Giving medication???

tas1608 · #1 13th Sep 2007, 03:46 PM

Help, I need to give my pony powered medication but how is the question.

I tried giving it in his dinner, no good so tried a bit of honey and bread? I was getting desperate he took a little bit and left the rest (hoping my ducks don't pinch it)

Anyone got any good advice?
By the way he needs medication as he got bit on the behind from my nasty goose and flew of in a panic through the forest bit spinning and bucking all over the place next day his back legs became stiff after he had ben standing for a while so got vet out there are no broken bones or swelling vet thinks he just hurt himself and it will heal soon so we have painkiller for 4 days.
Any tips would be very much appreciated

laurenefb · #2 13th Sep 2007, 03:49 PM

We've always had success using treacle, watered down a little, and mixing this in the feed with the medication. You have to use quite a lot of it!! I've also heard of people using mint cordial watered down but this is harder to get hold of than treacle I think!

Lgd · #3 13th Sep 2007, 03:57 PM

I presume it is phenylbutazone (bute). A lot of horses are picky about that.

Pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours before you give it - kills the taste. Then pop it in jam and bread or sneak it into the middle of an apple. If you put it in feed it must be undamped or it thaws too quickly and they will leave.

Won't harm the bute freezing it but it sures fools the naglets.

Failing that - pop to the chemist and ask for a 60ml bladder syringe. Disassemble it, finger over the giving end and tip in bute, carefully put it back together without puffing the bute out, suck up some water to suspend it in, syringe down horse as if worming it.

Siogfinsceal · #4 13th Sep 2007, 04:05 PM

Hi, Siog is the same she wont eat any medicine drives me mad. so it all goes down the syringe now!. Is it bute shes on? feed a little bit then mix the powder with about 20 ml of water. Take the needle off the syringe. Suck it up into the syringe and the push it down the corner of the horses mouth. Hold his head up after to make sure he swallows!

tas1608 · #5 13th Sep 2007, 04:44 PM

Will try all of the suggestions one by one see which one works for us, yes it's bute he's on, he's looking really sorry for himself and not best pleased with me for helping vet take his temperature

diplomaticandtactful · #6 13th Sep 2007, 05:03 PM

i find with bute if i put it in a roll with some treacle, honey, or something sweet they will eat it or core an apple half way put the bute in the middle and then pop the rest of the apple core on top and they tend to wolf it down

or if all else fails make it into a paste and use with a syringe.

tas1608 · #7 14th Sep 2007, 09:35 AM

I put the bute in the freezer last night (thanks LGD) then gave him some on jam and bread before breakfast, gave him bit by bit and he ate the lot

thanks to everyone who gave me tips, it was much appreciated.

Red Devil · #8 14th Sep 2007, 06:57 PM

You can get also get bute in paste form in a syringe - use just like a wormer.

notpoodle · #9 15th Sep 2007, 06:05 PM

when mine was on bute i added a dash of applejuice to her feed. she gobbled it down quite merrily

Julia
x

Ginger Thing · #10 15th Sep 2007, 08:25 PM

I had to give one of mine a sachet of bute tonight, he wolfed it down mixed with a good dollop of apple sauce. There's normally some in the fridge on our yard for medical use!

Antibiotics tend to be much larger sachets, so we syringe those in - we were once given antibiotic liquid that we had to syringe, but paste is even easier.

Black Beastie · #11 15th Sep 2007, 08:31 PM

I am lucky that Kia will eat bute out of my hand lol

For anything else he is a nightmare!!!

I bought peppermint oil (the cooking stuff) and mixed it with water and dissolved the powder in that then mixed it into a scoop of beetpulp and mixed it into his feed and down the hatch it went lol.

Mint hides the taste and also the smell!!!!

Treacle or molasses works too but it doesnt hide the smell.

Nikki xxxx

Emz · #12 26th Sep 2007, 08:43 PM

We use a Vitamin/Mineral liquid to mix it with then syringe it in.

monty_special43 · #13 28th Sep 2007, 12:03 PM

My horse is fussy and has been on bute for a few months try adding peppermint cordial into his feed ( it smells just like polos) or go to the supermarket buy 4 little cooking essence bottle of mint or spearmints add all 4 into a 1 liter bottle and add water its the same as peppermint cordial but cheaper. The cordial cost about £1.59 a bottle and you will use about a bottle every 2 weeks. The 4 essence bottle cost 65p and last about the same time