Prascand for a fussy shetland

[Hollylee1989]

My shetland was diagnosed with cushings this morning. Starting him on prascand, my problem is he is very fussy with food. He won't eat any chaff/mix or mint/garlic, any tips on how I can secretly disguise it.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Inside a bit of peanut butter?

 

[splashgirl45]

My cushings mare was very fussy and wouldn’t even go near her feed if it had anything in it, she lived carrots and I used to cut a hole in the carrot put the tablets in ( 4 of them for the last 2 years) and give it to her over the door of the stable before any hay or feed. Worked a treat, vet said it was more important to get the tablets down her than worrying about the sugars from 1 carrot a day…

 

[ElleSkywalker]

We managed to hide 1/2 tablet on a slice of apple for my shetland for a while. She then got wise to it so now has it shoved in the side of her mouth and check she doesn't spit it out as she won't eat it in food and was in danger of stopping eating all together if I tried to hide it. Last test showed she's well below the Cushing's levels now so it is still working

 

[GinaGeo]

I just pop it in the corner of my guys mouth too.

I don’t think he even notices it tbf.

We never even bothered trying it in his food as he can be difficult to get medications down anyway.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Friend use to make a hole in a chunk of apple everyday.. and pop the tablet in. Worked well

 

[Laurac13]

The carrot with a hole worked for a while as did an apple slice then they didn’t ! I just pop it in his mouth now and give him a couple of pony cubes straight after no drama

 

[Snowfilly]

I’ve had to admit defeat and use a honey sandwich for the horribly fussy mare I’m looking after. Vet said it’s more important that she eats it than the sugars, and she’s 28 with other health issues so it’s not a long term problem.

She flatly refused carrots, apples, all attempts at feed concealment and rears up if you attempt putting it in her mouth!

 

[winnie]

I’ve had to admit defeat and use a honey sandwich for the horribly fussy mare I’m looking after. Vet said it’s more important that she eats it than the sugars, and she’s 28 with other health issues so it’s not a long term problem.

She flatly refused carrots, apples, all attempts at feed concealment and rears up if you attempt putting it in her mouth!

My fussy suspicious Shetland got wise to all food methods and no way could I slip one in his mouth. In the end what worked the best was putting the tablets in tiny empty capsules which you can buy online very cheaply and placing the capsules in his feed. I had to use a smaller size, one which will only take 1/4 tablet.

 

[meleeka]

One of mine ended up refusing bucket feeds altogether because she was suspicious. I tried everything and now syringe it, mixed with a bit of water and she’s fine with that.

The other one did have it by hand with a few nuts, but now she’s got wise I’m going to try a spoonful of apple sauce in her tea. That worked well at masking bute for my other one.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine chops and changes what he will eat it in. Currently we are on spillers high fibre mash with a handful of nuts (because he went off it alone!)
I feel like I have to change tactics every few months now but at first it was every few days, then weeks so I think he’s kind of got used to it!
My vet said you can get it in a syringe form now, might be worth a look? It’s no good for me as my pony is nervy and I’d I syringed him every day I’d soon enough loose his trust all together!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

If your pony will eat a marmite sandwich try that. Ours love marmite.

 

[asmp]

My fussy suspicious Shetland got wise to all food methods and no way could I slip one in his mouth. In the end what worked the best was putting the tablets in tiny empty capsules which you can buy online very cheaply and placing the capsules in his feed. I had to use a smaller size, one which will only take 1/4 tablet.

I’ve just started giving Prascend to my oldie and am using this method. So far so good.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I dissolve in a tiny drop of water then add a few drops of mint essence and syringe it.

 

[Hollylee1989]

He's very good with a syringe, will try this. Thanks all

 

[suestowford]

I use the hole-in-a-carrot method now, but he has also taken it in a Polo mint. Half a tablet fits quite nicely into the hole in the middle and you can use sugar-free mints.
He is not fussy about food but will never willingly take Bute even hidden in food, so I am surprised that he doesn't notice the Prascend in his bit of carrot. He's been on Prascend now for 7 years.
I'm wary of tucking it into his mouth (although this seems a very good method as the pill dissolves very quickly) because this pony is very handy with his teeth and I want to keep all my fingers.

 

[Tarragon]

I pop mine just straight into the cheek. He refused all my devious attempts to feed it to him and this works. Just make sure you check the ground in case it is spat out. If you manage to get it right in between the cheek and teeth it is 100%.
It made me notice exactly how much eating hay dries out the mouth. If I try and do it after he has been eating hay, it is so much harder than after coming in from the field, as there is very little "lubricant" in the mouth to help.

 

[Esmae]

The best way to do it is to stick the pill inside the side of the bottom lip between the gum and lip. They can't spit them out from there. I had 7 years of this game and that was the most foolproof way to get it in the horse.

 

[TheBigPony]

Prascend is meant to be given dissolved in liquid. However depending on how fussy she is being with food she either gets it dissolved in water and then mixed into her feed or in a carrot.

 

[splashgirl45]

Prascend is meant to be given dissolved in liquid. However depending on how fussy she is being with food she either gets it dissolved in water and then mixed into her feed or in a carrot.

Unless it’s changed, the instruction I had was NOT to dissolve in water unless you can’t get it down them any other way

 

[eggs]

Half a tablet fits nicely into the hole in the middle of a sugar free polo. Alternatively I use these gelatine free empty capsules to pop a pill in which I think drop into their hard feed

Empty Veggie Capsules "00", 300 Quick Release Capsules

You’re a health mastermind and creativity is what you do. You don’t need pre-packed pills, you prefer the DIY route in life. Our empty capsules are about 3/4” long and 1/4” in diameter. You’ll be able to fill approximately 400-800 mg of whatever powder you need to take within them. Easy to fill...

www.gb.pipingrock.com

 

[TheBigPony]

Unless it’s changed, the instruction I had was NOT to dissolve in water unless you can’t get it down them any other way

A vet told me I was giving it incorrectly by feeding it in a carrot and said i should be titrating it. I checked the info with the drugs and it said that it should be titrated/dissolved. They have updated the info sheetand it now says place tablet in small amount of water and/or molasses until dissolved. However, it does now also say to make it easier to administer - it didn't say this previously.

 

[splashgirl45]

It was back in 2016 when I lost my mare so it’s changed since I was feeding it.

 

[claracanter]

My horse has had Cushings for nearly 8 years. He has got so wise to pills in his good, among polos, in an apple, carrot, sandwich etc. I’ve tried everything over the years. Pill capsules have been a game changer. They were recommended on a Cushings Facebook group. They are fantastic

vegetarian capsules - Google Search

 

[Hollylee1989]

He loves swede, so far so good at masking it inside that.