A well-deserved treat!

River is happily munching on a cranberry after letting us give her sub-q fluids for the first time at home.  She was very good and even put up with me slopping a bit on her fur.

Not gonna lie, this was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but we did it as a team with big human holding and giving noogies, Mr.Giraffe, Esq. for emotional support/legal purposes, and me playing the role of bunny nurse.

River's feeling a lot better and hopefully we won't need to give fluids too often (if at all) fairly soon.  She's been eating very well on her own and has been much perkier the past few days giving nose-bonks and begging for treats!  I think giving her a full dose of probiotic (BeneBac plus powder in carrot baby food) 3 hours after every dose of antibiotic (Baytril) is replacing any of her good gut flora that the antibiotic is wiping out, so she isn't having the nasty gut issues/GI stasis she had the last time she was on antibiotics.  She's also on gabapentin twice a day, which has helped with her arthritis and appetite.

For a bun who turns 12 next month, her quality of life has greatly improved and it's awesome to see! 💕

Here's a great video of how to give sub-q fluids to rabbits that I found useful even after getting a demo in the vet's office:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdf-M9miFzE

Hurry up!

Simon, stop wiggling your butt and hop back in your cage so we can both get treats!!!

BUNNY CARE TIP:

Keep Q-tips (cotton swabs) on hand for:

1.  Gently cleaning noses, the very outside rim of their ears, and vents/scent glands.

2.  Carefully dislodging food (or anything they've chewed on) from their mouth.  You'll know something is stuck in there if they keep making chomping movements for a few minutes but you didn't see them just grab something to eat OR they keep sticking their tongue out like a dog with peanut butter on the roof of their mouths.  ***This works best if you wet the Q-tip with a mint simple syrup and water mixture so they don't fight you sticking it in their mouth.  Be quick and move it in a sweeping motion from one side to the other and forward--you're not trying to ram whatever's in there down their throat!

I've managed to use a Q-tip to dislodge a dried carrot chip that had gotten stuck on the roof of River's mouth that had by that time re-hydrated from all of her spit.  I'm honestly amazed she didn't choke on it!  Dehydrated carrot has been off the menu ever since.

A statement piece.

I couldn't help but notice some similarities between River's sculpture and The Great Wave.  Perhaps using critical care as her medium is a commentary on the inexorable forces she struggles against whenever she refuses solid food and requires force-feeding.

Bunny care tip:  You can form a critical care log using 10g critical care powder and 15g warm water.  It'll be solid enough to form into a wedge shape that's a bit easier for them to eat...unless they decide to stomp on it like River did to create her artwork.