Metformin - How to feed?

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CazD

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Hi. My pony has recently been diagnosed with Insulin Resistance. The vet has prescribed 16 Metformin per day, to be fed as 8 tablets, twice daily. I've picked up a prescription of 600 tablets today but was unable to speak to the vet. The girls on reception didn't know if the tablets could be crushed up into a feed. The tablets are obviously human ones, as the leaflet with them is all about not taking alcohol or using machinery LOL. For people, it says do not crush the tablets but take them whole with a glass of water. So how do I feed them to the pony. I'm not sure she will just eat them, although I haven't actually tried yet.
 
I tried feeding whole in a feed but horse wouldn't eat it, then tried crushing tablets but same result. I've now resorted to dissolving in water then syringing down his throat as it seems to be the only way he'll take it and it's not ideal! I'm hoping that someone has a better method?!
 
CazD said:
Am a bit disappointed not to get a proper horse leaflet with them from the vet to be honest.
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I don't think they're actually licensed for use in horses so all literature will necessarily be aimed at humans!

They are fine to crush up, no time-release coating or anything like that, mine has hers crushed in a lightly dampened feed.
 
I have to dissolve them in water (takes a few hours even with warm water) then use a few high fibre nuts to soak it up & add a sprinkle of mint. Cob is convinced they're poison!
 
I crush them, used to use a coffee grinder but it died. I now use the round end of a heavy rolling pin. My pony got very fussy about eating a feed with it in until I started adding a teaspoon of cinnamon which has had good results in humans. She has been eating this way for several months.
 
I either soaked for a little while in water and then crushed into a paste and mixed that in or soaked for a long time to make them a liquid and then mixed that in, I was giving 15 each meal. She did go off the taste but with tiny chunks of carrot in her meal soon got over that !
 
I fed mine whole (30 a day!!!) and for weeks was finding them hidden in his bed, stuck under his feed bucket or in his water bucket..so from experience you will be better grinding them up!
 
Plastic bag and a mallet is the quickest and easiest way to crush them. My mare had to have 26 in her feed. I found that she ate it fine so long as the feed was soaked.
 
I soak my mare's tablets in a cup of water. When making one feed I put the next lot in a cup of water so they are ready for the next feed and so on. I then use the metformin water to soak the fast fibre and haven't had any trouble with them being eaten at all.
 
I've found the best thing is to soak them in hot water (usually overnight) and then syringe them. I also mix them in with fast fibre but the little so and so knows its in there!
 
My horse never had metformin, but did have 9 gabapentin tablets three times a day. I popped them in his mouth a few at a time on his tongue, held his head up and rubbed his throat so he swallowed. Easy peasy. Most tablets have a film coating so will be fairly tasteless if you do it this way. He certainly never complained. Crush them and the horrid taste comes out.
 
I crushed them up as best as possible to start with but my Welsh had them whole after a while - He's walking dustbin, but as others have suggested you are able to crush them up or mix with a little water or as others, coffee grinders. I also found mixing with a little Koff syrup helped with the taste
 
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