How to get a horse to eat his medicine!?

[taraj]

Hi would be grateful if anyone can help as im having a nightmare getting horse to eat his anti-biotics. He has to have 50ml twice a day so a fair bit. Its the consistency of treacle and the smell is enough to put anyone off. Horse is normally a piggy and eats anything but wont touch his feed with this in. Tried syringing it but as its such a thick liquid its very hard, horse just puts his head up so you cant reach then spits it all out even if I do it a bit at a time. Horse is even turning his nose up at his hay now incase its "laced with the killer liquid!". Any good or unusual ideas, have tried molasses and various vegetables!

 

[YorksG]

Can you dilute the stuff at all to make syringing easier?

 

[taraj]

Could possibly try it, thanks, with just water or juice. Its just there is a lot of it in the first place I think I would be there all day trying to syringe it in!

 

[FlyingCircus]

My old riding instructor used to make gingerbread biscuits with the required medicine in for an old stubborn pony!
I'd also known people to give a piece of bread that has marmite and medicine on it.
Syringe into the centre of an apple/bread roll?

 

[YorksG]

I used to have to mix bute with hot chocolate and warm water to syringe it into the old Appy Only way she would swallow it! Good luck

 

[soloequestrian]

I had this trouble recently and ended up giving up - the horse didn't get the full course of antibiotics because I just couldn't get them into him.... the solution was that my vet gave me some intramuscular antibiotics instead. Not for the faint hearted - luckily my husband was a dairyman for many years so very used to giving these types of injection - but the horse didn't mind them at all and so got the full course. Might be worth the discussion if you carry on having problems.

 

[Grinchmass]

When my mare was off her food I had to mix her antibiotics with water and syringe them in - she wasn't overly impressed but she swallowed them.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Mint mixed in with the food might help.

 

[taraj]

Thanks for all the ideas, he likes bread as a treat now and again so went with that. Only bread I could find was an apple hot cross bun, syringed medicine in and let it soak for a bit and then he ate it, yay! But may not work tomorrow.

Thanks, soloequestrian, discussed with vet and he said if I have no luck then he would have to have a course of injections, fingers crossed he will keep trying different things,maybe we will go with a donut tomorrow!

 

[Django Pony]

Apple sauce sandwiches!

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Few drops of peppermint essence, apple juice, grated carrot

 

[Aoibhinn]

I had to get bute into my lad a few months back and he turned his nose up at it. What I did was i stewed some apples with sugar and put them in his feed, then added some apple juice and golden syrup. He loved it! Must say though, if I had been hungry it nearly would have tempted me!!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi would be grateful if anyone can help as im having a nightmare getting horse to eat his anti-biotics. He has to have 50ml twice a day so a fair bit. Its the consistency of treacle and the smell is enough to put anyone off. Horse is normally a piggy and eats anything but wont touch his feed with this in. Tried syringing it but as its such a thick liquid its very hard, horse just puts his head up so you cant reach then spits it all out even if I do it a bit at a time. Horse is even turning his nose up at his hay now incase its "laced with the killer liquid!". Any good or unusual ideas, have tried molasses and various vegetables!

check out here as it is full of ideas from previous posts on this subject>>>> http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/veterinary.html

If anyone has any ideas not on this list pm me if you want to share

 

[Illusion100]

Try giving a tiny feed with generous measure of garlic then giving the feed with medicine in, otherwise try mixing it with strawberry yoghurt and syringing it in.

Good luck!

 

[SO1]

My pony is dreadful with antibiotics tried all the normal stuff like apple sauce, coring out and apple mixing in apple sauce and antibiotic and then filling cored out apple with the mixture worked once, then he got wise with that, black treacle again worked but not that well as he got wise to that.

He is normally a very greedy pony as well.

However what worked really well was something I got from Holland and Barrett but have also seen in Tescos which is manuka honey with lemon and it is quite liquidy. Mixed the antibiotics with that and then in with the food and bucket licked clean every time!

 

[Tern]

maybe we will go with a donut tomorrow!

This made me giggle! Churros and Yum Yums next?

 

[kateandluelue]

Hello we always found a jam sandwich worked wonders. You can hide anything in those as long as there is lots of jam!!

 

[orbvalley]

Apple puree always works for mine, licks the bucket clean every time!

 

[LittleRooketRider]

Mix into custard and syringe, but it must be ambrosia or similar horses tend to turn their nose up at tesco's own.

 

[diamonddogs]

Mine has her meds mixed with treacle, and will lick it off a plate, though it's normally mixed with her feed. She's never tasted treacle without meds in it, so she'll wolf it down.

She also loves flapjacks, specially the gooey ones, so small amounts can go in that.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Thanks for all the ideas, he likes bread as a treat now and again so went with that. Only bread I could find was an apple hot cross bun, syringed medicine in and let it soak for a bit and then he ate it, yay! But may not work tomorrow.

Thanks, soloequestrian, discussed with vet and he said if I have no luck then he would have to have a course of injections, fingers crossed he will keep trying different things,maybe we will go with a donut tomorrow!

Did you check the site out?? just curious

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Try Fast Fibre......... worked a treat with mine

 

[Redders]

I recently had to give 50ml foul antibiotic via syringing. Luckily my mare was very good but I did find a syringe with a nice wide opening to make it quick. I was recommended to mix with molasses in syringe.

 

[taraj]

check out here as it is full of ideas from previous posts on this subject>>>> http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/veterinary.html

Very useful site thanks! Well donut didn't work and he is wary of the bread now so going to go armed with apple jam, apple juice and golden syrup later and maybe some yoghurt if I can find some in the fridge! Only 2 1/2 more days worth to go!.

 

[3OldPonies]

Mixing with baby food - the sort that comes in little jars - worked when I had to get stuff into the mini shettie once. I used the carrot, apple and mixed veg varieties in rotation so he didn't get used to one flavour. I couldn't fool him with a treacle or jam sandwich, he just knew that to be getting a normally banned treat like that there was something suspect about it!!!!! Mint and garlic didn't fool him either.

 

[wench]

I'd try golden syrup or treacle to start with, maybe in a sandwich?

 

[shugmx]

i used a boiling kettle to melt some treacle lick and mixed it. just left it on top of lick. my 17.1 is a nightmare with medicine and the drench is no go now. But this method is working so far.

 

[Summer pudding]

I've been successful with strawberry yoghurt in a syringe, or a choc spread sandwich left 'casually' in the stable. Good luck...meds can be a nightmare.