|
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
  
| My gelding is on bute tabs and an antibiotics powder. He refuses to eat any grain with it mixed in. It is extremely bitter! I mixed it with applesauce and molasses, but he still wouldn't touch it. He was in a stall with water and the grain, 3 hours later and he refuses to touch it. He needs it every 12 hours and it's getting later and later. I finally threw away the grain and mixed the powders and crushed pills in applesauce and put it in a syringe, and shot it in his mouth. It worked this time but it was a real struggle. I'm afraid if I have to do this twice a day for two weeks, It will be impossible to make him take it. So how do you feed them meds? I need Creative ideas! |
|
| |
|
 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | You could try soaking some beet pulp or alfalfa cubes/pellets and mixing it in. Make sure you feed plenty of it, so that you have much higher ratio of feed vs medicine, and mix it really well.
I was going to suggest the syringe method too, but like you said, that may only work a few times. |
|
| |
|
  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
 
Location: NE Texas | I had this very problem last year and Three4Luck told me to get a big syringe and mix the meds with caramel flavored coffee syrup. Worked like a charm. My colt would still wait to eat until he got the bad taste out of his mouth at first but eventually I was able to actually top dress his feed with the meds and coffee syrup and would eat it. I still dosed him when I had time though. |
|
| |
|
 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | IMO I would go get liquid bute, and injectable antibiotics (but I have no problems with IV or IM injections) so if you are not well versed in IV injections, I would go get a tube of bute paste, dispense the amount you need to give the horse, mix the antibiotic powder with the bute paste, scoop it back into another syringe (usually a 60cc with catheter tip is best) and force it down his throat!
I HATE POWDERED DRUGS
I have the worlds fussiest eaters-unless its ulcercure OTC-they lick that right up, but it is VERY sweet. |
|
| |
|
 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| My vet has been compounding bute... it smells like bubble gum. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Herbie - 2015-03-20 11:18 AM
I had this very problem last year and Three4Luck told me to get a big syringe and mix the meds with caramel flavored coffee syrup. Worked like a charm.  My colt would still wait to eat until he got the bad taste out of his mouth at first but eventually I was able to actually top dress his feed with the meds and coffee syrup and would eat it. I still dosed him when I had time though.Â
I'll have to go buy some coffee syrup! |
|
| |
|
 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | for anything thats powder, i use a chunk of garden hose...put the meds in the hose and stick one end on the horses mouth and blow on the other end.....easy peasy....and you know they get it all....
m |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I mix with papaya, all my horses love the taste |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | Does it have to be bute? Can it be banamine? Mine tend to eat banamine better. But what I do if the horse won't eat it is I put it in a bran mash and grate carrots and apples in their and use apple juice as the mixing solution. Usually works.  |
|
| |
|
 Unknown Drip
Posts: 5624
Location: Back in MT BABY!!! | mruggles - 2015-03-20 11:13 AM for anything thats powder, i use a chunk of garden hose...put the meds in the hose and stick one end on the horses mouth and blow on the other end.....easy peasy....and you know they get it all....
m
 My luck I would inhale and suck in all the powder! |
|
| |
|
Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | babiemox - 2015-03-21 11:49 AM
mruggles - 2015-03-20 11:13 AM for anything thats powder, i use a chunk of garden hose...put the meds in the hose and stick one end on the horses mouth and blow on the other end.....easy peasy....and you know they get it all....
mÂ
 My luck I would inhale and suck in all the powder!
well it would cure what ails ya.....;)
m |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 48
| If he still is fussy about eating anything mixed, put the drugs in his water pail and salt his grain so that he feels he needs to drink.
Bute is available in a liquid form that I haven't found a horse yet doesn't like, in fact they open their mouths when they see the syringe and suck it out.
Other drugs are much nicer to give in injectable form.
There is an antibiotic in powder from that smells like berries and the horses gobble it up, my gelding is on it now, sorry I cant remember what its called though at the moment. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Soak some Alfalfa pellets, add you grain and rice bran and the medicine, make sure you have a lot more alfalfa than anything else.... it does a good job masking the taste. You can also add salt to the feed, about an ounce, and that will help. |
|
| |
|
Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Cute the chase and stop hoping he will eat it because chances are he wont. Bute is very bitter. Just crush the bute and mix in a syringe with syrup. Then you know without a doubt he got it, you arent wasting feed he wont eat, and the syrup will hide the taste as it's very sweet. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1226
| I use pancake syrup or Kayro it works great. I also dissolve the pills in water first |
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| heidiinaz - 2015-03-21 9:51 AM
 I use pancake syrup or Kayro it works great. I also dissolve the pills in water first
That is what I do. Usually mix it in the feed but have put it in a syringe in the mouth. I usually use pancake syrup. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: South MS | IowaCanChaser - 2015-03-20 11:10 AM
My gelding is on bute tabs and an antibiotics powder. He refuses to eat any grain with it mixed in. It is extremely bitter! I mixed it with applesauce and molasses, but he still wouldn't touch it. He was in a stall with water and the grain, 3 hours later and he refuses to touch it. He needs it every 12 hours and it's getting later and later. I finally threw away the grain and mixed the powders and crushed pills in applesauce and put it in a syringe, and shot it in his mouth. It worked this time but it was a real struggle. I'm afraid if I have to do this twice a day for two weeks, It will be impossible to make him take it. So how do you feed them meds? I need Creative ideas!
I always get IM antibiotics if available. If not put applesauce and antibiotics in a big syringe and cut the tip off and just do it like wormer. |
|
| |
|
 Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | This is the easiest way- warm water with the pills in a syringe. Then give to the horse. The other sweet things would help I'm sure but ours just seem to enjoy a treat afterwards. We set up the next dose in the syringe overnight to dissolve the pills and it's ready for whoever feeds in am ?? |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 787
Location: NE Pa-Gods Country | get a large syringe and fit a piece of flexible plastic tubing on the end...then just slide the tubing in the side toward the back of mouth. i mix bute and antibiotics with some warm (not hot) water. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | Put in in a syringe with a cut off end and throw your lead rope over a high pipe overhead hoist his head up high have someone hold the lead rope and shoot it in his mouth! Super easy fix |
|
| |
Folks on-line