Getting tablets into fussy horses - help!

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Libertybelle

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Needing a bit of inspiration into ways of getting tablets into my very fussy (and clever) mare.
She's got a 6 week course of metformin, of which she has to take 22 tablets a day :confused: and we have tried everything to get them into her. Unfortunately with the nature of the condition we are trying to treat her for, treats aren't allowed so its even harder to trick her into having them!
when crushed and put into some hard feed she simply has a bite, curls her lip and walks away :(
 
Bloody hell, 22?! I was going to say that i put my mares' pergolide into the hole of a sugar-free polo, but Im not sure if 22 polos are ok? Even sugar-free ones....
What about grinding them into a powder & mixing with water & syringing it into her?
'tis all i can think of! Awkward horses!! :D
 
Tried everything with my boy - the only thing that works is warm bran mash with a handful of cool mix. The mix helps to mask the crunchiness of the tablets. Or, failing that, some cool mix with super solvitax oil mixed in - they love the taste of the oil and again the crunchiness of the mix masks the tablets.
 
one of ours is on 36 a day of the metformin (split into 3 times daily)

we had the same problem--would sniff them out of her molasses free chaff so we now just grind them to powder with a rolling pin in a clear plastic folder and mix with some luke warm water in a syringe
this way we know she as taken them
 
Porridge oats have never failed me. Mix the medication, a handful of porridge and some water in a cup. Leave it for a short while till its a solidish mass. Scoop it out in bite size pieces and hand feed :)
 
As someone else said, crush them up and mix with a little water and syringe on the back of the tongue. Works really well for my horse.
 
Crush & mix with oats & honey, really fussy mare we actually baked it a bit so it was like flapjacks. Or crush & mix with a teaspoon of black treacle diluted with hot water. Then stir into feed.
 
I use a coffee grinder for the Metformin tablets my mare has. We had lots of problems until i found a food she liked, Dodson & Horell molasses free hi fi. I add the powder and a small amount of water and she eats it.
 
Like Magicgirl I use a coffee grinder for the metaformin for my mare (16 a day) - the grinder means you get a nice fine powder - this mixes in well to her fast fibre which then also has some hifi lite added.

With another mare I have when she has antibiotics- I again grind into a fine powder and mix with some water and custard then syringe it in - works a treat!

By the way - My girly has been on metaformin for a year now so I'm now on my third coffee grinder - those pills are huge and do eventually break the grinder (admittly cheap ones) - but it beats crushing daily in a pestal and mortar!!
 
my boy was on 60 tablets a day when he was put onto steroids:eek: i cut an apple in half, carved a hole in each half and put all the tablets in with a splodge of black treacle and put the apple piece back on top...easy peasy!however if they aren't allowed tasty treats i have discovered my cob literally LOVES ginger nuts biscuits so could try crushing them up?:rolleyes:
 
Hey, we bash ours with a hammer and mix with happy hoof, but he is a little arse and wont eat his breaky, he has 15 twice aday, so might try the coffe grinder as sometimes thr hammer doesnt break them up small enough. Xxx
 
I would crush them up, and mix with a bit of apple puree or apple sauce - not too much though as of the sugar. The other thing thats worked for me is crushing again, but mix with apple juice and syringe - hope this helps! :-)
 
Metformin can be dissolved in a small amount of water and then mixed with appropriate feed. It takes about six hours and seems to work better than grinding up the tablets.
 
Thanks for posting this! Our very fussy and very clever pony started metformin today. Got the first 12 tablets down him by crushing them, putting them in some of his normal feed and adding loads of mint (Feedmark). It worked this morning...probably means it won't work tonight...so please keep the suggestions coming! Nightmare, isn't it? (The stuff does taste utterly vile, so one can't blame the recipient!)
 
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