Help With Syringe Feeding?

[Beans&Toast]

My Toastie has been on antibiotics and probiotics since Friday and she's got another few days left but it's just so difficult and it's stressing us both out.

Toast's previous owner did not look after her properly and she was shown no love or attention.

When I first got her almost a year ago she was so nervous and jittery, she was always on edge and everything terrified her. It took months and months of patience but I finally got somewhere with her, she trusted me and would come to me.

Since having to syringe feed her medicines she's gone back to the piggy she was before.
She absolutely will not let me give her the syringe. My mum holds her wrapped in a towel to stop her moving but she violently wriggles and tries to bite until we let her go.
It takes the best part of an hour to give 1ml of antibiotic.

I'm at an absolute loss as what to do. It's heartbreaking to see her so upset and distressed and what's worse is I know she doesn't trust me anymore. She runs from me now as she's obviously scared I'm going to force feed her something.

I've tried mixing the Baytril with some fruit juice/water to mask the taste but it doesn't work. I even try to use my hands over her face to hold her mouth open (gently, the way the vet advised me) but she just will not tolerate it.

Does anyone have any ideas at all?
Do I just need to power through even though I know she's distressed and upset, or is there an easier way to do this?

I can't stand the thought of her not trusting me and being so upset by the whole ordeal

 

[Wiebke]

My Toastie has been on antibiotics and probiotics since Friday and she's got another few days left but it's just so difficult and it's stressing us both out.

Toast's previous owner did not look after her properly and she was shown no love or attention.

When I first got her almost a year ago she was so nervous and jittery, she was always on edge and everything terrified her. It took months and months of patience but I finally got somewhere with her, she trusted me and would come to me.

Since having to syringe feed her medicines she's gone back to the piggy she was before.
She absolutely will not let me give her the syringe. My mum holds her wrapped in a towel to stop her moving but she violently wriggles and tries to bite until we let her go.
It takes the best part of an hour to give 1ml of antibiotic.

I'm at an absolute loss as what to do. It's heartbreaking to see her so upset and distressed and what's worse is I know she doesn't trust me anymore. She runs from me now as she's obviously scared I'm going to force feed her something.

I've tried mixing the Baytril with some fruit juice/water to mask the taste but it doesn't work. I even try to use my hands over her face to hold her mouth open (gently, the way the vet advised me) but she just will not tolerate it.

Does anyone have any ideas at all?
Do I just need to power through even though I know she's distressed and upset, or is there an easier way to do this?

I can't stand the thought of her not trusting me and being so upset by the whole ordeal

I am very sorry, but you have to just power through and be rather firm with her when you hold your hand over her head. Use the tricks in thread here to tell her that you love her, but even more importantly, that you are more dominant, so she will try less shenanigans.
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

Give her lots of praise once it has gone in and a little treat to wash away the taste afterwards.

Thankfully, piggies usually forgive you.

 

[Beans&Toast]

I am very sorry, but you have to just power through and be rather firm with her when you hold your hand over her head. Use the tricks in thread here to tell her that you love her, but even more importantly, that you are more dominant, so she will try less shenanigans.
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

Give her lots of praise once it has gone in and a little treat to wash away the taste afterwards.

Thankfully, piggies usually forgive you.

I hadn't seen this before.
Thank you so much I'll try this tomorrow.

I know you're right I just need to get on with it but it's so hard when you can see how distressed they're getting. Tough love I suppose!

 

[Wiebke]

I hadn't seen this before.
Thank you so much I'll try this tomorrow.

I know you're right I just need to get on with it but it's so hard when you can see how distressed they're getting. Tough love I suppose!

When it comes to horrible tasting medication (and baytril is right at the top of that list!), unfortunately yes. I always hate when a very nervous newbie develops a medical problem... Make sure that you are firm, but also tell her that you still love her. Once she realises that you have stopped the medication, she will come round again.

 

[Beans&Toast]

When it comes to horrible tasting medication (and baytril is right at the top of that list!), unfortunately yes. I always hate when a very nervous newbie develops a medical problem... Make sure that you are firm, but also tell her that you still love her. Once she realises that you have stopped the medication, she will come round again.

I'm going to have a good read of that thread and be firm tomorrow.
I adore her and hate causing her stress but I know it's for the best to make her better I just need to keep that in mind.

