Baytril & syringe help - desperate!

[Jasmined]

I’m desperately looking for more advice on how to get my girls to accept a syringe / Baytril.
I’ve tried lots of different tips from here like wrapping in towel, different holding techniques to keep her still, dipping in food, on food, mixed with ribena etc etc
Each day passes she’s on Baytril it’s harder and harder to get her to take it.

I'm already massively stressed out as the infection or whatever it is! Is not shifting fully, one girl has been given her 3rd week of Baytril. I’m honestly stumped on what else I can do - the main issue is getting the syringe any where near her mouth. They’ve now associated syringe with Baytril so regardless of what I dilute it with I can’t get passed the first hurdle
Is there any other ways I can give it to them not in a syringe? They’ve cottoned on to any food with it on so that’s not working either

 

[Wiebke]

I’m desperately looking for more advice on how to get my girls to accept a syringe / Baytril.
I’ve tried lots of different tips from here like wrapping in towel, different holding techniques to keep her still, dipping in food, on food, mixed with ribena etc etc
Each day passes she’s on Baytril it’s harder and harder to get her to take it.

I'm already massively stressed out as the infection or whatever it is! Is not shifting fully, one girl has been given her 3rd week of Baytril. I’m honestly stumped on what else I can do - the main issue is getting the syringe any where near her mouth. They’ve now associated syringe with Baytril so regardless of what I dilute it with I can’t get passed the first hurdle
Is there any other ways I can give it to them not in a syringe? They’ve cottoned on to any food with it on so that’s not working either

Hi!

Can you please give a bit more background information on which country you are located in and what kind of infection you are dealing with? Are you seeing a general vet who will only prescribe baytril?


It can unfortunately be a battle when a piggy doesn't like medication. Baytril is about as foul tasting as they come (don't try it yourself as it is harmful to humans).

You can try some piggy whispering tips but otherwise when you get to that advanced stage all you can do is basically pin your piggy down between your body and one hand to be as quick with it as you can - with and apology and lots of praise and piggy kisses once it is over. The more intelligent piggies learn that it is easier on them if they cooperate than if they put up a big fight and they can move on to their special treat (if possible that is some fresh grass with me) sooner!

Feeding something nice by syringe can help you getting them over the syringe issue afterwards. However, as guinea pigs have double the amount of taste buds to humans (and about 5 times that of cats) and a much stronger sense of smell, you can't really cover up the baytril.

This is how I hold my uncooperative customers to pin them down and restrict their head movement with the help of my upper body.
Thumb and forefinger control the head while the other fingers control the body, ideally without giving purchase to the front legs.
It is mainly a matter of practise and learning to be assertive and tough but making clear that it is just avbout medication and nothing else.


Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?

 

[Freela]

Baytril does taste bitter and a lot of pigs really hate it. Once they catch onto it, it can become a battle of wills.

My standard for giving medication is to put my pigs on my lap facing away from me. Then I used one hand to stand them up, with their bums and back feet on my lap and my hand supporting their chest and my stomach bracing their backs. At that point, with my other hand, I reach around and try to slip the syringe into the side of their mouth, where they have a gap between their front incisors and rear molars. They can't really block you there, as even with the mouth shut you can still insert the syringe through their lips and past their gums. If you've got another person handy, it might help to have one person hold the pig like this and the other to actually get the syringe in their mouth, so you are better able to see what they're doing. I had one pig on long-term meds and this was the way that worked the best for me.

Alternatively, you can see if there is another antibiotic that may taste slightly better and still be effective, but honestly I have found mine squirm for the syringe no matter what the antibiotic actually tastes like.

Good luck and hope you find something that works!

 

[VickiA]

I use the same technique with my piggies. My OH can't believe quite how quickly and decisively I do it. But I figure it's like ripping off a plaster -the quicker you do it the sooner it is over. I don't give my piggies much time to think about what is going on. And I always have a treat ready immediately after to help take the nasty taste away.

 

[Guinea Slave]

I agree with you Vicki, quick squirt in the mouth and then something tasty after makes a big difference.

I have had some real fighters and one who used to snatch the syringe away and literally throw it on the floor. After this when that didn’t work anymore she would try and bite my hand, and I mean really bite with conviction! Then after that she finally gave up! Just quiet and calm persistence is essential as the more stressed you get, the more stressed they get. Took me many years to be calm and not get frustrated though! Good luck!

 

[DougalandDiego]

I completely sympathise! My guinea pig only had a weeks course but would teeth chatter as soon as he heard me coming with the syringe when his medicine was due and hated me for about three weeks after the course was up as I was the ‘mean medicine lady’. I agree with the other members that have already posted - try to get it done as quickly as possible - I sometimes gave my pig a small dose of just ribena after to try and take the taste away after giving him a dose of the baytril and Ribena together.

