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Nodles wont take her meds - no experience of syringe feeding - any video suggestions

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TAN

TAN

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Am getting really upset,vet nurses said Noodles very good with her meds and critical care - I cant even get syringe into her mouth as I have no previous experience - I need to give her 0.5 ml emiprid tonight and 0.9ml baytril tomorrow morning and evening - she has been munching hay and grass,cucumber and other veg,but would like to top her up with critical care - but need some help - is theer a good instruction video? she just wont open her mouth and I don't know how forceful I should be.
 
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This is a great video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgySuPCr38g it's linked to on the guinealynx page about handfeeding http://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html which gives more info.

The syringe always needs to go in to the side of the mouth in the little gap after the front teeth. This makes sure the guinea doesn't end up breathing in the food / medicine.

If your guinea is eating a normal amount post-op then personally I would not go through the stress of hand-feeding. Your stress will transfer to your guinea too, have a break, watch the short vid I linked to, read the guinealynx stuff & then start afresh if you feel she really needs her food supplementing :)
 
I usually wrap the patient fairly tightly in a towel with just the head sticking out so they can't move or struggle and put the syringe in the side of the mouth. It can help if you have someone else to do the holding for you. Good luck. :)
 
Syringe feeding can be very tricky at first, I remember many tears the first time I had to syringe feed. Stick with it you'll soon get the hang of it. My mum once had to give Wilma Baytril she didn't want to force her so sat her on her lap for 40 minutes waiting on her to just take the Baytril :)).... Wilma on the other hand thought that was a very silly idea!
 
Thanks guys - after a mega explosion at my 17yr old shouting at him that I has already told him what was wrong - that I couldn't get Noodles to take her meds - all his gaming mates heard it on-line and wondered what he had done wrong! and a a few tears on my part, Aston and I managed to somehow get the meds in - a sort of botched towel wrap type job whilst trying not to touch her scar - afterwards she climbed up my front and I slumped back on the sofa - she then licked my nose and wedged herself under my chin (she makes a lovely warm chin rest) and flopped out! couldn't believe it!So now got to do 1 lot of baytrill and 2 lots of emiprid tomorrow - can I do the baytril and the emiprid straight after each other do you know? - will ring the vets in the morning anyway - her wight is good and she has been eating well - grass,hay cucumber,bit of melon and carrot,just about to give a little bit of ready grass (more for the smell really )- she is due back at the vets monday for a follow up - and now also because she is passing bit of blood when she poos - this only developed this morning - (no squeeeking when peing and pooing) hence why she is still on Baytrill - they think it may be cystitis.
 
My heart goes out to you. When we first had to syringe feed it was one of the hardest things to do, our girl was screaming and fighting so much, she did calm down though after a few feeds.
If you can get someone else to hold Noodle it may help and allow you to hold Noodles head still while you put the syringe in the side of the mouth. it is very hard to remain calm and is stressful and of course this transfers across to the piggie also.

You may find that she will like the taste of Critical Care but Baytril tastes rotten so will be a bit of a battle. it may be worth contacting the vets who could show you how to do it, it's good to watch someone at first to help show you.

Love to Noodles x
 
Thank you - I think I found it even harder when the vet said that she was such a good girl with her meds and cc for the nurses,yet as her slave I am rubbish when she should be a good piggy for me.
 
TAN said:
Thank you - I think I found it even harder when the vet said that she was such a good girl with her meds and cc for the nurses,yet as her slave I am rubbish when she should be a good piggy for me.
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Don't feel like that, they do it all the time. It is all about practise and some piggies are so much easier than others.
 
Thanks Sport Billy - she is now inside the hospital cage where the vet wants her kept for a week (so she doesn't get the stitches pulled by her sister or caught on anything) which is inside the c and c cage - so she is near her sister - she is currently throwing her plastic house about and eating some nuggets and ready grass-did a huge wee earlier and have had at least 20 big poos out of her -
 
Don't feel bad that the nurses found it easier to do the syringe-feeding. Anybody who has had the worming pill fight with 2 people and their cat & then seen the vet single-handed pop the wormer in no problem will tell you that animals are different at the vets. Noodle may still have been a bit woozy from the GA at the vets & she was out of her normal environment so less confident to protest! Plus, don't forget it's the nurses' job to be good at it & they get practice all the time. I was rubbish at syringe-feeding at first but you soon get the hang of it with a bit of practice.

It is hard to syringe-feed and to give meds by syringe. I tried Baytril mixed with juice etc to make it more palatable but that just made a larger amount of yucky-tasting liquid to get down them so now I just hold them firmly & pop it in in one or 2 squirts & offer a tasty bit of veg straight after. That way it's all over in about 5 seconds & feels less stressful for both the guineas and me.

I would keep an eye on Noodles' weight by weighing daily. If she is not maintaining her weight then you will need to hand-feed with Critical Care or similar, if she's doing ok on her own then I wouldn't bother as it's one fight you can well do without if it's not needed.

Hugs to you all :)
 
My tip for syringe feeding which a vet nurse showed me :) If your knees are forgiving enough...

Place a towel on the floor, kneel down on it, feet together and sitting on your heels. Place pig in between your knees, facing away from you and wedged gently between your knees. You then have both hands free - one to syringe and one to gently hold pig's head.

This method has saved me a lot of tears!
 
Well managed to get both lots of meds down her this morning - still a fight ,but took about 10 mins rather than 1 1/2hrs like last night - she is back at the vets tomorrow for a check up,especially since they noticed a bit of blood on her back end when passing stools - did a big clear wee last night after jumping off me bur did a big dark brown one this morning ,with a a tiny trace of fresh blood afterwards - she is still on baytrill for this as the vet who discharged her (not her normal vet )suspects cystitis - but I cant help worrying that it could be something more sinister like pyrometra or something - so will try ro get a sample to take to see her usual vet tomorrow - she is scoffing veggies and grass,although I worry about causing bloat if I give her too much grass - but she has been nomming the hay and clambering into her nugget bowl to eat.
 
I practice the wedged in between the knees option or wedging the piggy upright against my chest facing away from me - that severely limits the mobility of the head. The wrap only works partially; some piggies can eel out of that as quickly as I can grope for a syringe!

But we have all been there with the medicating and syringe feeding problems, so take heart! Most piggies kind of give up most of their resistance once they realise they can't get away with it and that you are persisting. Fuss her lots afterwards and praise her lavishly for any good behaviour.

PS: Baytril is the most awful tasting stuff - if you try it, I can guarantee that for the next five minutes you devoutly wish you hadn't! :)>>>:)>>>:)>>>
Personally, I still find it easier to get the baytril in pure (goes in one fell swoop) and syringe some water or ribena afterwards to wash away the taste. I also have some dried herbs or a little bit of fresh grass to munch in between lots of different meds if a piggy is eating. Other people prefer to mix the baytril with ribena - but that means that they have a bigger volume to get into the mouth. Try and see what works better for you. There is no "right" way - it is what works for you and that particular piggy!

All the best! Like the other posters have said, it is very much a matter of practice and of working out what works for you.
 
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