Giving Medicine To My 7 And 8 Year Old Guineas

[Toffee321]

Toffee, Squishy and Cutie are currently on Medicine every day. All three are on Loxicom once a day for arthritis and Squishy and Cutie are having Septrin twice a day for an ongoing urine infection. Squishy and Cutie really hate having their Medicine, is there anything I can do to make them like it a bit more?

 

[Wiebke]

Toffee, Squishy and Cutie are currently on Medicine every day. All three are on Loxicom once a day for arthritis and Squishy and Cutie are having Septrin twice a day for an ongoing urine infection. Squishy and Cutie really hate having their Medicine, is there anything I can do to make them like it a bit more?

You can give them something strong tasting that helps washing the medical taste away.

If they are uncooperative, use a spot of piggy whispering to assert your authority. First, assure them of your love, then assert your authority and tell them to behave. You can fuss them plenty again after the meds have gone in. I have found that that makes quite a difference with medicating issues - piggies are very good with working out how much they can get away with. By using piggy whispering techniques you put the issue in a social framework that they understand and you do not have to use force; it is a lot less stressful for all parties involved.
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
Administering Medications

 

[Toffee321]

Thank you I will try that tonight

 

[rome_italy]

if the medicine is liquid you can mix it with some juice; my piggies definitely love diluited cranberry juice (it is very good also for bladder infections) which has a very strong flavour. It has a very little sugar therefore it is not bad for glycemia issues and inflammations (arthritis worsen with sugars in the diet). Only few drops drown out all the other flavours.
Of course at the beginning you should only offer pure cranberry juice (diluited!) as a treat; then some days later, if they appreciate it, you can hide some medicine in it. My piggies run towards the syringe and climb on me for reaching it...
If it works, I suggest a method for storing the juice (the bottle, once opened, needs to be drunk in few days). You can fill the holes of the "tray" for ice cubes (don't know the name, sorry...) and you will have 20-30 doses ready; once a day you defrost only one little cube. Remember to diluite 50% with water because the cranberry has a very strong flavour.