Any tips for persuading a horse to eat bute?

J

Jemima44

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My ancient horse has hurt herself and needs bute for a few days. She is refusing it in her 16+mix, which she loves. Any suggestions for tempting her please?
 
Ask you vet for Danilon - it is much more palatable. If she is still fussy, try adding a bit of unsweetened applejuice to her feed. One of mine had to have medication for quite a while and got wise to everything I tried, but marmite sandwiches worked for a while. In the end I had to mix his pills with heinz baby food apple puree
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One horse I had could sense bute in his food at 100 yards. He wouldn't even look at it, just backed off. I put him onto NoBute which seemed OK with him.
 
My pony refused his earlier this year when he had an operation and my vet told me to syringe it in to him. Got a big syringe, dissolved (or attempted to dissolve) a sachet in water, suck up the mixture and syringe down throat. Had to hold his head in the air for a couple of minutes to stop him spitting it out but it was the only thing that worked.
 
I used to syringe but apparently it leaves a burning sensation in the throat, so sounds disgusting but best to mix with a little oil. (Grim) The only thing I ever found to fool my old mare was mixing with a good dollop of blackcurrant jam. She loved it.
 
Years ago (pre paste) we used to freeze wormer pellets so they lost their taste, might help. I had an old boy who hated bute, mixed it with Angel Delight and syringed it, just the right texture.
 
another vote for mollasses or think someone in my yard uses a dollop of black treacle (is that the stuff you get in the supermarket by the same people who make the golden syrup?)
 
I've tried mixing it with icing sugar and water in a syringe...gives it a good consistency and they prefer it. Or you could mix it in a syringe with apple jelly/puree or mint jelly.
You can also buy bute as a syringe...but beware as it's very expensive compared to normal bute sachets (check price first).
S
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I have heard that feeding straight from the freezer helps - I imagine being very cold it doesn't smell much, which will take away a lot of the taste
 
I've just had success with a couple of sachets of bute in a scant double handful of soaked molassed beet with a small scoop of garlic powder and a tablespoon of honey.

Wonder whether she'll go for it tomorrow though.
 
jam sandwiches are the only thing to get it into my horse other than by syringe which is horrid for him - tried everything else. now i just use danilon.
 
yes beet works for me, sometimes with added black treacle for a fussy eater - just the ordinary stuff in a golden syrup style tin (syrup would prob work too).
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Thank you very much everyone. My elderly father had already administered it with a drenching bottle (I live in another country). Have suggested a syringe to him and some of the tastier ideas. Having lived alone for some time she was introduced to a companion too quickly (I live in another country and was not there). In her excitement, she forgot she is 36, and jumped the wire fence into the next field landing badly and damaging her fetlock.
 
Mix with water and angel delight (butterscotch or mint works best) and syringe it in! The angel delight gives it a thicker consistency (a bit like wormer) which makes it more difficult for them to spit it out and it tastes good!! I thought my vet was mad when he suggested this but it actually works a treat!!!
 
Syringes are messy and need washing making them a faff, jam sandwiches - you can keep changing the type of jam as added interest and they are cheap, ps you dont need butter in the butties!
 
Definitely syringe - I've been giving my 17yo a sachet of bute every second day for nearly a year now and he stands like a lamb for his syringe because he knows a treat follows! Just mix it with a little water and shake it well. It takes seconds to mix and administer.
 
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Syringes are messy and need washing making them a faff, jam sandwiches - you can keep changing the type of jam as added interest and they are cheap, ps you dont need butter in the butties!

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I use pourable golden syrup on butties. Pour the syrup on to bread, mix bute into it and....VOILA...horsey loves it!
 
Some really brilliant ideas, but what if your horse doesn't eat bread or syrup. She is so suspicious, when we first got her she wouldn't take a polo or carrot or apple.
Would work on our other two horses, but they eat it in their feed anyway.
Really interesting post..

Fiona
 
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Golden syrup sandwich. Works every time and has the added bonus that you can lick your fingers afterwards!

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But don't lick your fingers with the bute on or it's goodbye from you.
S
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