HELP !!! any tips for getting antibiotics into a horse

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Hi,

went to the farm this morning to be greated with a big fat swollen tendon, filled solid to the hock que panic. Took her out into open light to see dried trickles of blood down her help so hibiscrubed and washed it off to find a puncture wound on her hind tendon. Quick phone call to the vets and off we went luckily it had missed everything important and was just infected so she recieved a massive injection of antibiotics to start the treatment off then 2x daily sachets of antibiotics to start this evening for 5 days.

Heres the problem which i had considered we could face as she wont take bute in her feed either but this is a whole other level she literally put her head to her feed smelt the antibiotics and picked the bucket up and flung it i tried to disguise it with tasty treats but shes to clever. Then tried coreing an apple out once again sniffed the apple and walked off. Planning to ring the vets to see if i can have another form of antibiotic ie: injection as i cant get them in her. Is this viable will they allow me to inject her or will they have to come and do it? Or has anyone any other suggestions to try. I want to return the sachets really so im not charged for anymore than the ones ive already seen as though she wont take them in feed.

Sorry for rambling and suggestions welcome

thanks for reading
 
Get a syringe (reasonably large one), put your finger over the end, fill it with apple juice (tastes nice) and the powder, put the plunger bit back on and shake and then squirt it in to the mouth like a wormer and hold the head up until the horse swallows.

Hope this helps.
 
My horse is the same! The one thing that works for me is to mix some icing sugar with water in a bowl (quite watery!) and mix in the antibiotics - then syringe like a wormer! It is a right pain in the neck, good luck!
 
Sorry to hear that, sounds like she'll be on the mend soon when you get the ABs into her.
A big chunky wormer syringe (strongid P are the biggest) with the end of the nozzle chopped off, mix it with water/apple puree/juice whatever and fill syringe then worm her with it if she's easyt hat way.
Vets can give you IM ABs, you might need to persuade them but get them to show you the first one- do you have any medical friends/ nurses etc? Don't have to be horsey but they could help talk you through it the first couple of times. Most important thing is to pull the syringe back a little to check you haven't found a vein- that would be very bad news, but easily checkable by pulling back to check for blood coming up into syringe.
 
Hi
Thanks for the suggestions i think i am going to try with a syringe first and if all else fails will try a sandwhich or injections. Im a nurse so not phased by injecting her i 'think' the same principles apply lol i may be very wrong though. would rather sryinge in her mouth than inject though or she will end up looking like a pin cushion plus OH wont inject when im on a 12 hour shift so easier all round if i can avoid it, just couldnt think of another way lol i clearly need to think outside the box more often some things that have been suggested are genious eg sandwichs with marmite and icing sugar etc :)

thanks again :) fingers crossed for a speedy recovery we were supposed to be doing our first novice dressage test last weekend but cancelled because of the snow:( so re routed to somewhere else for the coming weekend and now have a poorly ned :( lol maybe we are destined for prelim all our lives :o:rolleyes:
 
I find apple squash really useful for this. It disguises the smell because it's strongly flavoured / fragranced, and covers the taste too. You wouldn't want to use it forever but for getting a course of ABs down it's succeeded for me when mint, honey, syrup, marmite, vanilla pudding, chocolate, apples and carrots have all failed!
 
I have two 50ml syringes for this lovely job!
I fill up to 25ml with antib's (norodine) and then top up with boiled water to dissolve the antib's.
Poor cool water over until syringe is luke warm.
Climb onto mounting block and put syringe as far into giant horses mouth, then squeeze hard and fast and hold head up while massaging throat.
Trying very hard not to get a lovely antib shower!!
 
You can also get paste antibiotics which are more expensive alot less hassle than either injecting im or mixing up a paste (which i could never do properly, it always went clumpy and clogged the big syringe, even with the end cut off)!
 
Injection by far the simplest. If you haven't injected a horse before they will need to show you. Best if you can offer a carrot or something nice when you stick the needle in to prevent them getting too irritated with you stabbing them ;)
 
Injection!

I would get the vet out and ask them to show you....you can then use the skill in the future to avoid said same problem.......as in my opinion, it's the easiest way to do it.

I do remember the first I injected. I underestimated the amount of forced needed to get it into the muscle as you really do need to 'stab' it!! I just attempted a little 'prick' (fearing I would hurt her) and ended up getting it stuck in the skin with the poor horse buckling away in pain! I nearly threw up!

You must be prepared to 'go for it' when you inject but once you do, it's easy and straight forward.
 
When I had to get drugs into one of my super-picky eaters, I ended up cutting a hole in an apple, putting the powder inside then filling the apple back in again so I guess the smell was covered. He ate it so worked for him. For another one, I remember giving him a sandwich with jam and the powder in the middle!
 
Mine will never eat medication in food so I just mix with water & syringe down him, last time he was on ABs I mixed in apple baby food he still didn't like the taste but the stickiness meant more of it stayed in his mouth & wasn't spat out on my head!
 
I tried sugar beet to no avail.

However I have lucked out! I was given a bottle of molasses.

I put a glug in a bucket and add hot water. Melt the molasses.

I add the feed to a bucket, then put the anti b's on the feed an mix in the molasses juice.

Horse loves it!!!
 
You'll be fine injecting if you're a nurse! Neck (soft middle triangle, above vertabrae, below crest muscles, in front of shoulder) easiest if you're on your own as can hold the horse too, chest (again, soft bit!) or bum if they will stand untied without trying to kick you/you have someone to hold horse.
 
Well injecting is easy - until the horse starts to hate it.

Its best to alternate where you inject so start in the neck, then do gluteals, then other side neck, then other side gluteals.

After a few days they really hate it though - if its penicillin or similar its a large quantity.

If you can get oral meds in that would be much less stressful for you and the horse.
 
Tonks said:
I do remember the first I injected. I underestimated the amount of forced needed to get it into the muscle as you really do need to 'stab' it!! I just attempted a little 'prick' (fearing I would hurt her) and ended up getting it stuck in the skin with the poor horse buckling away in pain! I nearly threw up!

You must be prepared to 'go for it' when you inject but once you do, it's easy and straight forward.
Click to expand...

^^ this too. You can also bend the needle if its a narrow guage one.
 
Use an old wormer syringe, tip in powder and a little warm water and a few drops of peppermint oil, put plunger back and shake well.

Administer in the same way as a wormer.

Generally I will give my horses a couple of peppermints before I worm them - it seems to disguise the taste more - you might consider doing this before giving the antibiotic.
 
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