A few weeks ago, we noticed Cosette’s left eye was occasionally watery. It left the fur above it messy looking. So we took her to the vet, who tried to flush the tear duct out. While the solution came through Cosette’s nose on the right side, it didn’t on the left side. So she was sent home with an antibiotic eye drop and an oral antibiotic (Baytril) to be administered twice daily for two weeks. We were also given a rabbit probiotic to add to her water to help her digestive system while she’s on the antibiotics.

Giving Cosette medicine has always been difficult due to her bold, independent personality. She hates being held and doing anything that’s not her own idea. She’s very suspicious and very difficult to catch.

Coco on the other hand is the world’s easiest patient. He actually enjoys the taste of banana-flavored medicine and comes willingly when called to lick it from the syringe.

So for our more difficult patient, we’ve been mixing the oral medicine in a mashed banana, the only food she tolerates with the medicine in it. We tried squirting it on lettuce, inside a cored out strawberry, and mixed in with apple sauce.  They were all immediately avoided. The eye drops at first were somewhat easy to apply. But then she became wary of that activity as well, so we’ve had to catch her and hold her down to put the drops in.

So the past week and a half has been trying, but Cosette’s eye seems to be getting better. We go back to the vet on Wednesday for another tear duct flush. Wish us luck that all goes well! We’ll keep you posted on what happens…

UPDATE: We took Cos in today, and the vet was able to flush it, though it didn’t go easily. So we will continue with the drops for one more week.  The routine will be tortuous for all parties involved, but hopefully it’ll nip the problem in the bud! 🙂