Hey all, I had to bring my boy to the vet yesterday because he had gotten diarrhea that was greener than Christmas and hadn't been eating as much. Dr did a poo sample and prescribed the little guy some antibiotics. He's making it super easy to give him the medicine by syringe- he actually acts like he likes the taste and everything. When he's finished with each dose he trys to roll over and anoint so im worried he's not getting the medicine. What should I do to keep it down?
Syringe medicine
- Thread starter kt707
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smhufflepuff
super-duper hedgiepig
Satin would do that... anoint with her meds. Adorable and frustrating all at the same time.
I've learned that I could not stop her from anointing... just delay it if I tried a simple distraction, like picking her up and holding her. "Blocking" her from anointing by putting my finger between her mouth and her body --> she'd just anoint on my thumb instead of her body. Offering mealies --> gobble mealies, then anointed with meds + mealies.
The best I could manage was to mix it in with food that she didn't anoint with: baby food turkey, baby food chicken, or wet cat food. If it was just a little tiny bit of meds, I'd put a tiny bit of food (like the size of a pencil eraser) on a small saucer and mix in the meds. If it was much bigger, I'd prepare two syringes: one with the meds and the other with the food and feed her food -- meds -- food in that order. I'd have to be very fast with the change, else she'd start anointing between meds and food.
I'd say try and and all of those... hopefully one will work.
Best of luck!!!
I've learned that I could not stop her from anointing... just delay it if I tried a simple distraction, like picking her up and holding her. "Blocking" her from anointing by putting my finger between her mouth and her body --> she'd just anoint on my thumb instead of her body. Offering mealies --> gobble mealies, then anointed with meds + mealies.
The best I could manage was to mix it in with food that she didn't anoint with: baby food turkey, baby food chicken, or wet cat food. If it was just a little tiny bit of meds, I'd put a tiny bit of food (like the size of a pencil eraser) on a small saucer and mix in the meds. If it was much bigger, I'd prepare two syringes: one with the meds and the other with the food and feed her food -- meds -- food in that order. I'd have to be very fast with the change, else she'd start anointing between meds and food.
I'd say try and and all of those... hopefully one will work.
Best of luck!!!
THank you for the reply! I hadn't thought of mixing it with baby food. I will try that today. He was very grumpy today and refused the medicine all together. Im so worried about him. He's about 2 1/2 years old now and I've started adding blue buffalo and wellness mix to his diet and he acts like he cant eat it or just doesn't like it. He picks it up in his mouth kinda tries to crunch then spits it out.
Mixing it in food works wonders. Baby food chicken, turkey and sweet peas were favorites for many of mine. I've also used a little fruit flavored yogurt and Boost/Ensure to help mask flavors.
If he will eat treats still, and won't take the syringe, you can try mixing it into the above mentioned items to see if he will eat it from a bowl. If that won't work, I have injected medication into bugs to get them in without stressing the hedgehog too much.
Add a little water to his kibble. See if softening ever so slightly helps him to crunch it.
If he will eat treats still, and won't take the syringe, you can try mixing it into the above mentioned items to see if he will eat it from a bowl. If that won't work, I have injected medication into bugs to get them in without stressing the hedgehog too much.
Add a little water to his kibble. See if softening ever so slightly helps him to crunch it.
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Well the baby food has been a no so far but I will try it again. He just ran through the food then sat in it. I even tried putting a mealie or two on top of the food but he just ate the mealies and that was it. He did so good first few days by taking the syringe but now he's running from me when i try the syringe and I know it's stressing the little guy out.
smhufflepuff
super-duper hedgiepig
Ahhh... fingerpainting... hedgie style! Foodprint here, foodprint there...
You can try putting the baby food in a syringe. For whatever reason, Tex will eat baby food from a syringe like nobody's business. But that very same food on a saucer or in his dish often goes untouched.
You can also try, if it's veggie food, change to meat. And if meat, try veggie.
You can try putting the baby food in a syringe. For whatever reason, Tex will eat baby food from a syringe like nobody's business. But that very same food on a saucer or in his dish often goes untouched.
You can also try, if it's veggie food, change to meat. And if meat, try veggie.
How are you holding him when you try to syringe feed? Sometimes changing the positioning will be more to their liking.
I usually hold them in my left hand with their back against my chest.
Also how are you approaching his mouth with the syringe? Always approach from the side. Hedgehogs have lots of very sensitive hairs on the front of their mouth and it will make them jerk away.
If he is fighting the syringe now, I have to wonder if he is feeling better and has more spunk to fight you with.
I usually hold them in my left hand with their back against my chest.
Also how are you approaching his mouth with the syringe? Always approach from the side. Hedgehogs have lots of very sensitive hairs on the front of their mouth and it will make them jerk away.
If he is fighting the syringe now, I have to wonder if he is feeling better and has more spunk to fight you with.
