How to administer bute

coloured_c0b

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My vet gave me some sachets of bute, which my horse took fine for the first two days in cherry chaf but today he turned his nose up, any suggestions of trickery to get this into him? So far my best suggestion is a jam samdwich.
 
Blob of marmite in feed, dampened to make a nice gravy! Tends to work with mine. Apple juice has also worked. One of mine (and not the tb believe it or not but my ID who's normally the gannet) won't touch his feed at all if bute in it, despite trying everything to get him to. I have to mix it with some water into a paste and syringe it into him orally, like a wormer!
 
Mix with water in a syringe and shove down neck! :D Job done and you know horse has had the doseage required.

There are some different varieties of 'bute', some of which are more 'palatable' than others, so if the above is not acceptable to you it may be worth having a chat with your vet again.
 
really important if you're going to syringe it (which is the best way really!) cut the end of the end of the syringe ie. the narrow bit so the bottom is flat, otherwise the bute gets stuck in it because it is too narrow. I'm not sure that makes sense :confused: but hopefully you get the idea:rolleyes:
 
Golden syrup and Apple juice in feed have both worked for my fussy face but they only work for a few days before he sussed me out. Mint got us through the last few days - I sympathise, its hard work!
 
Make up nice feed, take out small handful and mix bute in. Feed horse to be medicated last. Give just the small handful. Horse will mostly be so cross that it will take a big mouthful of horrid feed, then tip rest of feed in on top and mix well and horse won't notice the taste anymore.
 
Thanks for all ur ideas ill be putting some of these to the test first thing in the morning. Syringe will be last attempt it's bad enough doing the wormer but I will definately try it if none of the other suggestions work x :) x
 
Thanks for all ur ideas ill be putting some of these to the test first thing in the morning. Syringe will be last attempt it's bad enough doing the wormer but I will definately try it if none of the other suggestions work x :) x
 
Well JB had to have Danilon twice a day everyday in the end and he was very good at leaving the Danilon in the feed bucket. So one slice of bread pour on veg oil empty sachet and slice thin apple slices and sandwich. Give sandwich before rest of feed will gobble up:D
 
As said above - cut the pointy end off the syring to leave a bigger hole. Then dissolve bute in water and syringe down. Horse will be less grumpy about syringe as there's no horrid pointy bit to jab their tongue/gums, and it goes down beautifully with one sharp squirt.
 
Better still use an irrigation syringe,mix with instant hot chocolate powder and hot water to a thin paste then syringe in. Did this with the Old Appy each day for about 4 years :)
 
Ask your vet for danilon. It is sugar coated bute. Never known a horse refuse it and I always get that rather than bute. Much easier than faffing about with the feed or using a syringe.
 
Depends what you are giving it for, my vet told me to make some icing sugar up and give it in a syringe, if your horse can't have sugar, I'd just mix with water and syringe it down at least then you know he's had it, Danilon might be better option, my horse eats it no problem he has it every day
 
After exhausting various honey-sandwich and apple-with-bute-core options with my laminitic Shetland, I went down the large plastic syringe route, much easier and quicker, grab horse in hedcollar and poke syringe in straight up side of mouth on outside of back molars, squirt in, hold mouth shut, avoid Glasgow kiss while stroking under jaw, release neddy.

Went into chemist and asked at pharmacy counter for a large syringe. They were suspicious at first at supplying me and asked what I wanted it for. When I explained, they laughed and sold me a big one (100ml).

You need enough water to make it liquid and to stop it blocking up the nozzle.

The small syringes (10ml) aren't man-enough for the job unless you want to stand there all day refilling it.

Pop bute into plastic bowl, add enough water to liquify it, suck it up into syringe, then grab horse. Good luck!
 
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