Antibiotics

Bodshi

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Apr 23, 2009
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Raf has to have another course of antibiotics, a longer one this time, for his skin infection. Any tips for getting them down a fussy feeder?

Last time we tried molasses on his feed (not ideal, especially when this course will be minimum 2 wks) but he still wouldn’t eat up, I ended up mixing the sachets with water and syringing it, but it was a messy business and prone to spillage and wastage because the powder didn’t mix well with water. The vet said mix with yoghurt and syringe so we did that tonight but it was bl**dy hard work getting it up the syringe - it was a two man job just to operate the syringe and hold the mixing jug steady and because there’s so much powder it needed filling twice. I googled suggestions for getting antibiotics down but didn’t find anything else except mix mint or apple juice with fees, neither of which worked previously, or put in a sandwich, but there’s far too much powder in a sachet for that. Oh, also tried mixing with jam and smearing on his tongue, but again it was very faffy and a two man job, because there is so damn much of it, it takes several applications. Ideally I need something I can do on my own.

Any ideas for a mixer to syringe it, or clever ideas to tempt him to eat it?
 
Oh Raf! The indignity of being syringed!!! Lol (can just imagine his sensitive pretty head!). Hmm. None of mine ever struggle eating antibiotics. I find something tasty like 16 plus will do the trick with a good dose of molases mixed in for good measure (I know not ideal but for the greater good in the scheme of things). Is there no particular tasty feed he loves but does not get often?? Ours will also gobble up most medicines if we crush some Crunchits up and mix in. I hope you can find something easy that works, how frustrating. You need him so get them down and get better!
 
@Trewsesrs - I had to google both 16+ and Crunchits - I'm so uneducated. I don't think the Crunchits would work because I'd need so many to disguise the vast amount of powder, but the 16+ might work if he finds it very tasty. I'm going to look into that feed. Haha, he is quite indignant about being syringed, but he's really good considering. The syringing itself isn't a problem, I can do that on my own, it's the actual mixing and getting the stuff into the syringe that took two people last night - pathetic I know!

@Jane&Ziggy you've given me an idea about the fruit juice. I've tried mixing it in his feed before with no joy, but I wonder if using it as a mixer to prepare a paste for syringing would work better than the yoghurt. I think I'll try it with some apple juice tonight.

Thanks guys :)
 
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Maybe using a bigger or old wormer syringe would help, so you can make the paste thicker and therefore less volume?
Jess and the boys will eat virtually anything in a bit of alfa chop so not much help really.
 
Maybe using a bigger or old wormer syringe would help, so you can make the paste thicker and therefore less volume?
Jess and the boys will eat virtually anything in a bit of alfa chop so not much help really.

That was another problem I had - I was going to buy a bigger syringe but on ebay I have no idea what physical size they actually are. I saw a 100 ml one and thought that looked good but when I saw a picture of it in a human hand I thought there's no way I'd be able to manipulate that one handed. Currently using a 60 ml one (takes 2 fillings) but what I could do with is a larger nozzle so it would suck up better. Unless there's a clever way of getting the paste into the syringe - we tried both sucking it up and teaspooning it in yesterday, but there was still quite a residual volume left in the mixing jug.

ETA - you can get this antibiotic in a paste syringe, but the cheapest I found it was £15 a syringe (plus prescription), and at 2 syringes a day for a minimum of 14 days (possibly longer, I have been warned it could take 3 months!) it's just too expensive :eek:
 
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Don't suck the paste up, take the plunger out of the syringe & put your finger over the tip the pour or spoon it in. Much easier.

You could try custard powder rather than yoghurt, that way you can mix it to a consistency that's easier to handle.

I don't know you and Raf, but would injected antibiotics be easier? It depends how good he is and whether you're happy to inject IM.
 
That was another problem I had - I was going to buy a bigger syringe but on ebay I have no idea what physical size they actually are. I saw a 100 ml one and thought that looked good but when I saw a picture of it in a human hand I thought there's no way I'd be able to manipulate that one handed. Currently using a 60 ml one (takes 2 fillings) but what I could do with is a larger nozzle so it would suck up better. Unless there's a clever way of getting the paste into the syringe - we tried both sucking it up and teaspooning it in yesterday, but there was still quite a residual volume left in the mixing jug.

ETA - you can get this antibiotic in a paste syringe, but the cheapest I found it was £15 a syringe (plus prescription), and at 2 syringes a day for a minimum of 14 days (possibly longer, I have been warned it could take 3 months!) it's just too expensive :eek:
Could you just chop a bit of the tip off to open it up a bit?
 
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Don't suck the paste up, take the plunger out of the syringe & put your finger over the tip the pour or spoon it in. Much easier.

I don't know you and Raf, but would injected antibiotics be easier? It depends how good he is and whether you're happy to inject IM.

Thanks, I tried spooning the stuff in, but clumsy me, when I put the plunger back in it squirted out of the bottom before I got it in his mouth. However, I will be ready for that next time ... Re the injections, I did wonder whether that would be easier, but it seems a lot of jabbing if he has to be on them for a long time (I've been warned it could take 3 months). He's really good with injections and I don't want him to get pissed off with them so I'm keen to avoid if possible.

Mine used to love apple puree for hiding nasties in :)

Do you mean you mixed it with apple puree and just fed it like that, or did you mix it into their feed? I'd have to buy shares in apple puree, or possibly learn how to cook :eek: I

This was my first thought too, if it’s just the nozzle that’s too small, cut it off with a sharp knife?

It's narrow all the way down so it wouldn't make any difference. It's a big sturdy syringe, would probably need a hacksaw to get through it. The vet's receptionist seemed very familiar with the 'is the nozzle really wide?' question, so I think it might be a common problem.

Thanks everyone. YO has found a tasty mix that she mixed his medicine in this morning and he ate it eventually, so she's tried again tonight. He hadn't eaten it when I went over but she's confident he will have eaten by morning so we'll see. It's no use eating half of it though, he's got to have the full lot. Maybe he'll get used to the taste of the medicine and just accept it eventually. I've got the wide nozzled syringes coming as a backup though!
 
Do you mean you mixed it with apple puree and just fed it like that, or did you mix it into their feed? I'd have to buy shares in apple puree, or possibly learn how to cook :eek: I

Apple puree is readily available here very cheaply in long life yoghurt pots or jars. I just used to mix in the "nasties" and they'd lick the yoghurt pot clean:cool:
 
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Well, inspired, I decided to make some apple puree myself. I thought 3 apples would make a yoghurt pot full but it actually made a surprisingly small amount (not helped by my quality checks). It tasted absolutely delicious and I thought Raf would love it. However he was disappointingly unimpressed, even when I forced him to try it by putting some on his tongue. I thought if he actually tasted it instead of refusing to look at it he might realise how appetising it was, but he just spat it all out and spent ages shaking his head about in disgust. How rude. I'm going to try Jack with it tonight, I bet he won't let me down. Not that Jack needs it, but it would be nice to be appreciated.
 
Sorry but that is so funny, they are odd aren’t they.
Does he like mashed banana? Although I imagine full of sugar and you’d need quite a few to hide the antibiotics in!
Must be hard when you have a fussy eater.
 
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Sorry but that is so funny, they are odd aren’t they.
Does he like mashed banana? Although I imagine full of sugar and you’d need quite a few to hide the antibiotics in!
Must be hard when you have a fussy eater.

I've never tried him with mashed banana. I feel a bit deflated now to be honest, but I might motivate myself to give it a try :rolleyes:
 
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