How to get a pony to eat bute and anti-b's post colic surgery

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merry mischief

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As title really, jims just recovering from colic surgery and I'm having trouble getting bute and anti-b's into him :-(
When he was really poorly I syringed it into him but 15hh of 4yo heavy cob on box rest is not easy to syringe!
Initially molasses worked but he's wise to it now! Any other ideas that won't upset his tum?
 
merry mischief said:
As title really, jims just recovering from colic surgery and I'm having trouble getting bute and anti-b's into him :-(
When he was really poorly I syringed it into him but 15hh of 4yo heavy cob on box rest is not easy to syringe!
Initially molasses worked but he's wise to it now! Any other ideas that won't upset his tum?
Click to expand...

I have found the antibiotics tend to be more palatable, so mine ate them happily in their feed.
Bute was more of a problem - and I did have to oral syringe it.
I reward mine after the syringing with an apple/carrot or treat so they stay cooperative - I have no desire to wrestle with mine (one is much larger than yours). :D
You could try Danilon, in case the sugar helps, or you could try coring out an apple, or sandwiching it in bread.
Good luck - I hope your boy makes a speedy and safe recovery.
S :D
 
merry mischief said:
As title really, jims just recovering from colic surgery and I'm having trouble getting bute and anti-b's into him :-(
When he was really poorly I syringed it into him but 15hh of 4yo heavy cob on box rest is not easy to syringe!
Initially molasses worked but he's wise to it now! Any other ideas that won't upset his tum?
Click to expand...
I was having the very same problem, but I found that adding the bute or anti-b's to his normal feed of chaff and balancer, and then dampening the whole lot down with apple juice works a treat! Another good one that seems to work is extra strong mints dissolved into boiling water, cooled down and added to his feed! Hope one of those works for you :D
 
Try black treacle sandwiches! Or put it in his feed with apple juice or oil. Mine scoffs it down.

If not syringe and treat or hollow out an apple as suggested :)
 
Shilasdair that's fab thankyou! Think I'm going to try the mint in water trick, that's a good idea without giving any extra food (still on a very plain diet ATM) x
 
The syringing is all technique.I do say this from experience, I have a colic prone 17 (!) HW hunter hander who loathes bute and it truly is possible. I promise a 15 hander will definitely be doable. Mine is far too wise to be fooled by hollowed out fruit or sandwiches any more but this works every time! The critical thing to concentrate on is making sure that you have control of his head throughout and a suitable syringe.

Make sure you have a biiiiigg syringe, one with a long pointy bit not short, there are both kinds. Headcollar on (no leadrope once you have hold of the headcollar, as you will need to hold the nosepiece and a rope as well in one hand is too much) and syringe with bute solution in pocket.

One hand firmly holds headcollar fairly loose fastened nosepiece behind the horses chin, the other hand takes bute out of pocket quickly, wiggles into side of mouth (facing backwards so bute goes in right direction and use heel of hand to push the stopper fully in. If he goes to throw head up or down (to spit out bute) I twist the nosepiece a little to keep it taut as he tries to move away and maintain my control of his head

Also I make up 2 syringes to allow for the fact that there is bound to be some wastage, assuming dose is 1 sachet I make up 2.

Same technique also works for wormer, which he also hates!

good luck!
 
Anti-b's not usually a problem. Adk your vet for Danilon - it is more expensive than bute - but I have never had a Norse not eat it.

You can try mixing the feed with some diluted apple juice to make it more palatable. In the days befor Danilon I had a horse who wouldn't eat bute in his feed but would eat a jam sandwich with it.
 
We mixed the bute with apple juice and syringed it - he loved it and was practically sucking it from the syringe. Found he would also eat it in his food as long as sprinkled with apple juice. Hope this helps.
 
Cherry/Apple chaff.
Treacle.
Cut up pears/apples/cauliflower (My boys fave's)

All mixed in with a *warmish* bran mash. (along with the bute of course!)

Always has worked for my chappy- then again he's a highland (the cherry chaff worked for his stable mate, araby fussy thing ;)

All the best!
Coring out an apple as Shilasdair said :D:D
 
With my old, dearly departed boy who was frequently on bute, I had to devise a recipe to get the stuff into him. (It's hellish bitter stuff?)

This worked best:
1 jar applesauce (babyfood one!)
good handful sunflower seeds
big dollop molasses
Mix vigorously so there won't be any pockets of bute for him to taste/smell.

I would stir this into his feed and it worked every time, whether for bute or antibiotics etc.

Hope he gets well soon.
 
Another vote for Danilon. Mine will not eat Equipalizone at all. Tried all the mollasses, apple sauce, honey tricks to no avail.

He eats Danilon no problem.

I've also found that since I changed his feed from comp mix to Allen & Page Calm and Condition because of behavioural issues, I can get him to eat NAF Respirator Boost, which he has to have occasionally, with no problems either. I used to have to syringe that but he eats it happily now.

You have to soak the C & C and I guess the sloppy food disguises the drugs. It is cereal-free so shouldn't cause any tummy upsets.
 
I had to feed bute to my very picky pony a while back - I bored out the middle of an apple and poured it in then put the core bit back in. Usually they eat it before realising there's powder in it. Otherwise, have also had success with a molasses & bute white bread sandwhich!
 
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