I’ve done the above-described delicious-thing-inna-syringe prior to meds as a counter-conditioning measure fairly successfully, the hollowed out apple trick, and mixing with apple sauce, honey, molasses, jam and karo over the years. I’ll also say ask your vet–speaking for all vets, we’re generally willing to help figure out a way to get the meds in the patient, whether it’s a different route of administration or going through a compounding pharmacy, or authorizing use of otherwise frowned upon sugary syrups.
Have you tried applesauce with cinnamon?
Hey you know what they say - if you’re not part of the solution, you’re not dissolved in the solvent…
i like re-using a wormer syringe. It plunges waaaay easier than the medical kind. But, if you are paste-ing up a whole bunch of pills, they really don’t have the size to handle that volume. Another very good plunger is the one that paste bute comes in, however i had to finally throw mine away i re-used it so much. I feel your pain, i’m currently making my mare take a Marquis plunger once/day. That particular syringe is quite large, but i’ve been catching her up in a halter and giving her meds for about three weeks now and she is finally conditioned to the process. Just a lot of soft little voice, scritches, compliments and kindness has been the thing that makes her stand still and take it. In the beginning she would run around the corral until she was drenched with sweat, now…we cool. GOOD LUCK!!! Keep at it, you’ll get there.
You’d think as a pharmacist I’d have heard this before! LMAO.
Xanthoria- love that! May I borrow it?
Or, If you’re not part of the solution, you are the precipitate.
Even better!
Do it!
I mix in a little peppermint extract when I have to dose meds…
Since this is going to be long term • invest in many long wide nose syringes and coffee bean grinder and big jars of applesauce. Front load all syringes with plain COLD APPLESAUCE THEN
a portion of crushed pills or powder * mixed with applesauce THEN more plain cold applesauce - think a layer salad ….this ensure her first taste is good as well as the last taste. Make up as many syringes as it takes to use meds for one dosage. Try syringing a completely ONLY APPLESAUCE syringe - a little at a time til it goes in “ happily” . Then start using the loaded ones …. But take your time … one …. Wait
Then another. Good Luck - it can be a tough assignment I know ~ Jingles
After you squirt the mixture from the side of her mouth / directed in towards the back of her throat
PUSH her head up HIGH …with both hands and hold
- DON’T lower her head til she swallows.
This will get easier and you’ll be a Pro at mixing & syringing just about the time the meds are done.
But for the future - as a treat - a syringe of cold applesauce occasionally.
You’ve got this, just taking a bit to develop your best method for you and your horse.
What specifically does this mean?
How many pills at a time is she getting - all 60? What medication requires this many pills, yikes!
She isn’t allowed to have grain per the vets. The majority of the pills are antibiotics
Can’t have soaked beet pulp? No chopped forage? Or is that still a non-issue since she wouldn’t - because you tried - eat any of these medications in that soaked beet pulp anyway?
If that’s the case then yeah, you’re still stuck trying to find a way to get all these into her by “force”
She can have hay but can’t really mix medicine in that too well. Ideally I’d train her how to work with a syringe to avoid this issue entirely. However, this was all brought on by an emergency recently & we’re still in the period where the medicine is quite crucial in order for her to ever reach a point to be sound at least in pasture.
Not sure if you’re also having this issue, but I own the queen of “sure, you can paste me, but I WILL. NOT. swallow. I’ll stand here looking pathetic while I drool out all this $$$$.”
She will refuse to swallow even with her head well up into the air, BUT if you make her trot off sharply after dosing, she really has no choice. Took me an awfully long time to figure that out. Heavens opened and angels sang once I finally did.
That said…
My preference with her is to avoid orals all together. Can you switch to injectable meds?
Ah the trotting off technique sounds pretty interesting! Unfortunately on very strict stall rest right now so she’s doing the same, dribbling out a nice mix of saliva & expensive medicine all over me as she doesn’t want to swallow it. I’m not super confident with injections so I gave up & mixed in her medicine with a small amount of ration balancer alongside applesauce, molasses, etc
If that’s successful and doesn’t set back or cause other problems, hooray! Sounds like absolutely the easiest option for everyone!
If you really do need to find another way, perhaps speak with your vet about placing & sewing in a IV catheter? How long does your mare need to be on this level of meds?
I hope she heals up quickly!
We have to do what we have to do!
My mares tend to get insulted by syringes, even when they will lick up the same thing out of a bowl, like molasses and bute.