Your rabbit suddenly stops eating. An emergency strikes – now what? When illness hits and your bunny goes off their feed, you need to act fast. Getting food into their delicate digestive system becomes critical in just hours. But ordinary salads won’t cut it. In bunny health crises, you need super nutrition in an easy-to-eat form. Enter critical care! This magic recovery formula for rabbits provides complete support. With just a few simple ingredients, you can easily blend up this lifesaving gruel at home. Then using basic syringe skills, you can nurse your bunny back to health. Don’t panic if crisis hits. With this essential guide, you’ll learn how to make and feed bunny critical care formula. Get ready to have an emergency feeding plan to save the day!
What is Critical Care?
Critical care is a recovery food for rabbits that provides complete nutrition when they are too sick to eat their normal diet. It comes in a powder form that you mix with water to create a gruel-like consistency that can be syringe fed to the rabbit. Critical care contains all the fiber, carbohydrates, and nutrients a rabbit needs to get healthy again. It helps stabilize the GI tract during bouts of gastrointestinal stasis or other illnesses that prevent normal eating. Having critical care on hand is an important part of rabbit first aid so you can respond quickly when needed.
Critical care can be purchased pre-made from brands like Oxbow’s Critical Care. But it can also be made at home by following recipes. Homemade critical care allows you to customize the ingredients to your rabbit’s needs and use ingredients you likely already have at home. As long as the proper nutritional balance is there, homemade can work just as well as pre-made.
When do you need to give your rabbit Critical Care?
There are a few situations where you may need to syringe feed your rabbit critical care:
- If your rabbit stops eating their normal diet for 12 hours or longer
- Anytime your rabbit has not passed stool in 24 hours or longer
- If your rabbit seems to be in gastrointestinal stasis or has a bloated or distended belly
- After a rabbit returns home from the vet to help recovery
- If your rabbit is underweight and needs balanced nutrition
- For elderly rabbits who are having trouble keeping weight on
- To syringe feed medications that need to be given with food
- After dental surgery or oral abscess treatment to allow healing
Basically any situation where your rabbit is not able to eat their normal diet requires critical care feeding. Without food moving through the digestive tract, dangerous complications can set in quickly. So critical care helps keep the GI system stabilized until normal eating can resume.
How to make rabbit Critical Care
Making your own critical care at home is cost effective and allows customization. Here is an example recipe:
- 1 cup timothy hay pellets
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or wheat germ
- 1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon probiotic powder
Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until a flour-like consistency. Store in an airtight container.
To prepare each feeding, mix 2 tablespoons of powder with 4 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until it forms a gruel. Add more water if needed to reach proper consistency similar to a thick milkshake.
You can customize your homemade critical care by adding other beneficial ingredients like oat bran, bee pollen, coconut oil, or spirulina powder. Just maintain the proper ratios of fiber, carbohydrates, and protein.
How much to feed your rabbit
The amount of critical care to feed depends on your rabbit’s weight:
- 2 lbs – 1-2 syringes (10-20cc) 3-4 times daily
- 4 lbs – 2-4 syringes (20-40cc) 3-4 times daily
- 6 lbs – 4-6 syringes (40-60cc) 3-4 times daily
- 8+ lbs – 6-8+ syringes (60-80cc+) 3-4 times daily
Feed smaller amounts more frequently. Don’t overload your rabbit’s delicate digestive system. Monitor appetite and stool production. Increase or decrease amount as needed.
How often do you need to feed your rabbit
Aim to feed critical care at least 3 times daily. Spacing out smaller feedings allows continuous movement through the GI tract.
If your rabbit is extremely ill, you may need to feed every 2-4 hours around the clock. Check with your exotic vet on frequency needed for your situation.
As your rabbit recovers, you can decrease feeding frequency. But continue until eating completely normal on their own.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow these steps when syringe feeding critical care:
-
Gather supplies – critical care formula, syringes, towels
-
Mix formula – Add powder to water and let sit 5 minutes
-
Draw up in syringe – Draw plunger to amount needed for feeding
-
Position rabbit- Wrap them snug in a towel burrito style
-
Insert syringe – Insert syringe tip inside cheek pouch
-
Slowly dispense – Slowly push in plunger over 10-15 seconds
-
Take a break – Give them a break to swallow before next syringe
-
Repeat process – Repeat steps for total dosage. Offer water after.
-
Clean up – Rinse syringe thoroughly after feeding
Go slowly and give lots of breaks. Never feed into the lungs by accident. Stop if you meet resistance.
Homemade critical care
While you can buy pre-made critical care, homemade has benefits:
-
Cost effective – Made from ingredients you likely have at home already
-
Customizable – Tailor it to your rabbit’s needs and health issues
-
Control over diet – You know exactly what is in it
-
Make fresh batches – No preservatives needed in homemade formula
As long as the proper balance of fiber, carbohydrates, fat, and protein are there, homemade can work just as well. Follow vet recommended recipes.
How to syringe feed your rabbit
If your rabbit needs critical care, you’ll need to syringe feed them until eating on their own. Here are some tips:
-
Use a 10 or 20cc syringe without the needle tip
-
Draw up the critical care gruel into the syringe
-
Wrap your rabbit securely in a towel burrito style
-
Insert the syringe inside their cheek pouch, not down the throat
-
Slowly push in the plunger over 10-15 seconds to allow swallowing
-
Give them a break before giving more through the syringe
-
Never forcefully squirt down their throat or give more than they can swallow
-
Offer fresh water after feeding
Go slowly and give them breaks as needed. Stop if you meet resistance or coughing.
Related questions
How do you know when your rabbit is sick?
Signs your rabbit may be sick include:
- Lack of appetite or not eating normally
- Weight loss
- Lethargy, lack of activity
- Sitting hunched over
- GI slowdown or lack of stool
- Overgrown teeth or excessive drooling
- Breathing issues like wheezing
- Runny nose or eyes
- Diarrhea
Any significant behavior or appetite changes in a rabbit need to be addressed promptly. Rabbits are prey animals that hide illness well. Don’t delay – call your vet if concerned.
How do I know if my rabbit’s poop is healthy?
Your rabbit’s poop provides clues into their health. Here’s what to look for:
Healthy rabbit poop should be:
- Round, moist fecal pellets
- Evenly sized and consistent shape
- Brown coloration
- Minimal odor
Problems include:
- Smaller or misshapen poop
- Lack of poop over 24 hours
- Diarrhea or very soft stool
- Strange coloration – yellow, black, or bloody
- Strong odor
Check the litter box at least twice a day. Any poop abnormalities, especially lack of poop, needs prompt vet attention for bunnies.