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Any tips on how to syringe Baytril in a piggy's mouth .....

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Mamaguineapig

Mamaguineapig

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Daniel Puss had to go to the vets yesterday and I was told he had a UTI and a wee lump at his bottom ( don't know if both are connected ) .... I have been given a course of Baytril to give him. 0.2mg twice a day for 5 days then a return trip to the vets. My problem is that I'm worried I'm not getting enough Baytril in his mouth as he turns his head away when I eventually manage to get the wee syringe thing in his mouth. We have tried wrapping him in a towel to try and stop him wriggling too much and I've followed my vets advice to try and aim to get it in the side of his mouth but both times I've tried it all hasn't gone in. Any tips welcome !
 
Hi, I have been giving this, dont be afaid to put the syringe in their mouth. Once it is in I put it all in. If I have a syringe I think will leave meds in I suck in water and give it after to ensure they get it all. With my current piggy I get someone else to hold her. A previous piggy I would have her on a counter.
 
Thanks Wiggie , I'm getting someone to hold him ......hopefully he will get used to it by day 5 ! The syringe I've been given is too big to fit in his whole mouth .... Maybe I should go back and ask for a slimmer one as I think that would be a good idea to put it right in his wee mouth . He makes such a funny face when he tastes it ..... It's like he finds it disgusting ! Poor wee guy !
 
I use tiny syringes. If you read Leigh P's thread on post op please help. I think she used ribena to help with the taste. I have not needed to do this. I think the taste is awful, so have some nice things to hand. Talk in a happy voice to keep your piggy calm. Good luck.
 
I think Wiggie has given you a lot of good information. You ideally want a 1ml syringe which has the increments in 0.1mL ( you can buy 1mL oral syringes from your pharmacy) .
I have found when I had to give baytril ( I had 2 girls on it at once) I would stand them up so that their body was pressed against my front, either wrapped in a towel so she couldn't move her paws- one girl will paw the syringe away! and then support their body with my other hand whilst syringing the meds in. Admitted one girl would not put up a fight and was quite easy to give the dose to.
 
Hi. If I have a piggy that is difficult to syringe feed or give meds to I stand them up facing away from me and back their bottom into my front, that way they cant back away from me and then put the syringe in sideways into the mouth. I syringe very slowly doing little bits at a time so that it doesn't go into the lungs. I ask my vet for about half a dozen syringes at a time as I am syringe feeding regularly at the moment as one of my older girlies needs topping up daily. Luckily she is really easy to syringe feed
 
Belinda Shute said:
Hi. If I have a piggy that is difficult to syringe feed or give meds to I stand them up facing away from me and back their bottom into my front, that way they cant back away from me and then put the syringe in sideways into the mouth. I syringe very slowly doing little bits at a time so that it doesn't go into the lungs. I ask my vet for about half a dozen syringes at a time as I am syringe feeding regularly at the moment as one of my older girlies needs topping up daily. Luckily she is really easy to syringe feed
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Thts what.i meant their back pressed into my front. :) I.am the same In that all my girls except Rosie are easy to syringe. It just takes time to get the knack of holding them so they don't wiggle and I find the standing up way works well. My first time of doing it Ruby ended up with more down her chin than in her mouth.
 
Belinda Shute said:
Hi. If I have a piggy that is difficult to syringe feed or give meds to I stand them up facing away from me and back their bottom into my front, that way they cant back away from me and then put the syringe in sideways into the mouth. I syringe very slowly doing little bits at a time so that it doesn't go into the lungs. I ask my vet for about half a dozen syringes at a time as I am syringe feeding regularly at the moment as one of my older girlies needs topping up daily. Luckily she is really easy to syringe feed
Click to expand...

Thts what.i meant their back pressed into my front. :) I.am the same In that all my girls except Rosie are easy to syringe. It just takes time to get the knack of holding them so they don't wiggle and I find the standing up way works well. My first time of doing it Ruby ended up with more down her chin than in her mouth.
 
Thanks everyone .... I will get a little syringe tomorrow as I've had another day with a wriggle pig ! I will definitely try the tips on holding him when he gets his night time dose . I think most of his earlier dose dribbled down his wee chin . :)
 
Good luck there is a knack. My syringes are 1ml so thinner than a pencil. Try to do it quickly as they get more wound up otherwise.
 
Hi, make sure you are putting the syringe into the side of the mouth just behind the front teeth where the little gap is. It's important to introduce the syringe to the side like this (as your vet said) to prevent getting the liquid going into the lungs. I wrap my guineas gently in a towel to dose them with meds if they are wrigglers & have them sitting on my lap facing across my lap. I find this easier.

I have tried 1) taking my time over giving meds & 2) just doing it quickly & I now favour the dose them quick & get it over with method! The 1ml syringes are definitely the best option as they fit into the guineas mouth. You should be able to get them from the vet. Baytril does not taste nice apparently so they are never going to take it willingly like some things.

Keep going with it & remember that you are learning a new skill here & you will get better at it. By the end of the course of Baytril you will have had loads of practice & be more relaxed at giving the meds.

As your guinea is having a course of antibiotics, did your vet mention probiotics? These help to maintain the beneficial bacteria that guineas have in their guts to help digest their food. We give probiotics a couple of times a day (not within 2 hours of giving Baytril though or it has no effect) when we have a guinea on antibiotics. We use Bio-Lapis that you can get in sachets from the vet or online. It's worth checking with your vet on this. Bio-Lapis tastes ok I think as my guineas take it ok from the syringe :)

I hope this is helpful. Best wishes to Daniel :)
 
My basic technique is to hold the piggie on my knee facing upwards. I lift them up with one hand, facing away from me so they are 'standing' supported by my hand with their back to my stomach and their back feet on my lap. I then lean forward (so I can see that I'm getting the syringe into their mouth) and put the syringe in with the other hand. As soon as the syringe is in their mouth, I give it all at once. Unfortunately I've had one or the other on antibiotics for most of the fall and winter, so I've had time to perfect my technique. I've tried wrapping in a towel as well, but find that this works better for my piggies- gets it over with much faster.
 
I'm now a pro at giving Batril - best way for is to always use a 1ml syringe, stand piggie up with one hand as desribed above and syringe into the side of the mouth; giving piggy time to swallow before doing the next bit. My vet recommended mixing the medicine with a small amount of diluted Ribena as it balances the acidity of the medicine, making it easier for piggy to tolerate plus it tastes nicer! I give 0.2mls Batril and make it up to 0.6mls with Ribena. Hope that helps :)
 
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