How to Give a Rabbit Medication

Co-authored by Alisa Rassin

Last Updated: February 28, 2023

If your veterinarian has prescribed medication for your rabbit, you are going to need to administer the medicine in a timely and effective way. By disguising pills in food or liquid, administering liquid medication with a syringe, or getting your rabbit to swallow a whole pill, you can ensure your rabbit takes their medication. Remember to be patient with your animal and to follow all instructions provided by your vet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Disguising Pills in Food or Liquid

1
Hide whole pills in food. Your rabbit may have an easier time consuming medication if you conceal it within their food. You can try sticking a whole pill inside of a banana, or coating it with peanut butter. Then present this food to your rabbit the way you normally would, and watch to make sure they finish it.^{[1]
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- Peanut butter should not be a staple in your rabbit’s diet, but a small amount used to occasionally to administer medicine is OK.
2
Find out if you can crush the medication. Some medications are designed to be given whole, while others can be crushed. Check any packaging or directions for labels like “Do not crush” or “Administer whole.” If you are not sure, contact your veterinarian to ask.

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3
Crush the pill. Using a mortar and pestle (or a spoon and a ceramic mug) grind the pill into a fine powder. Press the end of the pestle (or the back of the spoon) into the pill until it becomes a powder.
- You can also buy a commercial pill crusher at most pharmacies.
4
Add the crushed pill to food. Once the pill is crushed to a powder, add it to soft food like applesauce, peanut butter, or mashed banana. Use as little as possible to disguise the medicine. Offer this food to your rabbit, and make sure they consume all of it.^{[2]
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5
Dissolve a crushed pill in liquid. Another option is to crush a pill or tablet and dissolve this in a small amount of water or juice. (The amount will vary according to the size of the pill, and is not specific. Simply use enough liquid to create a solution.) Then administer the solution using a syringe, just like you would for any liquid medication.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Administering Liquid Meds

1
Locate a needleless syringe. To administer liquid medication to your rabbit, you are going to need to a needleless syringe. One of these can be obtained at your veterinarian’s office, or at most pharmacies.^{[4]
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- If you do not have a needleless syringe, a plastic dropper can be used as well.
2
Prepare the right dosage. Place the tip of the syringe into the liquid medication and pull back the plunger until the correct dosage is in the tube. (Follow dosage instructions on medication packaging.) Try to ensure that there are no air bubbles.^{[5]
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- If you get air bubbles in the syringe, simply eject the liquid and start over.
- Be sure that the syringe opening is totally submerged in the liquid. (This will help prevent bubbles.)
3
Hold your rabbit. Sit down with your rabbit on your lap. Gently hold your rabbit still under your non-dominant arm, like you would a football. Do this gently and try to keep your rabbit calm.^{[6]
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- Be aware that your rabbit might squirm, so hold on tight.
4
Insert the syringe. Wiggle the syringe into the rabbit’s mouth. It should be inserted right through the large gap between the incisors and cheek teeth, and directed toward the back corner of the mouth.^{[7]
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5
Dispense liquid. Once you have inserted the syringe, press down on the plunger to slowly dispense the liquid medication. Once again, be sure to aim toward the back corner of the mouth, and not down the throat.^{[8]
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- It is very important you don't do this too forcefully. Give the rabbit a chance to swallow and avoid flooding the mouth with liquid. There is a risk if liquids are squirted in too quickly that the rabbit will inhale the medicine, which can cause pneumonia.
- If your rabbit doesn't like the syringe, try filling it with juice first so your pet thinks the medicine is a treat.
6
Praise your rabbit. Once your rabbit has taken the medicine, give them some gentle pats and words of praise. You may even want to play with them a bit, or offer a favorite treat.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Giving a Whole Pill