I also found my guinea pig lost his appetite a bit during his course of baytril and I bought a small bag of oat hay which encouraged him to eat as it was a change from his normal
Timothy hay - I don’t know if this is any help but worth a try if you notice your pig going off their food!

Good luck and I hope your piggy makes a speedy recovery!

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Check out the video I made, showing how I medicate the guinea pigs.

Medicating your guinea pig - Instructional video on Facebook

 

[Deleted member 139433]

Baytril is the worst. It must taste awful. My guinea pigs happily take other medications from a syringe. Sometimes I’ve not even needed to catch them, they would come over at take it.
But Baytril is a whole other story... definitely battle of the wills. If mine got stressed I would sit with them for a bit till they calmed down and then get them with it quickly (swift syringe in mouth and done, the quicker the better), and I had a little treat (e.g. a spinach leaf) for afterwards.

best of luck!

 

[Jasmined]

Hi!

Can you please give a bit more background information on which country you are located in and what kind of infection you are dealing with? Are you seeing a general vet who will only prescribe baytril?


It can unfortunately be a battle when a piggy doesn't like medication. Baytril is about as foul tasting as they come (don't try it yourself as it is harmful to humans).

You can try some piggy whispering tips but otherwise when you get to that advanced stage all you can do is basically pin your piggy down between your body and one hand to be as quick with it as you can - with and apology and lots of praise and piggy kisses once it is over. The more intelligent piggies learn that it is easier on them if they cooperate than if they put up a big fight and they can move on to their special treat (if possible that is some fresh grass with me) sooner!

Feeding something nice by syringe can help you getting them over the syringe issue afterwards. However, as guinea pigs have double the amount of taste buds to humans (and about 5 times that of cats) and a much stronger sense of smell, you can't really cover up the baytril.

This is how I hold my uncooperative customers to pin them down and restrict their head movement with the help of my upper body.
Thumb and forefinger control the head while the other fingers control the body, ideally without giving purchase to the front legs.
It is mainly a matter of practise and learning to be assertive and tough but making clear that it is just avbout medication and nothing else.
View attachment 148523

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?

Hi Wiebke, sorry I’m so late getting back to you I had to take a few days away from constantly reading about URIs and the like on here for sanity!
I’m in the UK (Wiltshire) I have two girls suspected URI, nothing on lungs and the vet says relatively mild symptoms. 1 week of Baytril, 1ml once a day. The next week they had improved but not perfect (still sneezes and some wheeziness) this time given another week of Baytril & 5 days metacam and suspected rhinitis. Back again after a week as again some slight improvement but still not there. It was discussed taking them away from antibiotics and just try to work on environmental/ allergy factors but I argued to not come off meds as they have drastically improved but obviously I’m not a vet! So we’re on yet another week of baytril - so 3 weeks of Baytril once daily once this week is out.
both girls I would say are looking pretty good now but continuing the antibiotics just to finish the course.
And thank you for your advice, I have been working with this and had one good day where I got it all in as they were almost in shock I managed to hold them that way
Since has been a struggle again so I’m counting the days down to no more meds - I do now have another girl showing symptoms but that’s another story! But at least with her I can start off firm and not build up such an expectation of a fuss will work.

 

[Jasmined]

Baytril does taste bitter and a lot of pigs really hate it. Once they catch onto it, it can become a battle of wills.

My standard for giving medication is to put my pigs on my lap facing away from me. Then I used one hand to stand them up, with their bums and back feet on my lap and my hand supporting their chest and my stomach bracing their backs. At that point, with my other hand, I reach around and try to slip the syringe into the side of their mouth, where they have a gap between their front incisors and rear molars. They can't really block you there, as even with the mouth shut you can still insert the syringe through their lips and past their gums. If you've got another person handy, it might help to have one person hold the pig like this and the other to actually get the syringe in their mouth, so you are better able to see what they're doing. I had one pig on long-term meds and this was the way that worked the best for me.

Alternatively, you can see if there is another antibiotic that may taste slightly better and still be effective, but honestly I have found mine squirm for the syringe no matter what the antibiotic actually tastes like.

Good luck and hope you find something that works!

Thank you! This has helped at least on some occasions!

 

[Eddie & Elvis]

Hello

I'm a bit late to this thread but I had one of my boys on various antibiotics for 6 weeks One of which was Baytril which he HATED. I found having one person to hold him with his front paws propped up on their arm right up by their elbow to reduce head movement as much as possible and his back legs resting on their legs so he was kind of upright and another person to get the syringe in the side of his mouth behind the incisors. Having two people meant the person with the syryinge was able to see what they were doing. And then of course a nice big treat after. It's not at all easy but this was the easiest option.

I hoped this helped and your piggies are better very soon. Good luck!