Trust Woes

[Hoolia]

I am once again lamenting over my rabbits not loving me.
Pup has been coming down with snuffles which has been a Problem because i havent found a vet here in the city yet and have no way to transport him anyway (no car, no carrier anymore because he keeps eating them.) But in recent weeks he’d been warming up to me as I’d been spending about an hour on the floor with him and Thumpette every night, giving them greens and attention. It was going so well!!!
Then I left for a week to take care of my mother and while I was there, my boyfriend called and told me that Thumpette was sick too. So I went to our old vet and picked up some antibiotics and THAT was how I came home to them after a week. Our routine disrupted for a week and then I return with dreaded medicine - Thumpette’s never been sick before so this has been an ordeal for her. It’s been 5 days and they spend all their time hiding from me now.
It reminds me of my first rabbit who was always sick. I had to give him medication all the time and he never forgave me, never bonded with me until he was 9 years old, blind, and dying. I didn’t do everything right with him though. I was an irresponsible teenager and I skipped doses of his medication or gave up after a while because I didn’t want to fight him anymore. He suffered the rest of his life because I was scared of making him hate me and then he still hated me anyway.
I don’t want them to hate me for the rest of their lives too, I’m doing my very best by them; sticking strictly to a medicine schedule, cleaning their water bowl twice a day, giving them lots of peace offerings (fruits and veggies), spending floor time with them between doses but they just trust me less and less every day and I still have over a week of treatments to give them! I just hope they’ll warm back up to me after a while and wont get sick again just as that starts to happen.

 

[Preitler]

Whenever a rabbit is still eating I put their medicine on a little oatmeal, sometimes mixed with a little damp pellets, served in a tiny dish - that works like a charm and they see it as a treat. I also make giving a treat kind of a ritual, with calling them, shaking the pellet pail etc. so they don't really think twice what I'm serving them.

If they don't eat anything anymore giving the medicine is just the icing on the cake of what I do to them, normally they then still accept water from a syringe better than anything solid, so I mix Simethicone or pain meds with the water.

Anyway, I'm somewhat curious how you can know if and which antibiotics to give without the vet seeing the rabbit? Here those are much more regulated for good reason, no way to get any just to try out, and rabbits and antibiotics imo aren't an easy matter anyway.

 

[Cinn-a-bun]

I am once again lamenting over my rabbits not loving me.
Pup has been coming down with snuffles which has been a Problem because i havent found a vet here in the city yet and have no way to transport him anyway (no car, no carrier anymore because he keeps eating them.) But in recent weeks he’d been warming up to me as I’d been spending about an hour on the floor with him and Thumpette every night, giving them greens and attention. It was going so well!!!
Then I left for a week to take care of my mother and while I was there, my boyfriend called and told me that Thumpette was sick too. So I went to our old vet and picked up some antibiotics and THAT was how I came home to them after a week. Our routine disrupted for a week and then I return with dreaded medicine - Thumpette’s never been sick before so this has been an ordeal for her. It’s been 5 days and they spend all their time hiding from me now.
It reminds me of my first rabbit who was always sick. I had to give him medication all the time and he never forgave me, never bonded with me until he was 9 years old, blind, and dying. I didn’t do everything right with him though. I was an irresponsible teenager and I skipped doses of his medication or gave up after a while because I didn’t want to fight him anymore. He suffered the rest of his life because I was scared of making him hate me and then he still hated me anyway.
I don’t want them to hate me for the rest of their lives too, I’m doing my very best by them; sticking strictly to a medicine schedule, cleaning their water bowl twice a day, giving them lots of peace offerings (fruits and veggies), spending floor time with them between doses but they just trust me less and less every day and I still have over a week of treatments to give them! I just hope they’ll warm back up to me after a while and wont get sick again just as that starts to happen.

I read about how bunnies say "I'm sorry." to each other. It's works with Cinnabun very well.
Find the bunny. Get on the floor including your head.
Curl hand into a loose fist.
Place on bunnys forehead, using a little pressure. Hold for a few seconds. Stay on floor. See if bun will come to you. If bun comes out I repeat, but use my forehead on buns forehead.
Sometimes not instantly forgiven. Then I wait a few minutes before trying to give meds/cut nails/brushing etc.
What I have learned from my Cinnabun "Patience"