a raised surface (like a kitchen countertop) and, again, leaning close to the rabbit from behind so that backing up is not a possibility. But please - if you are using this technique, always be certain that the bunn is secure and not at any risk of jumping or falling.

One other method? Some meds can be mixed into food, such as a tiny slice of fruit or a bit of canned pumpkin (always sugar free with no added ingredients). I do believe Ma actually did a happy dance when my vet suggested this pumpkin idea to her earlier in the week. It was like a human's version of a binky ... Ma looked RIDICULOUS. Just sayin' 🙃 We are having much better success with this technique. In fact, yesterday I even licked up the drops of medicine that had rolled off onto the plate. Another important note: always consult with your bunn's vet before doing this. They are the most knowledgable and will have the best insight to offer.

I have five more days left of my antibiotic, and so even though I do NOT want to ask this, Ma would like me to and I'm being nice enough to listen. Does anyone else have any tips and tricks on giving a bunn medicine? Please share in the comments section!

Until next time...

Nose boops and binkies,
Jasper Jellybean 🐰

TAKE ME HOME TUESDAY

Meet TJ and Alice! This dynamic duo has been in our foster network for over a year now, and they are hoping that soon it will finally be their turn to hop off to forever. These cuties adore each other, but they would love a human of their very own, too. They would do best in a home without small children, and are crossing their paws that one of you out there will open up your heart to them. If you'd like to be that special someone for them, please email bunnies@luvnbunns.org for an adoption application. TJ and Alice are waiting for you!