Feeding medicine

[*Nibbles&Nugget*]

I am getting more and more frustrated with my guinea pig Nibbles. We're feeding him a paste prescribed by the vet called fibrevore for his digestion but he's very difficult about taking it. We hide it in treats and he eats round it. We feed it from the syringe and he spits it out the side of his mouth. He finds it stressful and I find it stressful. It usually takes two of us and I'm sure he's not getting as much as he should. I just thought if it was something more serious how on earth would I get him to take it.

If anyone has advice on getting medication into piggies I would be grateful though I've only got three doses of it left. I asked the vet about getting him to take it and he said just feed it to him, then admitted he hadn't done much with piggies before so didn't know. What does it take to get a cavvy savy vet round here?! :{

Thanks for any advice.

Amy, Nibbles and Nutty

 

[Amanda1801]

I am getting more and more frustrated with my guinea pig Nibbles. We're feeding him a paste prescribed by the vet called fibrevore for his digestion but he's very difficult about taking it. We hide it in treats and he eats round it. We feed it from the syringe and he spits it out the side of his mouth. He finds it stressful and I find it stressful. It usually takes two of us and I'm sure he's not getting as much as he should. I just thought if it was something more serious how on earth would I get him to take it.

If anyone has advice on getting medication into piggies I would be grateful though I've only got three doses of it left. I asked the vet about getting him to take it and he said just feed it to him, then admitted he hadn't done much with piggies before so didn't know. What does it take to get a cavvy savy vet round here?! :{

Thanks for any advice.

Amy, Nibbles and Nutty

What is the medication for? Maybe you could try an alternative - is it the texture or flavour he doesn't like? When I've had trouble getting medication into my animals before (like, really struggled!) ive mixed it with a tiny little bit of ribena just to flavour it a bit - I've found it goes down much better - and obviously the benefit of the medication outweighs the sugar content of the ribena IMO.

 

[*Nibbles&Nugget*]

Its for a bit of digestive difficulty cos' he's an old chappy now and the rich fresh grass has given him some tummy troubles. I don't think there is an alternative but to try to convince him we let Nutty eat a little bit and he loved it! I don't think there is an alternative but Nibbles usually eats anything. We've hidden it in grapes and he still won't eat it. It has aniseed scent and flavour which is the same scent as some of the yogurt treat thingys he loves so I just don't get it. *Shrugs*

Amy, Nibbles, and Nutty

 

[Wiebke]

Try to follow up a bit of medicine by a small part of his yoghurt drop, so he chews and swallows. Then repeat... Praise him lavishly for every time he chews and swallows, so he knows what you want him to do!

The trick is to get a piggy to swallow before more med goes in or it will run straight out again! Cariad is another specialist in that; but I have found that the trick and treat thing works for her without me having to force her too much.

 

[*Nibbles&Nugget*]

Thanks for the advice. Armed with treats and his favourite cuddle blanket I'm going to go and try to do a dose now. Wish me luck!

Amy

 

[Amanda1801]

Its for a bit of digestive difficulty cos' he's an old chappy now and the rich fresh grass has given him some tummy troubles. I don't think there is an alternative but to try to convince him we let Nutty eat a little bit and he loved it! I don't think there is an alternative but Nibbles usually eats anything. We've hidden it in grapes and he still won't eat it. It has aniseed scent and flavour which is the same scent as some of the yogurt treat thingys he loves so I just don't get it. *Shrugs*

Amy, Nibbles, and Nutty

Is it to kinda bulk his poos up a bit? I'm using fibreplex at the moment for Jeff whos on antibiotics - he hates the texture but the syringe is so user-friendly its really quick and easy just to fire it into his little mouth. Its one of those graduated syringes with the ring that you wind up the plunger?

I'd try mixing it with different things that he likes, like into a paste, then try and syringe it into him - whats his favourite food? lol

 

[*Nibbles&Nugget*]

Ok. I now have most of the contents of the syringe down the front of my t-shirt. I told him what a good boy he was when I 'thought' he'd swallowed it and he then proceeded to spit it down my front and run under the sofa. Mum's tempting him out now but I had to get changed. *Sigh* I really don't understand why he'd being like this. He had to take some antibiotics last year and was fine with them, its just this paste. I admit it looks disgustingly like his poos and stains everything but its so frustrating.

Mum just yelled up the stairs that she's caught him again, thank heavens. Anymore advice people? We still have an evening dose to go today! rolleyes

Amy, Nibbles and Nutty

 

[Amanda1801]

Ok. I now have most of the contents of the syringe down the front of my t-shirt. I told him what a good boy he was when I 'thought' he'd swallowed it and he then proceeded to spit it down my front and run under the sofa. Mum's tempting him out now but I had to get changed. *Sigh* I really don't understand why he'd being like this. He had to take some antibiotics last year and was fine with them, its just this paste. I admit it looks disgustingly like his poos and stains everything but its so frustrating.

Mum just yelled up the stairs that she's caught him again, thank heavens. Anymore advice people? We still have an evening dose to go today! rolleyes

Amy, Nibbles and Nutty

If its a paste and he takes liquids ok, have you tried watering it down?