guinea pig tablets

[chelle83]

Dudley's been given tablets for his foot and I need some help how to get them into him. My other half manages to get them in by putting it in sum celery but I can't get him to eat them. I'm getting really stressed and upset as I get really angry when he won't eat it, any suggestions? X

 

[claremw92]

Crush it up and mix with water... And syringe it...?

I've only had to give tablets once... And I totally feel for you because it is really stressful...

x

 

[paulag]

When Stella was originally on furosemide it was tablets. I ground them up, mixed them with water and syringed them. It takes a bit of time and patience as it's best done a little at a time, into the side of the mouth to avoid the teeth. Squirt too much in and it will just dribble out.

Do it at a time when you are feeling calm and not in a hurry. The trick is to accept it's going to take a little while and avoid it turning into a battle of wills.

You can sometimes get liquid versions of meds - I have a bottle of liquid furosemide but it was 50 quid as it was made up specially. But Stella is on it daily for life and it's a year's worth so it was worth it.

Paula

 

[piggyfan]

Crush it and put it on a slice of cucumber. That is how I get my girls to take their vitamins every morning.

 

[Hermes]

Could you puree a small amount of veg or fruit crush the tablets and mix them in then spoon feed him? (As in let him lick it off a teaspoon, I'd say finger but piggles are sometimes not so discerning about what's food and what's people).

 

[chelle83]

thank you for the suggestions, I will try the crush and put with water first, just need to find a syringe?
I'm not sure crush and put on veg will work because as soon as he can taste it on celery he just eats around it, Metacam was much easier to disguise

Its so hard to not get stressed, especially in the mornings when I know I don't have endless time and I feel so bad because he knows what I'm trying to do so ends up running and hiding away rather than letting me pick him up now....I just wish he could understand I''m trying to help and not hurt him :0

 

[Hermes]

You can get a syringe from your vets, they'll supply them for free, you might also be able to find them in a chemists but I'm not sure.

Also, if you haven't done it before, research how to give medication by syringe, you don't want to accidentally choke him.

 

[Wiebke]

You can get syringes (without tips) from your vets, a pharmacy or the internet.

I found that most effective way to give tablets is to crush them up, mix them with 1ml of water and syringe the amount necessary. That way you can be sure that all goes in as it should. Push the syringe in from the side of the mouth behind the front teeth to about the 0.2ml mark - that is far enough for them to not be able to spit it out but without any danger of choking them.