• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Administering Medication By Syringe

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 114675
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Deleted member 114675

I took Bess to the vet today as she has had a wet bottom for a few days and I suspect that she may have a UTI.

The vet has decided to start her on Baytril . I gave her her 1st dose this evening and she didn't like it at all ! (no shock there - I have heard it tastes awful). She sulked for a good 1/2 hour afterwards despite me trying to give her bits of parsley as compensation.

It doesn't help that I am rubbish at administering medication with a syringe. However, I had to give Max medication when he was ill and just about coped - he was a dream compared to Bess.

I have 2 questions ... Firstly, is there a sticky about giving medication by syringe ? I have found these threads ..

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-administering-medications-and-wrapping-piggies.36533/

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/kasper-shows-you-how-to-take-your-medicine.106181/

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/kasper-shows-you-how-to-take-your-medicine.106181/


Secondly, do you think it would be better if I added some Ribena to the Baytril?
 
Sorry to hear Bess, is poorly :(

What you are experiencing is what all piggies do with Baytril, it tastes foul, you could try Ribena, but we find the best way is to get it in as quickly as possible. If you can do it as a two person job, for Treacle I used to hold her on a table (so her feet had no grip and Rach would hold Treacles head and quickly syringe in the Baytil.

What dose is she on 0.2ml?
 
sport_billy said:
Sorry to hear Bess, is poorly :(

What you are experiencing is what all piggies do with Baytril, it tastes foul, you could try Ribena, but we find the best way is to get it in as quickly as possible. If you can do it as a two person job, for Treacle I used to hold her on a table (so her feet had no grip and Rach would hold Treacles head and quickly syringe in the Baytil.

What dose is she on 0.2ml?
Click to expand...

She's on 0.4 ml twice daily
 
hope she feels better soon. is she on metacam aswell? if not, i'd ask for some. it'll really help bring down any inflammation aswell as providing pain relief :)
 
Peanut Butter suffered a 3 month UTI wherein we tried 3 different anit-biotics before we shifted it. He didn't like the taste of any of the anit-biotics. I would just hold him wrapped in a towel so only his head was visible, hold him in the crook of my arm like a baby, stick the syringe sideways behind his front teeth & squirt as quickly as possible. But he was OK with me syringing his pain relief med and he absolutely loved the syringe containing his pro-biotics.
 
One of mine is on Baytril on an ongoing suppressive dose, so I have a lot of experience giving Baytril. I find the easier way to give meds is to sit them on my lap facing away from me, then to pick them up around the middle with my left hand and 'stand' them against my stomach, so their back feet are on my lap and their back is against my stomach. Then I can lean forward enough to see them and administer the meds in the side of the mouth with my right hand. I just give it all in one shot (almost 0.4 mL) and give her a treat afterwards to get the taste out of her mouth. I have never bothered mixing it with anything other than the banana-flavoured base because I figured it would be more work to get more fluid into her and because I doubt it would make it taste much better (have you smelled the pure Baytril? It smells like rubbing alcohol- I bet it tastes awful!)
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I may get better at administering her meds the more I do but I think I will be referring to medication time as "Battle of the Baytril".
 
I must have very well behaved piggies as I never have any trouble giving meds by syringe :) Although I've never been prescribed Baytril by my vet, although mine have Marbocyl which I think it like Baytril. I stand them on my lap & stroke them from head right down their backs whilst giving syringe food/meds & they happily take it :)
 
I've tasted Baytril, it is gross!

Definitely mix in a bit of juice if that helps.

I have a boy that takes medicine daily and he's a star. Except for it he's ever prescribed Baytril, then he's like a wild beast. I usually suck up the relevant amount of Baytril into the syringe then suck up a tiny bit of 100% orange juice mixed with water, which he loves, then he's okay with it.

I also suggest giving them a syringe or two of the juice and water after to take away the Baytril taste. I've done this since I had a piggy that stopped eating on Baytril. After watching him I noticed it wasn't the Baytril messing with his tummy, it was the fact he still had the taste in his mouth so he wouldn't eat his veg.

To administer I find having them on my lap, sideways, with their head facing right, as I'm right handed. I can then keep them in place with my left hand/air and syringe with my right.
 
I am also giving one of my piggies Baytril at the moment - and we are finding it a real struggle as she hates it! However, cucumber does seem to placate her before and help after. I don't think I would be able to do it by myself though, its a struggle with me and my boyfriend administering.
 
Managed to give Bess her meds without too much drama this evening - thank goodness.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top