Do you think it would help to have Beans next to her when she's getting her medication? Jus thought it may help to calm her?

 

[Wiebke]

I'm going to have a good read of that thread and be firm tomorrow.
I adore her and hate causing her stress but I know it's for the best to make her better I just need to keep that in mind.

Do you think it would help to have Beans next to her when she's getting her medication? Jus thought it may help to calm her?

You can try, but it may not work. I sometimes find it easier to g to another room that is not familiar, so a piggy is more cowed, but it is much less stressful to get the meds in. They usually come to realise that it is actually not quite as bad if they don't get worked up.

 

[Beans&Toast]

You can try, but it may not work. I sometimes find it easier to g to another room that is not familiar, so a piggy is more cowed, but it is much less stressful to get the meds in. They usually come to realise that it is actually not quite as bad if they don't get worked up.

Thank you so much. I never thought to take her to an unfamiliar room

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much. I never thought to take her to an unfamiliar room

They either freak totally or they behave better. Mostly they behave better.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Make sure she has had some veg first as well, a full tummy usually means a calmer piggy I normally find just sitting them on my lap & stroking them firmly from their head all the way down their back whilst giving them the syringe makes them quite happy to take medicine, although some medicine is worse than others. Just make sure you don't give a whole syringe in one go, in case you aspirate her. I usually only give 0.2ml at a time

 

[Beans&Toast]

Okay so I tried taking her to a different room, tried getting on the same level as her, tried wrapping her up in a blanket to keep her from moving and tried being more firm but it's still impossible with Toast.

She was freaking out so much her heart was beating so fast her whole body was shaking I honestly thought she was going to have a heart attack.

I asked the vet for advice who said to be firm, but I already am. If I held her any more firmly I'd crush her.

The only way I can get some into her is by putting it in cucumber.

I'm getting really worried with how much this is stressing her especially as she needs the syringe twice a day for another 3 days...

 

[Wiebke]

Okay so I tried taking her to a different room, tried getting on the same level as her, tried wrapping her up in a blanket to keep her from moving and tried being more firm but it's still impossible with Toast.

She was freaking out so much her heart was beating so fast her whole body was shaking I honestly thought she was going to have a heart attack.

I asked the vet for advice who said to be firm, but I already am. If I held her any more firmly I'd crush her.

The only way I can get some into her is by putting it in cucumber.

I'm getting really worried with how much this is stressing her especially as she needs the syringe twice a day for another 3 days...

Poor you! Next time, I would ask your vet for a different antibiotic; they all taste a lot better than baytril.
I hope that the cucumber trick works! It is difficult when they have workd themselves up so badly already and it takes some determined work. You won't be able to change it all in just one sitting.

I would also start giving her small amounts of nice tasting fluids by syringe (water you have put some herbs or a bit of queezed fruit in), so she learns to associate the syringe with good things and not just torture.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Does she like Critical Care or Recovery food? Have you tried mixing it into that?

 

[Beans&Toast]

Poor you! Next time, I would ask your vet for a different antibiotic; they all taste a lot better than baytril.
I hope that the cucumber trick works! It is difficult when they have workd themselves up so badly already and it takes some determined work. You won't be able to change it all in just one sitting.

I would also start giving her small amounts of nice tasting fluids by syringe (water you have put some herbs or a bit of queezed fruit in), so she learns to associate the syringe with good things and not just torture.

I'm going to try giving some fruit juice in the syringe to get her used to it.

The probiotic is the hardest because the one I've been given, Fibreplex, is a thick paste. Is there any that are liquid, or even powder that can be sprinkled at all?

 

[Beans&Toast]

Does she like Critical Care or Recovery food? Have you tried mixing it into that?

I've not tried that yet, I'm going to look into it.

It's getting harder ever time I try to give her medicine.
She squeals so loud and wriggles violently, so shakes her head when I put the syringe near her and won't tolerate me trying to gold her head.

 

[Wiebke]

I'm going to try giving some fruit juice in the syringe to get her used to it.

The probiotic is the hardest because the one I've been given, Fibreplex, is a thick paste. Is there any that are liquid, or even powder that can be sprinkled at all?

All probiotics can be sprinkled, including the one from pets@home if you need one asap.