1
Hold your rabbit still. In order to give your rabbit a pill, start by holding the rabbit still. It is a good idea to begin when your rabbit is calm. Simply pick up your rabbit, and cradle them under your non-dominant arm, almost like a football, with their face away from you.^{[9]
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2
Part the lips. Holding the rabbit with your non-dominant arm, use that same hand to gently part the rabbit’s lips. Use two fingers to carefully pry their lips apart. Be ready with the pill in your other hand.^{[10]
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Place the pill in the back of their mouth. Once the rabbit’s lips are parted, swiftly place the whole pill in the back of the rabbit’s mouth. The pill can be inserted through the gap between the incisors and cheek teeth.^{[11]
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4
Massage the throat. Allow the rabbit’s mouth to close, while keeping them under your arm. Use your free hand to lean the rabbit’s head back a bit, and gently massage their throat to encourage swallowing.^{[12]
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5
Praise your rabbit. Once you are sure the rabbit has swallowed the pill, be sure to praise them! Pet your rabbit, play with them, say some nice words, and perhaps offer a treat.^{[13]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Putting Medication in or on the Eye

1
Hold your rabbit. Sit down with your rabbit on your lap, facing away from you. Using your non-dominant arm, hold your rabbit under your arm like a football. Your rabbit is likely to stir, so be ready.
2
Open the eye. While maintaining pressure on the rabbit (to keep them still) with your arm, use that same hand (your non-dominant hand) to hold the eye open.
3
Apply ointment. Apply a line of ointment along the edge of the eyelid with the other hand (your dominant hand). You may need someone to help you the first time you try this.^{[14]
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- Be sure to review the medication's packaging to know exactly how much to use, and how often to reapply.
- Repeat on the other side, if necessary.
4
Insert eye drops. To insert eye drops, hold your rabbit in the same way, and open the eye. Place the drops inside the rabbit's bottom eyelid. Once again, review the medication's packaging to know how many drops you need, and how often.^{[15]
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- Repeat on the other side, if necessary.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Providing Ear Treatments

1
Hold your rabbit. Sit down with your rabbit on your lap. Position the rabbit so they are facing away from you. Then, using your non-dominant arm, hold the rabbit under your arm like a football. Be sure to keep the ear upright.
2
Insert the applicator. Your ear drops or ointment should have come with a plastic applicator. Some applicators will already have the medication inside them, and others will not. If your does not, insert the applicator into the medication and pull-back the plunger until you have the right amount. Then, gently insert the applicator tip into the ear canal.
- Don't push the applicator too far down, or you could risk damaging the middle ear.
- As always, check the medication packaging for information on proper dosages.
3
Administer the medications. Keep a firm grasp on your rabbit, as they are likely to squirm. Then depress the plunger on your applicator and administer the medication into your rabbit's ear.
4
Massage the ear. Finally, rub your rabbit's ears for a few seconds. This will allow the medication to reach inside the ear.^{[16]
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- Repeat this process on the other side, if necessary.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Applying Creams to Wounds

1
Clean the wound. If your rabbit has incurred an injury, you may need to apply cream (or gel) to the wound. Before you apply a cream or gel medication to a wound, the area must be cleaned.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Hold rabbit still with your non-dominant hand (it may help if someone is there to assist you.) #*Clean the area using a cotton pad and antiseptic.
2
Clip fur, if necessary. If the rabbit’s fur is getting into the wound, you may need to trim a bit of it away. This reduces irritation and helps the wound to remain free of bacteria. Use a pair of sharp scissors to carefully remove any excess fur.
- Wash your hands, if you haven't already.
- Hold rabbit still with your non-dominant hand. (Once again, have someone help you , if possible.)
- Use sharp scissors to trim away the fur around the wound.
3
Read the instructions. Locate instructions on the bottle of cream, on the packaging, or on any materials you received from the vet. This should tell you exactly how much cream you should apply, as well as how often.
4
Apply the cream. Administer the cream, moving from the center of the wound to the edge of wound. This helps avoid bringing germs from the fur to the wound.
- Once again, you will need to help the rabbit still with your non-dominant arm. Use your other hand to apply the cream.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you give a stubborn rabbit medicine?

Alisa Rassin
Exotics Veterinarian
Alias Rassin is an Exotics Veterinarian and the Owner of The Exotic Animal Hospital of Pennsylvania in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in treating reptiles, birds, and small mammals. She holds a Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris from The University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences from Penn State University. She was also certified by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Alisa Rassin

Exotics Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Gently wrap a towel around your rabbit, sit on the floor, and carefully put them in between your knees. From there, insert the syringe along the side of their mouth, which won't be painful to them.